Raise your hand if you’ve ever applied almond oil, coconut oil, petroleum jelly, or vitamin E oil totry to get longer eyelashes. We thought so. When it comes to lengthening our lashes, even we admit that we’ll try just about anything.
If you’re still trying to get the Vaseline out of your eyes and wondering why your lashes don’t look any longer than they did before you gooped them, you might be considering another popular alternative: castor oil.
Before you jump onto your Amazon Prime account and grab a bottle, the team at Lashify® wants to help you understand why this might not be your best option. We’ll talk about how lashes grow, what can help nourish them and keep them strong, and why using DIY Lash Extensions™ can give you the look you want without dousing your lashes in strange oils and gels. Not to mention, these can also wreak havoc on your skin — especially if you already have a naturally oily skin type.
LASH GROWTH 101
Before you start down the internet rabbit hole of searching “how to get longer lashes,” it’s important to understand how hair growth affects your lash length in the first place.
For instance, most people have lashes that are around 10 millimeters long (or about ⅓ of the length of the width of your eye). It’s rare for someone to have longer lashes naturally — although there is a Guinness World Record about it — but lashes are more likely to be shorter than 10 millimeters.
Your natural lashes grow on a four-stage cycle. During each of the four phases of natural eyelash growth, your natural lashes naturally extend through the hair follicle and reach their full length before being shed and replaced by a new lash. However, certain conditions (like alopecia) can impact eyelash growth.
ANAGEN PHASE
The first phase of lash growth happens as a new lash pushes through the hair follicle and extends to its full, natural length.
CATAGEN PHASE
The second phase of lash growth is transitional. The natural lash stops growing, and the hair follicle closes around the lash to hold it into place.
TELOGEN PHASE
The rest phase of lash growth is the longest phase. More than half your lashes are in this phase at any given time. This phase can last for several weeks before the exogen phase.
EXOGEN PHASE
The exogen phase occurs when the hair follicle loosens to allow the natural lash to fall and be replaced with a new lash entering the anagen phase.
The entire cycle takes anywhere from four to 11 months. Luckily, each lash is on its own cycle, so you aren’t losing all your lashes at once. Also, it’s completely normal to lose between one and five lashes per day, so even if you feel like you’re losing a lot of your natural lashes, you probably are losing a normal amount.
WHAT CAUSES LASHES TO FALL OUT TOO SOON?
Lashes might fall out too soon or never reach their full growth potential if they aren’t nourished properly or if you are inadvertently doing something that could damage them and cause them to break.
Here are several reasons why lashes might fall out sooner than they should.
1. YOU HAVE A VITAMIN DEFICIENCY
Your natural lashes need vitamin B7, an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory also known as biotin, to grow strong. Most people get plenty of B7 in their diets, but if you are deficient, your lashes may not grow very long, and they could even fall out in clusters.
Symptoms of a biotin deficiency are:
- Thinning hair (everywhere, not just your eyelashes)
- Dry, scaly skin
- Peeling and brittle nails
If you suspect this could be the cause, increase your intake of foods like beef, eggs, salmon, sweet potatoes, and nuts. You can also use topical biotin products, such as eyelash serums or moisturizers, to help support natural lash growth.
Pro tip: Lashify’s bonds all contain biotin and lavandula, which helps them support healthy, natural lashes.
2. YOUR MAKEUP IS SABOTAGING YOUR LASHES
Sometimes, our own best efforts work against us. Ingredients in some eye makeup, especially mascara, can cause your natural lashes to become brittle and break. Formaldehyde is frequently found in mascara (and in some lash glues, but never in Lashify bonds).
In addition to being a carcinogen, formaldehyde can cause serious allergic reactions and can make lashes brittle and dry. Plus, not taking your makeup (eyeliner, mascara, etc.) off at the end of the day can also lead to less-than-healthy lashes.
3. YOUR SALON LASH EXTENSIONS ARE TO BLAME
Everyone loves a full set of professionally applied lash extensions. Still, experts warn that if the glue contains certain ingredients, it could make lashes rigid and more likely to break (taking the extensions with them).
Don’t worry; you don’t have to give up your lash extensions to protect your natural lashes. Let’s talk about how to keep those lashes healthy and whether or not castor oil is the solution.
CASTOR OIL: HERO OR HYPE?
Your bestie is currently obsessed with using castor oil for hair growth. You might be wondering if it would work for your lashes.
Short answer? Probably not.
WHAT IS CASTOR OIL?
Castor oil is like any other seed oil extracted from plants (think olive oil or canola oil). The cold-pressed castor oil that you find in beauty products comes from the ricinus communis plant. The ingredient in the plant that is most associated with hair growth is ricinoleic acid.
This is a fatty acid that is often used in cosmetic products to increase glossiness and shine, and it can do the same for your lashes, but it won’t necessarily make them grow any longer than their natural length.
WHERE’S THE EVIDENCE ABOUT CASTOR OIL?
There’s no scientific evidence that castor oilfor eyelashes will make your lashes grow. A few studies have shown that castor oil works as a prostaglandin D2 inhibitor.
This means it might be effective in preventing certain types of hair loss, like male pattern baldness, but it does not mean that it will make your lashes grow or even that it will keep you from losing them.
HOW TO USE CASTOR OIL STEP-BY-STEP
Castor oil is a natural fatty acid, and it can improve the look of your lashes, which could be a good solution for you if you want lashes that naturally look darker and shinier without using mascara.
If you’re planning to try castor oil for eyelashes, it’s worth it to use a cold-pressed, organic version that is specially formulated for use near your eye area. Using a cotton swabor a new, unused mascara wand, apply a thin layer of castor oil to the lash line.
You can use a clean spoolie to pull the oil through your lashes. You can apply castor oil to your lashes twice per day as part of your normal skincare routine. If you don’t want to use pure castor oil on your lashes, you can always opt for a lash serum that contains it.
ARE THERE ANY SIDE EFFECTS OF CASTOR OIL?
Using castor oil for eyelashes is generally safe, but if you have particularly sensitive skin, you could experience skin irritation.
If you know you’re sensitive, try doing a patch test on your temple to see if you experience any discomfort before you commit to slathering it on your delicate eyelid skin, all in the name of long lashes.
KEEPING YOUR NATURAL LASHES HEALTHY
Keeping your natural lashes healthy and avoiding breakage isn’t hard, but you do need to know a few basic tips to make sure you’re primed for optimal lash & brow growth.
1. AVOID PRODUCTS THAT CONTAIN HARSH INGREDIENTS
We’re looking at you, waterproof mascara. Most of us don’t need that level of protection on a daily basis. Waterproof mascara is difficult to remove even with oil-based makeup remover, and it can make your lashes incredibly brittle and dry.
2. LOAD UP ON LASH LOVING INGREDIENTS
Lash growth serums may or may not make your lashes longer (plus, they’re not FDA-approved). However, you can look for products that contain lash-loving ingredients, like Lashify bonds (which are used to keep DIY Lashify lashes in place).
Our bonds are also “soft-setting,” which means they never fully cure. This allows your natural lashes to remain flexible in a way that salon lash glues can’t. Keeping your eyelids moisturized with hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid is also beneficial.
3. UPGRADE YOUR EXTENSIONS
Salon lash extensions can cost you more than time and money; they can cost you your natural lashes if they aren’t applied correctly or if the glue causes your lashes to fall out. A better option? The Lashify DIY Lash Extension™ System.
Lashify uses safe, lash-nourishing bonds to keep your natural lashes protected while you’re wearing our lighter-than-air Gossamer® lashes. Our Gossamers® are designed to be applied underneath your natural lashes, which helps keep your lashes from bending at the roots from the weight of extensions.
The best part? You’re in control of your lash real estate. You can easily switch from lowkey natural lash extensions to Russian volume on the same day or in the same week. The choice is yours.
If you want even more control, check out the Lashify Control Kit, which has everything you need to get started.
The Control Kit contains all the tools you need to get lash enhancement without mascara, including two pairs of Gossamer lashes to get you started.
Each kit contains:
- Two sets of Gossamer lashes. Pick two from our Curl, Amplify, or Bold collections. You can also use them to create fully customized looks using Lash Maps.
- Fuse Control® Wand. Ergonomically designed specifically for Gossamer application, you’ll never have to use a pair of tweezers again, at least not for your lashes.
- One set of Wandoms®. Because Lashify Bonds don’t fully cure, they become tacky during application. Wandoms keep everything clean and frustration-free, so your Gossamers don’t stick to your Fuse Control Wand.
- Whisper Light Bond™. Dual-sided and never clumpy, this popular Bond will help your Gossamers stay intact for days.
- Glass Finishing Coat. The perfect sealer for getting long wear out of your lashes. You don’t have to seal your Gossamers, but if you do, Glass is a great solution.
- Samples. You’ll get a sample of Pre Cleanse and Melt Away in each Control Kit. Pre Cleanse is our Japanese Cleansing Water that helps remove dirt and oil from your lashes and lids. It’s powerful yet gentle enough to be used as an all-over facial cleanser. Melt Away is our dual-phase, oil-based makeup remover that helps you easily slide your Gossamer lashes off of your natural lashes without damaging them.
We stash everything inside a hard, protective case so you’ll have a spot to put all your supplies when you’re done.
CAN THE CASTOR, KEEP THE LASHES
If you didn’t have time to read this whole article (no shade), here’s the TLDR. Although castor oil helps with a few different non-eyelash issues (it is used as a laxative, after all), it probably won’t make your lashes grow. However, castor oil may — emphasis on the may — give them an increased luster and make them more noticeable.
But before you go slathering anything you find in your kitchen onto your eyelashes (put down the vegetable oil!), know that there’s only one real solution. For lashes that are ultra-defined, super long, and optimally healthy, choose Lashify.
Sources:
Your Eyelashes Should Be This Long, Science Says | Scientific American
Ethnic characteristics of eyelashes: a comparative analysis in Asian and Caucasian females
Biotin – Vitamin B7 | The Nutrition Source | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Formaldehyde And Formaldehyde-Releasing Preservatives | Safe Cosmetics
9 Causes of Eyelash Hair Loss, According to Experts | Real Simple
