From Root to Ritual
Daily science, ritual, and botanical intelligence for hair and scalp health. By Laritelle Organic.
Episodes
115 episodes
Crash dieting and hair loss: why caloric restriction triggers telogen effluvium — and what the protein threshold actually is.
From Root to Ritual by Laritelle Organic. In brief: Rapid weight loss — particularly below 800 kcal/day — is a well-documented trigger for diffuse hair shedding, beginning 2-4 months after the caloric restriction begins. A JAMA study of crash die...
How to raise ferritin through food — the practical dietary guide for hair loss, including what blocks absorption and the honest verdict on vitamin C with iron.
From Root to Ritual by Laritelle Organic. In brief: The August 1 article established the clinical case for ferritin and hair loss. This article covers what to do about it through food — which iron sources have the highest absorption rates, what s...
How to raise ferritin through food — the practical dietary guide for hair loss, including what blocks absorption and the honest verdict on vitamin C with iron.
From Root to Ritual by Laritelle Organic. In brief: The August 1 article established the clinical case for ferritin and hair loss. This article covers what to do about it through food — which iron sources have the highest absorption rates, what s...
The complete blood test guide for hair loss — exactly which tests to request, what the results mean, and the one thing a 2026 JAAD study of 22.8 million results confirmed about testing strategy.
From Root to Ritual by Laritelle Organic. In brief: A 2026 JAAD International study analysed 22.8 million laboratory results and found that broad, indiscriminate testing for hair loss is "fruitless and unnecessarily costly." The right approach is...
Wildcrafted Skincare Benefits for Skin That Feels Alive
From Root to Ritual by Laritelle Organic. Your skin is not asking for a longer ingredient list. It is asking for care that recognizes where an ingredient came from, how it was gathered, and what it brings to the ritual in your hands. The wildcraf...
Traction alopecia follows a biphasic pattern — early stage is reversible, late stage is not. Here is how to tell which stage you're in.
From Root to Ritual by Laritelle Organic. In brief: Traction alopecia is hair loss caused by sustained mechanical tension on hair follicles — tight braids, ponytails, buns, extensions, and wigs that pull on the hairline. It follows a biphasic pat...
7 Benefits of Aromatherapy Body Oil for Skin
From Root to Ritual by Laritelle Organic. Your skin is not asking for another rushed step. It is asking for a moment of contact. The benefits of aromatherapy body oil reach beyond surface softness because the ritual asks your whole system to slow...
Every article in this series has been about one thing. Here is what it is.
From Root to Ritual by Laritelle Organic. Ninety-something articles. DHT and 5-alpha reductase and androgen receptor sensitivity. Gas6 and telogen reactivation and cortisol suppression. PIILIF and perifollicular inflammation and Malassezia and th...
Every article in this series has been about one thing. Here is what it is.
From Root to Ritual by Laritelle Organic. Ninety-something articles. DHT and 5-alpha reductase and androgen receptor sensitivity. Gas6 and telogen reactivation and cortisol suppression. PIILIF and perifollicular inflammation and Malassezia and th...
Facial Serum for Dehydrated Skin That Listens
From Root to Ritual by Laritelle Organic. Your skin is not asking for more products. It is asking for water, protection, and a little less pressure. A facial serum for dehydrated skin can become the turning point in that conversation - not becaus...
Biotin and hair loss: the honest picture from a 2026 systematic review — who it helps, who it doesn't, and why most people taking it are wasting their money.
From Root to Ritual by Laritelle Organic. In brief: Biotin (vitamin B7) is the most widely purchased hair supplement in the world. A May 2026 systematic review — the most comprehensive review of biotin and hair loss published to date, searching t...
Hair fibers and scalp concealers: the honest guide to what works, what doesn't, and the one risk most people don't know about.
From Root to Ritual by Laritelle Organic. In brief: Hair fibers and scalp concealers create a genuine cosmetic improvement for thinning areas — they are not a treatment but they are a legitimate tool. A 2026 Springer clinical chapter (Schmidt, A....
Sulfate Free Shampoo for Color Treated Hair
From Root to Ritual by Laritelle Organic. Fresh color has a particular kind of radiance: light catches the lengths, the tone feels intentional, and your hair looks like it has been restored to itself. Then a few washes later, that brilliance can ...
Collagen peptides and hair: what a 2026 RCT actually found — and why the mechanism matters more than the marketing.
From Root to Ritual by Laritelle Organic. In brief: A January 2026 randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial of 100 adults taking 2000mg collagen peptides daily for 24 weeks found significant improvements in hair density, tensile strength,...
Collagen peptides and hair: what a 2026 RCT actually found — and why the mechanism matters more than the marketing.
From Root to Ritual by Laritelle Organic. In brief: A January 2026 randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial of 100 adults taking 2000mg collagen peptides daily for 24 weeks found significant improvements in hair density, tensile strength,...
How to Care for Dry Scalp Without Stripping It
From Root to Ritual by Laritelle Organic. Your scalp is not asking for a harsher wash day. When it feels tight, flaky, itchy, or uncomfortable, it is often asking for less stripping, more nourishment, and a little more attention to what is happen...
Topical minoxidil: how it actually works, why it doesn't work for everyone, and the enzyme question your dermatologist probably hasn't mentioned.
From Root to Ritual by Laritelle Organic. In brief: Topical minoxidil is the only FDA-approved treatment for female pattern hair loss. Up to 60% of women see noticeably thicker hair after 8 months of consistent daily use. It works by widening blo...
Topical minoxidil: how it actually works, why it doesn't work for everyone, and the enzyme question your dermatologist probably hasn't mentioned.
From Root to Ritual by Laritelle Organic. In brief: Topical minoxidil is the only FDA-approved treatment for female pattern hair loss. Up to 60% of women see noticeably thicker hair after 8 months of consistent daily use. It works by widening blo...
Hair loss after menopause affects up to 52% of women — and the biology is different from perimenopause. Here is what's actually happening.
From Root to Ritual by Laritelle Organic. In brief: Up to 52% of postmenopausal women experience noticeable hair thinning — making it one of the most common yet least discussed consequences of the menopause transition. A May 2025 clinical review ...
Hair loss and hair breakage are completely different problems — with completely different fixes. Here is how to tell which one you have.
From Root to Ritual by Laritelle Organic. In brief: Hair loss originates at the follicle — the strand sheds with a white bulb at the root. Hair breakage happens along the shaft — the strand snaps and produces short, irregular pieces without a bul...
How often should you wash your hair if you're experiencing hair loss? The answer is probably more often than you think.
From Root to Ritual by Laritelle Organic. In brief: A large-scale study found hair quality satisfaction highest among people washing 5-6 times per week — with no evidence of overstripping. The American Hair Loss Association (April 2026) confirmed...
Scalp pain at the hair root has a name — and a surprisingly specific set of causes. Here is what trichodynia actually is.
From Root to Ritual by Laritelle Organic. In brief: If your scalp feels tender, sore, or burning — especially around the hair roots during periods of active shedding — you may have trichodynia. It affects approximately one-third of people with ha...
Thyroid hair loss: why a normal TSH doesn't rule it out — and the test most panels miss.
From Root to Ritual by Laritelle Organic. In brief: Thyroid dysfunction causes diffuse hair loss across the entire scalp and affects up to 50% of patients with untreated thyroid disorders. A 2025 study found both TSH and free T4 were significantl...
Your ferritin is "normal." That number might still be causing your hair loss.
From Root to Ritual by Laritelle Organic. TL;DR: Standard labs flag iron deficiency at 12-15 ng/mL. Research shows hair follicles need ferritin at 40-70 ng/mL to function well. Women with ferritin at or below 30 ng/mL have 21 times higher odds of...
CCCA is the most common scarring alopecia in Black women — and a 2026 UCLA study found it takes longer to diagnose than any other scarring hair loss. Here is why that matters.
From Root to Ritual by Laritelle Organic. This series has covered androgenetic alopecia, alopecia areata, telogen effluvium, traction alopecia, and postpartum shedding. Today's article covers a condition that affects a significant population and ...