This castor oil eyebrow serum is every bit as good as the pricey products and treatments. It's loaded with hair-boosting ingredients, like castor oil to boost circulation, and vitamin E to nourish brows at the root. Plus, we threw in a little coffee and rosemary oils to stimulate growth, naturally.
While eyebrow trends come and go, healthy looking brows will never truly go out of style (at least we hope not). Whether you have a past of plucking brows into barely-there lines (Tweezers should come with a warning label, yes?) or you weren't blessed with naturally full brows, you can still give your brows new life with the help of a nourishing brow serum.
We may be biased, but we think this serum is the next best thing to an eyebrow extension and there's no long-term commitment required.
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Ingredients
This homemade eyebrow serum recipe contains five nourishing oils and essential oils to fortify, thicken, and condition brow hair from root to tip.
Castor Oil
The star ingredient in most hair growth serums? Castor oil.
I've been a fan of using castor oil for eyebrows ever since I started growing my brows out a few years ago. Castor oil is perfect for encouraging hair growth, longer eyelashes, and fuller eyebrows.
- Thanks to a high concentration of ricinoleic acid (an omega-9 fatty acid), it 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.
Vitamin E
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
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
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
Coffee essential oil contains caffeine, which can stimulate scalp hair cell growth in both men and women with androgen-related hair thinning [source].
Instructions
Step 1: Combine Oils
It's really super simple: mix up this DIY castor oil eyebrow serum recipe in a 2-ounce jar. For the vitamin E oil, prick a small hole in the capsule and squeeze out the oil.
Step 2: Replace Lid + Shake To Combine
Replace the lid and shake to combine before using. To make storage and application easier, transfer the serum to a clean, empty mascara tube.
Apply it once or twice a day, in the morning before doing your makeup and then again at night. That's it!
Substitutions
Castor oil — Feel free to substitute jojoba oil, grapeseed oil, or any one of these carrier oils.
Essential oils — Try a different essential oil for hair growth or just leave the essential oils out altogether.
Recipe Variations
If you're looking for alternative ways to make a homemade brow growth serum using different ingredients, here are a few more recipes that you can experiment with.
Recipe 1: Essential Oils Serum
Jojoba is a carrier oil that mimics the skin's natural oils. Rosemary and lavender essential oils help promote hair growth and improve hair thickness.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon jojoba oil
- 3 drops rosemary essential oil
- 3 drops lavender essential oil
Instructions
- Mix: In a clean dropper bottle, combine jojoba oil, rosemary essential oil, and lavender essential oil.
- Shake: Close the bottle and shake well to blend the oils.
- Apply: Use nightly by applying with a clean mascara wand or a cotton swab to the eyebrows.
Recipe 2: Herbal Infusion Serum
Infuse nourishing olive oil with fenugreek seeds, which are known for their hair growth-promoting properties.
Ingredients
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon dried fenugreek seeds
Instructions
- Infuse: Crush a tablespoon of fenugreek seeds and add them to olive oil. Warm gently in a double boiler for 20 minutes, keeping heat on low to avoid boiling the oil.
- Strain: Allow the oil to cool, then strain out the fenugreek seeds.
- Store and Apply: Transfer the infused oil to a clean dropper bottle. Apply nightly using a clean brush or fingertips.
Recipe 3: Glycerin and Herbal Serum
- Vegetable Glycerin: Helps in moisturizing and improving hair strength.
- Peppermint Essential Oil: Encourages circulation and potentially enhances hair growth.
- Green Tea: Rich in antioxidants, potentially stimulates hair growth.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable glycerin
- 2 drops peppermint essential oil
- 1 green tea bag
Instructions
- Prepare Green Tea: Steep 1 green tea bag in ½ cup of hot water until it cools.
- Mix: In a dropper bottle, combine vegetable glycerin, peppermint essential oil, and 2 tablespoons of cooled green tea.
- Shake and Apply: Shake the mixture well. Apply a few drops to your eyebrows each night using a clean mascara wand or a cotton swab.
You can also use any of these homemade eyelash growth serums on your brows as well.
Storage
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. 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.
Finally, if you want to naturally add color to your lighter eyebrows, we recommend tinting them with henna.
How to Apply Eyebrow Serum
For effective application, precision is key. You also don't need a lot of serum, so use it sparingly at first.
Clean brows: Start by gently cleansing your brows to remove any makeup, dirt, or leftover grime. Then dry them well.
Dip brush: Dip a clean mascara brush or cotton swab into the serum, and discard the excess oil.
Protect your eyes: Cover your eye with a dry washcloth and gently apply a small amount of serum to the eyebrow on that side, lightly coating the skin. Do not let any drip into your eyes.
If you have sensitive eyes, you may want to go one step further and apply a thin layer of face powder to your eyelids. It can help absorb any oil that runs south during the day before it gets in your eyes.
Massage: Then massage the brow area for several seconds. Massaging your eyebrows regularly can help to improve blood circulation to the area, which nourishes the hair follicles and improves hair growth.
The oils tend to run as they warm up, so apply a light coat and wipe off any excess before moving on to the other brow. Don't rinse off the oil.
Use morning + night: Apply twice a day until you start to see growth. Then use once daily to maintain.
Note: this serum recipe is not for use on your eyelashes, and when applying it to your brows, avoid getting it in your eyes.
Top Tip
The best eyebrow growth serums usually opt for hexane-free castor oil, and we highly recommend going that route if you're looking to make yours as non-toxic as possible.
Hexane is a solvent commonly used in the extraction process of many oils and exposure has been linked to various health concerns, including respiratory irritation, headaches, and potential long-term effects on the nervous system. So if you can, look for a castor oil that specifically says hexane-free on the bottle.
FAQ
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.
While eyebrow growth serum is specifically formulated for eyebrows, some people may also use it on other areas where they want to promote hair growth, such as around the hairline or on sparse patches in the beard.
It's generally considered safe to use homemade brow serum elsewhere on the body. But you may want to test a small amount first to make sure that there's no stinging, redness or other adverse reactions before goin all-in. And as we mentioned before, do not use it on the eyelashes!
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:
-½ cup castor oil
-½ cup argan oil
-2 teaspoons vitamin E oil (approx. 10–15 capsules)
-25 drops rosemary essential oil
-25 drops coffee essential oil
Results can vary depending on individual factors such as genetics and the condition of your eyebrows. Some people may start noticing improvements in as little as a few weeks, while others may take several months to see significant changes.
Do you have any secret home remedies for lush brows and lashes? Let us know in the comments.
DIY Castor Oil Eyebrow Serum
Equipment
- Measuring spoons
- 2-ounce jar with lid
- Mascara brush
Materials
- 2 tablespoons castor oil
- 2 teaspoons argan oil
- ½ teaspoon vitamin E oil 2–3 capsules
- 9 drops rosemary essential oil
- 9 drops coffee essential oil
Instructions
- Combine all the oils in a 2-ounce jar (for the vitamin E oil, prick a small hole in the capsule and squeeze out the oil).
- Replace the lid and shake to combine before using. To make storage and application easier, transfer serum to a clean, empty mascara tube.
Notes
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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Nancy says
The 32 oz. recipe uses 1/2 cup castor oil and 1/2 cup argan oil. The 2 oz. recipe uses 2 tablespoons of castor oil and 2 teaspoons of argan oil. Should I use 2 tablespoons of argan oil?
Kassie Love says
Love Love Love this!!!!! Any recipes for like a bigger bottle ? like 32oz
Emma says
Kassie,
Hopefully, I'm not stepping on any toes, but I have a blog post on 18 Ways to Use Castor Oil here: https://www.radhabeauty.com/blogs/news/castor-oil-uses?_pos=65&_sid=9fdc7fe41&_ss=r
That should help you use a bigger bottle up!
Rhonda says
I don't have coffee oil, but have everything else. Will it still work ok without that? Is there anything else I could put in it to replace the coffee oil?
Kelly Schott says
Maybe something like a drop of peppermint that will stimulate blood flow.
Jniev says
Peppermint is to strong to put on eye area.
Stephanie Gerber says
A regular carrier oil is fine, you just won't get the caffeine benefits.
J says
Could this be used on the lashes as well?
Cheyanne Wyrick says
Yes!