The benefits of Atlas Cedar essential oil for hair: what are they?

The Atlas cedar essential oil is often considered a good option for combating dandruff. As a reminder, dandruff manifests as whitish scales on the scalp. Its appearance is thought to be linked to an acceleration of the cell renewal of the scalp's epidermis, combined with an excessive presence of the fungus Malassezia on the scalp. Although the anti-dandruff effect of Atlas cedar essential oil has not yet been demonstrated in a clinical trial, some of its properties suggest that it could have such an action.

Indeed, this essential oil exhibits antifungal activity, as demonstrated by KORAICHI and his team on various types of fungi, particularly Aspergillus niger, Thielavia hyalocarpa and four fungi derived from the genus Penicillium. The measured minimum inhibitory concentrations ranged from 0.5 to 1%, showing a relevant antifungal activity against the various tested fungi. Thus, it is possible that Atlas cedar essential oil may act similarly on the fungus Malassezia. However, further studies are necessary to confirm this.

Despite a potential action of Atlas Cedar essential oil, it is important to remain cautious as no clinical trial has so far demonstrated that it can limit dandruff.

Beyond its potential effects on dandruff, the Atlas cedar essential oil could soothe the scalp. Indeed, following the use of colouring products, exposure to pollution, or even stress, the scalp can be subject to tightness, itching, or even redness. According to some sources, Atlas cedar essential oil could help alleviate these discomforts and calm irritations due to its anti-inflammatory benefits.

BOUHRIM and his team highlighted the anti-inflammatory activity of Atlas Cedar essential oil in a study conducted in 2022 on rats with oedema. After administering 50 mg/kg of essential oil, a significant reduction in the size of the oedema (98.36%) was observed after five hours. This reduction was greater than that caused by the administration of 20 mg/kg of indomethacin, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (88.52%). It is hypothesised that the anti-inflammatory effects of Atlas Cedar essential oil are due to its ability to inhibit 5-lipoxygenase (LOX), an enzyme that stimulates the production of leukotrienes, mediators of inflammation.

The essential oil of Atlas cedar has thus demonstrated interesting anti-inflammatory properties through this study. However, it is difficult to extrapolate these results to the level of the scalp, as the study was conducted on rats.