You’re here for one reason and one reason only: you want the best eyelash growth possible for your lash line. Well, you’ve come to the right place.
Every once in awhile, I scour the Internet for the latest and greatest lash growth serums. If you’ve ever done the same, you already know that there’s a plethora of lash serums on the market.
Each and every one of them promising to make your lashes thicker, longer, and fuller in a record amount of time. Most of the time, I don’t buy the claims.
As you can already tell from this blog, I’ve been up, down and around the lash growth block many times before. By now, I know enough to ignore most of the marketing claims and focus on what actually matters.
And that’s what this article is all about.
Knowing what ingredients to look for, what you can expect, and what your alternatives are will help you make a more informed decision for your eyelash needs and ultimately get the best eyelash growth imaginable.
So keep reading to learn the 7 secrets you need to know about lash growth serums before you buy.
Ingredients Matter
Possibly the most important thing to keep in mind before buying any lash growth serums is that your ingredients are going to make all the difference.
Duh, you say. But this is really of profound importance. You see, while some ingredients are capable of affecting your actual lash growth cycle, resulting in genuine and dramatic lash growth, others act more as conditioning and nourishing agents that promote healthier lashes that are less prone to damage.
Here’s a quick run-down of how these ingredients compare.
Prostaglandins vs Peptides
If you’re looking for something for dramatic lash growth, you’ll want to seek out lash serums containing prostaglandins such as bimatoprost, isopropyl cloprostenate, or a comparable analog. Lash serums formulated with these ingredients cause incredible growth.
Here’s one of our favorite lash serums with prostaglandin, you can see the dramatic results…
M2 BEAUTE Eyelash Activating Serum
Although the process isn’t fully understood, it’s believed they work by extending the growth phase of your lash lifecycle. At the same time, they may also increase the actual number of hairs that grow.
On the other hand, we have the more natural, organic, cosmetic growth serum options. These contain ingredients like peptides, that can improve the appearance of lash length and thickness, but don’t actually affect the growth cycle of lashes.
One of our favorites is Cos Naturals Peptide Lash. It’s perfect for sensitive eyes and does a remarkable job of lengthening lashes.
Making up the majority of lash serums on the market, these conditioners also promote healthier hair follicles with natural oils, vitamins, and moisturizers which strengthen your lashes, decrease breakage, and keep them moisturized and shiny.
The best of these peptide-containing lash serums are definitely effective. They won’t transform your lash line into a lush jungle of eyelashes but they will certainly take the length and thickness of your lashes to the best they can be.
A Little Bit Will Do You
The “less is more” rule applies to so many things in life, up to and including lash growth serums. And, with that said, your application is everything.
Removing any makeup before applying a lash serum is crucial. Any leftover mascara, liner, shadow, or otherwise will act as a barrier between your serum and your lashes, not allowing the ingredients to penetrate into the hair follicle.
Not to mention, the leftover makeup on your lash line can transfer to the product itself, making it unhygienic and possibly shortening the use-by date.
Dab your serum on the upper lash line with the applicator(s) provided. The serum will spread down your lashes and into your lower lash line as you blink.
It’s important not to overdo it and not to apply the serum onto your lower lid – or anywhere besides your upper lash line for that matter. Especially in the case of serums containing prostaglandins, this can lead to hair growing in undesired places, such as the corners of the eyes.
To prevent any unwanted hair growth, make your application careful and minimal. You can take a cotton swap to remove any excess serum from your skin as well.
Good Things Take Time
Latisse, the prescription-grade lash growth serum that’s clinically proven to enhance lashes, takes at least two months of nightly use to start showing results.
This is the same for all lash serums. Many of them will promise faster results but this is just a marketing ploy to appeal to our culture of instant gratification.
The truth is that our natural lash growth cycle is going to affect how quickly results appear. And that’s going to be around two months.
So you really must be patient and religiously apply the serum every day for at least two months.
Between two and four months, you’ve likely achieved the maximum result you’re going to get from the product, and you can switch to using it once every two days. But if you stop using the lash serum altogether, keep in mind that your eyelashes will regress to where they were prior to using the medication.
All that is to say that, even the best eyelash growth serums take time to show real results, so be patient. Perhaps more pointedly, be realistic with your expectations. Most lash serums – with the exception of those with high quantities of prostaglandins – aren’t going to grow lashes where lashes previously were not.
More Lashes Than Ever
If you opt for a prostaglandin serum, you should know that you’re going to see significant growth. We mean – be prepared to have longer, fuller lashes than you’ve ever had.
In fact, some people have had their eyelashes grow so long that they need to trim them. And we’ve already mentioned how others can find hairs where there were no hairs before if they’re not careful with their application.
If you notice that you’re getting too much growth, you can decrease the dosage. Instead of applying the serum once a day, limit your use to a few times per week.
Lashes Beyond Serums
Not everyone needs the power of prostaglandins in their lash growth serum. More than that, not everyone is a good candidate for their use, either.
If you suffer from eye problems like uveitis and conjunctivitis, are at risk for macular edema, or have severe allergies or skin infections, then prostaglandins may be too risky for you.
Even people with simple eye sensitivities and those with light-colored eyes should carefully consider its use, because these compounds have been linked to darkening of the iris as well as redness and irritation.
Whether you find yourself in one of the above categories or you simply want to try something different, there are plenty of alternatives to an eyelash growth serum that may benefit you.
Like what, you ask? Here’s what to add to your beauty arsenal:
GrandeMascara
This brilliant two-in-one mascara offers all of the benefits of a darkening and lengthening mascara, but also contains lash-growing ingredients such as peptides and panthenols to nourish and lengthen your natural lashes.
LavishLiner
For a darker, more dramatic look, there’s nothing like a deep black liner – except a deep black liner infused with biotin and castor oil to help nourish your lash line and encourage healthier, more productive follicles.
Lash Growth Vitamins
The dietary option for boosting lash growth from the inside out, these supplements address vitamin deficiencies that affect hair growth. Warning: these vitamins propel overall hair growth, not just on your lash line!
Take Care of Yourself
Speaking of the importance of vitamins and their link to healthy hair, your diet has a lot to do with what’s going on on the outside of your body. Maintaining a healthy, lash boosting diet that’s rich in essential nutrients will contribute to healthier lashes and a healthier you.
Without a balanced diet, your lashes – like the rest of your body – is more likely to be fragile and dull. Specifically great for encouraging hair growth, though, are vitamins c and e, calcium, and proteins such as keratin and collagen.
Maintenance Matters
Having great lashes isn’t a matter of applying a magic serum and then neglecting your lashes. With great lashes come great responsibility – or at least a little maintenance.
While you might choose to forego regular use after achieving your desired length and fullness, when you stop using your lash growth serum, your lashes will return from whence they came.
In order to avoid overgrowth and at the same time maintain the look you desire, simply reduce your use of the serum from regularly to every other day or a few times per week.
