8 Eyelash Serums That Really Work

Many different eyelash-enhancing serums can strengthen your eyelashes and help them grow longer and thicker naturally. These products’ effectiveness has improved drastically over the last few years, leading to a massive surge in popularity.

Thick and full lashes can make your eyes look bigger and more beautiful, but unfortunately, many of us are born with eyelashes that could use a little help.

For those who need a boost in the lash department, we have found the most popular and highest quality eye growth enhancers that will improve your natural lashes’ length and density.

Eyelash Serums That Really Work

The following are some of the most popular and best quality eyelash serum brands available:

Hairgenics Lavish Lash

Hairgenics Lavish Lash

Hairgenics Lavish Lash is a best-selling brand sold on Amazon. It contains only hypoallergenic, non-irritating, clinically tested, allergy-tested ingredients, and it promises to make lashes fuller and more extended in 60 days.

Some users find that they get a doubling in length and volume of their lashes by week 12. To use, all you have to do is apply the thin applicator brush across your lash line once a day.

Ingredients: Purified Water, Sodium Chloride, Benzalkonium Chloride, Citric Acid, Disodium Phosphate, Cellulose Gum, Panax Ginseng Extract, Swertia Japonica Extract, Biotin

Available from Amazon

Essy Naturals Eyelash Growth Serum

Essy Naturals Eyelash Growth Serum
Essy Naturals Eyelash Growth Serum is one of Amazon’s most popular options to help improve the look of brows and lashes. People love it because of the great price and amazing benefits of this eyelash serum. Most people notice a difference with longer lashes after using it for only a short time. This serum comes with small brushes that are easy to apply.

Ingredients: Purified water, Alanine, isoleucine, Arginine, Glutamic acid, Serine, Valine, Lysine, Threonine, Aspartic acid, Histidine, Butanediol, Polygonum multiflorum extract, Nymphaea coerulea flower extract, Panax ginseng root extract, Hydrolyzed silk, Oligopeptide-1.

Available from Amazon

Luxros Eyelash & Eyebrow Serum

Luxros Eyelash & Eyebrow Serum

The Luxros Eyelash & Eyebrow Serum is a moderately priced option that is working well for many women. It will give you thicker lashes in a relatively short amount of time (for some as little as 4 weeks). It comes with an easy-to-use applicator and contains natural botanicals, so for some, it will be gentler on the skin than other options.

Ingredients: Purified water, Alanine, isoleucine, arginine, glutamic acid, serine, valine, lysine, threonine, aspartic acid, histidine, butane diol, polygonum multiglorum extract, nymphaea coerulea flower extract, panacea ginseng root extract, hydrolyzed silk, oligopeptide-1

Available from Amazon

M2 Lashes Eyelash Activating Serum

M2 Lashes Eyelash Activating Serum

M2 Lashes Activating Serum is a luxury serum produced by a German-based company. The main ingredient is MDN* complex that reportedly stimulates the roots of the lashes and helps create a more extended growth phase giving you fuller, stronger lashes. The serum is dermatologically tested and free of dangerous ingredients with harmful side-effects.

Ingredients: MDN* (MethylamidoDihydro Noralfaprostal), Biotin (Vitamin B7), Hyaluronic acid, Pardew 300, Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans (GAG)

Available from Amazon

Latisse

Latisse

Latisse is probably the most well-known treatment to give thicker, fuller lashes. It was initially developed as a glaucoma treatment, but it was found to produce thicker, longer lashes in the patients who were using it to treat glaucoma while being tested.

Latisse contains a prostaglandin called bimatoprost, and because of this drug, you can only get it by prescription. It works well for chemotherapy patients seeking to re-grow lashes and brows after treatment, as well as a beauty aid.

There have been many studies done on bimatoprost that have proven that it does help to grow, darken, and especially thicken lashes. Unfortunately, there are side effects to using Latisse, including itching and red eyes (3.6 percent of patients in one Allergan study).

There is also a small possibility of a change in eye color (although not considered typical). Any change in eye color that occurs is likely permanent, particularly if you have light-colored eyes. It only takes seconds to apply, and you will need to use it for at least 16 weeks to see a result.

Cost: One LATISSE® kit costs approximately $120. It includes one bottle and 30 pairs of applicators.

Ingredients: Active ingredient: bimatoprost.
Inactive ingredients: benzalkonium chloride; sodium chloride; sodium phosphate, dibasic; citric acid; and purified water.

Available from: Doctor By Prescription, learn more at Latisse

RapidLash

Rapidlash

This version of RapidLash isn’t as potent as the original formula, but it still seems to get decent results for lots of consumers.  Some users start to see improvements after only four weeks of use, although you will probably have to wait at least three months to see a significant change for most people.

Ophthalmologists, as well as dermatologists, approve it. The main active ingredient is HexateinTM 1 Complex, which is just a mix of proteins, peptides, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and botanicals.

Ingredients: Water, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Butylene Glycol,  Myristoyl Pentapeptide-17, Glycerin, Rhizobian Gum, Biotin, Panthenol, Pantethine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans, Allantoin, Cucurbita Pepo Seed Extract, Maris Aqua/Sea Water, Octapeptide-2, Copper Tripeptide-1, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, sh-Polypeptide-1, Glycine Soja Oil, Black Sea Rod Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Sorbic Acid, Chlorphenesin 

Available from Ulta.com

Organic Castor Oil

Organic Castor Oil
One of the products that is a simple yet very effective oil for hair regrowth that many women have had a lot of success with is castor oil. Castor oil has a lot of surprising uses, with hair growth being one of its most popular.

There are many castor oil brands around, but since you are dealing with your eyes, make sure you are getting a high-quality, all-natural product from a reputable brand.

One with excellent reviews and is organic, non-GMO, and comes from Hexane free castor seeds is the Organic Castor Oil from Namskara. It comes with an applicator kit in a UV coated glass bottle. The best part of using castor oil, apart from its effectiveness, is the price(usually less than $10 a bottle).

Available from Amazon

Babe Lash Eyelash Serum

Babe Lash Eyelash Serum

One of the best options to help grow your lashes is Babe Lash Eyelash Serum. It can help you enhance your lashes with as little as 4-6 weeks of use. Using this formula once a day (at night) will help your lashes become longer and fuller.

Once your lashes have begun to improve, you can switch to using this serum two to three times a week to maintain results. It may take up to three months to see the full results. It is dermatologist tested, with very few reported side effects. The results will diminish if you stop using the serum. Babe is safe to use with contact lenses.

Ingredients: Water, Glycerin, Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans, Sodium Hyaluronate, Panthenol, Sodium Lactate, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Polysorbate 20, Sodium PCA, Sorbitol, Proline, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Yeast Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Arctostaphylos Uva Ursi (bearberry) Tocopheryl Acetate, Methylamido Dihydro Noralfaprostal, Leaf Extract, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Triethanolamine, Phenonip.

Available from Walmart.com

What to Look for in an Eyelash Serum

Ingredients

The ingredients with the best science behind them are prescription-only (i.e., Latisse), although lots of consumers can get good results out of the natural-based serums. Natural ingredients won’t work as quickly as prescription-based, but there are generally fewer side effects.

Applicator 

Look for products that come with an applicator brush that are small and pointy (similar to a liquid eyeliner type applicator), not a mascara-style brush.  The brushes that let you apply the serum to the lash line give much more noticeable results since the product can get deeper into the skin.

Size

The pricing and sizing of some of the bottles can be a bit misleading. Check reviews to see how long the product you are considering buying will last.

Common Questions

Can I use eyelash serums if I wear contacts?

Most products are safe to use if you wear contact lens, although read all instructions before using.

Do you put it on your skin (eyelid) or the lashes?

The most effective lash serums work best when applied to the lash line. Some products come with a mascara-like brush, making it difficult for the liquid to penetrate the skin.

How often do you have to use it?

For most products, you only need to apply them once a day, usually at night, onto clean skin. You leave it on and not wash it off. After using it once a day for 4 to 12 weeks, you should start to see longer and thicker lashes emerge.

What are the serums that contain the chemical that can cause eye color to change/darken?

The ingredient is call bimatoprost; it is a type of chemical known as a prostaglandin. It is in prescription-only Latisse.

Do lash serums give you permanent results?
To maintain the results, you will have to keep using the serum, but after you have reached your ideal growth, you should reduce the number of days per week that you need to use the product.

Are Lash-Enhancing Serums Safe?

Generally, most eyelash serums are considered safe. You need to be careful because many of the products sold are not FDA approved, so you need to read and follow all instructions on any of the products that you are using. If you experience any change in your vision or discomfort using a serum, you should discontinue use immediately.  Most serums cause a slight redness when first applied; this should go away after a couple of days.

If you are considering getting a prescription for Latisse, some of the potential side effects include iris pigmentation, lid pigmentation, and hair growth outside of the treatment area.

Side Effects

Since you are dealing with an area close to your eyes, it is essential before using any product to look into possible side effects. If you are using a product that contains prostaglandin, there are rare but severe side effects that could occur, including iris pigmentation, lid pigmentation, hair growth outside of the treatment.

Before using a new eyelash enhancer, you should perform a patch test on the skin of your arm to ensure that you won’t have an allergic reaction or other adverse reactions.

Other possible side effects from using over-the-counter eyelash enhancers include red or itchy eyes.

How to use

Eyelash serums couldn’t be easier to use. When you first receive the product, do a patch test to ensure you don’t react to the formula. Once you have determined that the enhancer is safe for you to use, make sure your lid is clean and free of oil. Using the lash applicator, apply the serum to your lash line and leave it.

Try to avoid dipping the brush back into the product for each eye (dip once for both eyes). It is usually done at night to ensure that the formula has time to penetrate your skin and begin to activate your lashes. Try not to rub after applying the serum.

Some people start to see results within a few weeks, while most will have to wait two to three months before noticing a significant change.

The Bottom Line

There are many eyelash enhancers available, so finding one that will work effectively and quickly to give you longer and thicker lashes can be difficult. The above list is an excellent place to start your search; whatever product you choose, make sure you do your research, check for any possible side effects, and do a patch test before fully applying the serum to your lash line.

When you begin to use a lash serum, you will need to consistent and patient since most products require a good 2 or 3 months to start to show results. Once you have found a product that works for you, you will need to continue use to maintain the results.

Jane Snyder
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