A quick scroll through TikTok and Instagram will highlight the shift in beauty trends to natural looks. A big part of this shift is focusing on long, full, healthy-looking eyelashes. Of course, the beauty industry is large and crowded with tons of options for every product. Eyelash serums are no exception. For anyone starting out, it’s easy to get confused and overwhelmed by all the products on the market. And on top of it all is the big question: how do these products stimulate growth and do they even work?
This guide will answer those questions and more. You’ll learn the science behind eyelash growth, the key ingredients that make up these serums, how they work, and what you should take into consideration before you use one of these products.
The Eyelash Growth Cycle
Lash serum work by impacting the different stages of eyelash growth: the growth, transition, and resting phases.
- Growth phase: New hair grows out from the skin, pushing out the old hair. New hair reaches its full length and fullness in about four to six weeks.
- Transition phase: The lash finishes growing and goes dormant. Most lashes are in this phase.
- Resting phase: Also known as the “shedding phase”, the eyelash stays inert as the new lash grows in the follicle. As the new hair grows, the old one will naturally fall out.
Each eyelash goes through the cycle individually, typically taking between four and eleven months. So one lash could grow and fall out in just eight weeks while another lasts nearly a year.
Lash Serums: Key Ingredients and How They Work
The majority of eyelash serums include three ingredients: vitamins such as B5 and biotin, peptides, and panthenol. Each of these ingredients enriches your lashes in a different way:
- Vitamin B5: Strengthens eyelashes so they break less easily and are more resilient to damage caused by makeup and daily life.
- Peptides: A key ingredient for collagen and elastin, which strengthen hair. Peptides also increase blood flow to hair follicles, increasing the supply of nutrients to your lashes as well as stimulating growth.
- Panthenol: Moisturizes eyelashes which maintains healthy, supple, and lush lashes.
In short, the ingredients in lash serums focus on enriching the eyelash growth environment to provide extra nourishment. These extra nutrients are absorbed into the hair follicle and help grow stronger, healthier lashes. Healthier follicles will also stay in the growth phase longer than less healthy hair, which will also result in longer, fuller lashes.
Since every eyelash is in its own lifecycle, lash serums typically show results in a few weeks and up to two months.
Potential Side Effects to Consider
While effective, some lash serums contain ingredients that can cause some side effects. The main things to look out for include darker skin surrounding your eyelids. However, some people notice permanent changes to their eye color. Some people experience dry or flaky skin after applying a lash serum along with eye irritation and temporarily blurred vision. Prostaglandins, an ingredient in some advanced serums, are primarily used as a treatment for glaucoma, so you should check with your ophthalmologist before using any product that lists that as an ingredient.
For anyone looking for longer, fuller, and healthier-looking eyelashes, serums are a great product to incorporate into their beauty routine. When shopping for a serum, choose a brand and product with a good reputation and that includes the main ingredients listed above. Once you find the right product for you, you’ll be well on your way to longer and fuller eyelashes.
