Get Gorgeous Brows With This DIY Castor Oil Eyebrow Serum

Thicker eyebrows are in these days, but a past of plucking brows into barely-there lines takes a toll. Tweezers should come with a warning label against teenage beauty experiments. And who knew it could take years for bald spots to grow back after overzealous waxing sessions?

So put down the tweezers and brow pencils because there are natural ways to bring thinned-out brows back to life. My favorite? This castor oil eyebrow serum is every bit as good as the pricey products and treatments.

DIY Castor Oil Eyebrow Serum

The secret to encouraging new brow growth is a combination of nutrient-packed plant oils that strengthen existing hair and stimulate new growth. Here’s how to make your own eyebrow serum with just a few natural ingredients.

The star ingredient in most hair growth serums? Castor oil.

Its concentration of ricinoleic acid (an omega-9 fatty acid) reduces inflammation, improves circulation, and balances the skin’s pH to foster better hair growth. The fatty acids and vitamin E in castor oil strengthen the hair root to help prevent hair loss. Castor oil is perfect for encouraging the growth of healthier hair, longer eyelashes, and fuller eyebrows.

In addition to castor oil, this concentrated eyebrow serum recipe contains four additional nourishing oils and essential oils to fortify, thicken, and condition hair from root to tip.

Vitamin E oil, when taken internally, has been shown to encourage hair growth—thanks in part to its antioxidant benefits [source]. And it’s thought that you can reap many of the same rewards by applying vitamin E oil topically as well. 

Argan oil is a ‘dry’ oil, meaning it’s lightweight and absorbs quickly. It’s also rich in fatty acids, antioxidants, vitamin E, and phenols, which also have been shown to help regrow hair in certain medical conditions [source].

Rosemary essential oil is an invigorating oil that was shown to stimulate hair growth on the scalp in patients with male pattern hair loss after 3 months of daily use [source].

Coffee essential oil contains caffeine, which can stimulate scalp hair cell growth in both men and women with androgen-related hair thinning [source].

Mix up this castor oil eyebrow serum recipe, and apply it once or twice a day. Apply it in the morning before doing your makeup and then again at night.

You can buy empty mascara tubes, but it’s also pretty easy to store the serum in a jar and use a cotton swab or clean eyelash wand to apply to the brows. Massage in the oil and leave it on until morning.

Note, this serum recipe is not for use on your eyelashes, and when applying to your brows, be careful to avoid getting it into your eyes. You should see fuller brows in a couple of months.

Castor oil also has amazing hair benefits. Just use a pea-sized amount of this castor oil eyebrow serum on dry hair to heal split ends and promote a healthy scalp. And don’t let the name fool you. 

Look for a hexane-free castor oil, like Sky Organics. Their oils are sourced from small, highly reputable, all-natural organic farms, so you know you’re getting natural, organic botanicals to nourish the hair with vital nutrients, vitamins, antioxidants, proteins, and essential fatty acids. 

Plus, they even make this little castor oil eyelash serum kit (that, unlike the eyebrow serum recipe, can be used on the eyelashes too), complete with a brow brush and eyelash wand, if you’d prefer to save a little money on supplies. 

Finally, if you want to naturally add color to your lighter eyebrows, we recommend tinting them with henna. 

Additional Essential Oils to Promote Hair Growth

Essential oils can be expensive, so there’s no need to rush out and buy the oils we recommend. If you have any of these oils, feel free to swap ’em in place of the rosemary or coffee oils listed in the recipe.

Lavender – In studies performed on mice, lavender essential oil showed a noticeable effect on hair follicle number and depth.

Pumpkin seed – You’re not likely to have this oil just lying around, but if you do, a topical application of pumpkin seed oil has been shown to improve hair growth in as little as 3 weeks in mice studies.

Eyebrow Serum FAQs

Do eyebrow serums really work?

For most people, yes! Assuming you haven’t damaged the hair follicles from over-plucking, eyebrow growth can be encouraged by replenishing vitamins and minerals and nourishing follicles.

Can I scale this recipe up to fill a bigger (say, 32-ounce) bottle?

You can definitely scale this recipe up, but I wouldn’t go as high as 32 ounces. For one, oils have a tendency to go bad after a while, and you don’t want to apply rancid oils to your brows. Secondly, dipping a brush in oils (or any cosmetics, for that matter) introduces bacteria, which you then run the risk of getting in your eyes.

If you plan to use this recipe as a scalp oil, you can scale it up as follows:

-1/2 cup castor oil

-1/2 cup argan oil

-2 teaspoons vitamin E oil (approx. 10–15 capsules)

-25 drops rosemary essential oil

-25 drops coffee essential oil

What’s the best way to apply eyebrow serum?

1. Start by gently cleansing your brows to remove any makeup, dirt, or leftover grime. 

2. Dip a clean brush or cotton swab into the serum, and discard the excess oil. 

3. Cover your eye with a dry washcloth, and gently apply to the eyebrow on that side, making sure to lightly coat the skin beneath. Be careful not to let any drip into your eyes. Wipe away any excess before moving on to repeat the process on the other side.

4. Without rinsing it off, continue with the remainder of your skincare routine.

5. Apply twice a day until you start to see growth. Then use once daily to maintain. 

Do you have any secret home remedies for lush brows and lashes? Let us know in the comments.

This post was medically reviewed by Dr. Jennifer Haley, a board-certified dermatologist with extensive experience in medical, cosmetic, and surgical dermatology. Learn more about Hello Glow’s medical review board here. As always, this is not personal medical advice, and we recommend that you talk with your doctor.

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