Microsponges-Mediated Targeted Topical Delivery of Rosemary Oil for Hair Growth Promotion: Optimization and In-Vivo Studies

This study investigates the potential of rosemary oil (ROS) for hair growth by developing ROS-loaded microsponges (MS) for better topical application. Using a Box-Behnken design, the optimized ROS-MS formulation achieved a 94% production yield, 99.6% encapsulation efficiency, and 96.4% cumulative ROS release within 24 hours. The microsponges had a uniform particle size of 14.1 µm. The optimized ROS-MS gel showed improved skin permeability and three-fold increased follicular retention compared to pure ROS-gel. In-vivo studies demonstrated that the ROS-MS gel significantly enhanced hair length, thickness, and bulb diameter, outperforming ROS-gel and minoxidil by 1.2 and 1.5 times, respectively, and nearly doubled β-catenin levels. The findings suggest that microsponges are a promising method for delivering ROS to treat hair loss.