Lash Serum Facts: Does It Work, Time & Top Picks
If you’ve ever wondered if eyelash serums are worth trying, this post is for you. Whether you’re trying to grow out damaged lashes – from falsies, extensions or anything else – or if you just want a little extra length, a lash serum will go a long way.
However, we don’t blame you for wondering if lash serums really work and if they’re worth trying in the first place! That’s why we’ve put together this guide of what eyelash serums really do and what you can expect from using one in your beauty routine, plus a recommendation of our favourite lash serum for seriously long lashes.
What Do Eyelash Serums Do?
This is probably one of the first questions that many have before using an eyelash serum for growth: what do eyelash serums do in the first place? Ideally, a good lash serum should bring most, if not all of these benefits to your eyelashes:
- Lengthen lashes
- Condition eyelashes
- Thicken lash hairs
- Improve eyelash density
- Reduce lash breakage
Eyelash serums do this with just the right blend of ingredients that support lash growth. In many cases, eyelash serums contain an ingredient that actually modifies the natural growth cycle of your lashes - to put it simply, they keep your eyelashes in the growth phase for longer, which is what helps your lashes reach much longer lengths than they would without using a lash serum.
M2 Beauté Eyelash Activating SerumWhat Is in an Eyelash Serum?
When it comes to answering the question of does lash serum really work, we’ve got to start by looking at the ingredients that go into an eyelash serum in the first place.
Lash serum ingredients that help to grow your lashes can be divided into two broad groups: moisturising & conditioning ingredients, and growth stimulating ingredients.
Moisturising and conditioning ingredients include panthenol, castor oil, glycerin, and biotin - just to name a few. The role of these ingredients is to help condition your lashes, much like conditioning the hair on your head.
By keeping the individual follicles moisturised, these ingredients help to prevent dryness and breakage that can lead to less fluttery, voluminous lashes.
Growth-stimulating ingredients often include peptides, antioxidants, vitamins, and a special category of ingredients called prostaglandins, which are considered the best of the best when it comes to growing longer eyelashes.
The effects of prostaglandins on lash growth was discovered as a happy accident - in trials for treating glaucoma, prostaglandins had a noticeable side effect of boosting lash growth in study participants.
M2 Beauté Black Nano MascaraCastor Oil vs. Lash Serum
I know what you might be thinking - what’s stopping me from just using castor oil instead of an eyelash serum for growth? Weighing up the benefits of castor oil vs. lash serum, there might be a few differences that stop you from seeing the best results possible for long, lush lashes.
When it comes to comparing castor oil vs. lash serum, there isn’t any scientific evidence for castor oil improving lash growth in the same way that a lash serum formulated with prostaglandins does.
It’s thought that most of the anecdotal benefits seen from applying castor oil to eyelashes come from the fact that castor oil conditions them, helping to prevent dryness and breakage.
While it’s true that simply conditioning eyelashes can help keep a lash line looking fuller, conditioning the hair follicles is only one part of getting falsie-like natural lashes.
M2 Beauté High Precision Eyelash CombLash Extensions vs. Lash Serum
Another common comparison to lash serums are lash extensions - why use an eyelash serum for growth when you could just go get extensions? The truth is, lash extensions vs. lash serum are two very different products for two very different kinds of people.
Lash extensions are attached to your natural lash and require effort, upkeep, and regular appointments to keep looking good. There are also certain makeup & skincare products to avoid using, as well as even making sure you’re sleeping a certain way to keep your lashes looking good.
Compared to an eyelash serum that you simply swipe over your lash line just before bed to maintain, it’s pretty clear which is the easier option. There’s another thing to consider when comparing lash extensions vs. lash serum, too; lash extensions have a much greater likelihood of causing damage to your lashes, leaving you needing an eyelash serum for growth, anyway!
M2 Beauté Eyezone Conditioning Care ComplexHow to Use an Eyelash Serum for Growth?
One of the best things about using an eyelash serum for longer lashes is that they’re just so easy to use. All you need to do is apply it like eyeliner on your upper lash line — no need to apply to your lower lash line, as a small amount transfers when you close your eyes — and you’re done.
However, using an eyelash serum for growth can take a little bit of patience. Because of how quality lash serums — like the M2 Beauté Eyelash Activating Serum — influence your natural eyelash growth cycle, it can take up to three months for full results to appear. However, it only takes four weeks to see changes in your lashes to show.
Elizabeth Arden Clinical Lash + Brow Enhancing SerumIs Eyelash Serum Bad for Your Eyes?
Luckily, the answer is just a simple no. Lash serums have not been linked to any eye health or eye issues and are safe to use in your delicate eye area! It’s completely safe to use an eyelash serum for growth, and unlike other alternatives such as lash perms and eyelash extensions, does not come with the risk of damaging your natural lashes.
Now that you know the answer to the question, “Does lash serum really work?”, we hope we’ve helped you get your beauty affairs in order for longer, lusher lashes!
Or, if you’ve got that sorted and you’re looking for the perfect skincare routine for your skin type, try our skin analysis. You’ll get a routine created just for you!
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