Not everyone is “born with it”, and we’ve all taken advantage of mascara, curlers or falsies more than once for lush, fluttery lashes. However, lashes can grow naturally, with just a little help from things that you already have in your pantry. Like hair and nails, eyelashes need time to grow and become strong, so patience is key. The natural lash cycle lasts around 6-8 weeks, but the wait is worth it! These are some of the things you can do at home to make lashes grow thicker and fuller:
1. This DIY lash conditioner is made with castor oil and aloe vera, both of which help strengthen lashes and promote growth. Conditioning lashes is the number one step for growing healthy, full lashes. Just like the hair on your head, your eyelashes need conditioning to stay healthy and grow longer! Aloe vera smoothes and moisturizes eyelashes from root to tip for gorgeous, conditioned lashes.
2. It’s important to eat nourishing foods like fresh fruits and vegetables for healthy lashes. Because protein is crucial for tissue repair and hair growth, foods that are high in protein like eggs and fish help too. A diet rich in collagen provides the essential building blocks for healthy hair growth – essentially fortifying lash growth from within. Making sure that you’re supporting lash growth from within is just as important as taking care of them from the outside!
3. Glide a Q-tip dipped in olive oil over your eyelashes at night to let them soak in much-needed nutrients. Olive oil is also incredibly nourishing and conditions the lashes, halting any damage caused by dryness in its tracks. It’s best to use something like this just before bed it conditions your lower eyelashes too, all while you’re sleeping! Eyelashes can be easily dried out by makeup – especially waterproof mascara – so a plant-based oil is perfect for replenishing that moisture.
4. File under strange-but-true: brushing your lashes can make a small difference in their growth. Use a brow comb to brush your lashes daily to promote faster growth. Gently brushing them once a day helps to ensure that the lashes aren’t tangled around each other, which could lead to them falling out when you use your lash curler or mascara. It’s also a great way to look a little more awake in the morning, totally makeup free!
5. Rubbing your eyelids stimulates the hair follicles, which helps lashes grow faster and stronger than before. (But still remember to remove eye make-up gently, without tugging or pulling the skin on your lids.) The key is to gently massage the area, providing a circulation booster that supports enhanced lash growth. It’s best to gently massage as you’re removing your eye makeup, preferably with an oil-based makeup remover to do 2-in-1 double duty of makeup removal and lash conditioning!
6. Vitamin E should be part of your diet (think nuts and seeds!), but you can also use it directly on your lashes overnight. Castor oil is a rich source of vitamin E, which is what makes it so effective for supporting healthy hair growth. Quick tip – if you’ve already whipped up a batch of our castor oil brow serum, you can use it on your lashes too! I personally like to have two tubes, one for my lashes and one for my brows – keep them labelled and you won’t mix them up.
7. Biotin is recommended for hair, nail and lash growth, and it’s said to show visible results after 3 months of daily intake. Look for a high-quality supplement and stick to the recommended dosage for best results. If you’re not sure about supplements, try to include more biotin-rich foods in your diet – whole wheat bread, salmon, Swiss chard and chicken are all healthy sources of Biotin. Biotin is a B vitamin, and all the B vitamins help to boost hair and nail growth – so you can’t go wrong with it!
8. Avoid waterproof mascara. While the long-lasting product may be a good idea for days at the pool, it also tends to dry your lashes. This could cause them to fall out, and that’s not what you’re looking for. Opt for non-waterproof or tubing mascaras – they add that extra oomph without causing any damage to your lashes! But if you can’t live without waterproof mascaras, be sure to use an oil-based eyelash serum to condition and nurture them. They help restore moisture to your lashes, preventing them from becoming brittle and snapping off – not a cute look!
9. Coconut milk is a must in the kitchen and in the beauty cabinet. Use it to grow your lashes by placing soaked and squeezed cotton pads on your eyes for 15 minutes, then rinse with cold water. Coconut milk is unique among all plant-based milks as it contains a high level of fats and proteins. The natural lipids in coconut milk work to condition the lashes, while the proteins help temporarily rebuild them for lush, long lashes.
10. Green tea works in a similar manner. Just dip a cotton ball into freshly steeped, but cooled (preferably room temperature) green tea and swipe it over your lashes to help them grow faster. You can make a fresh batch every day to take advantage of the green tea antioxidants at their most potent – plus, who doesn’t love relaxing with a healthy cup of green tea? Another life hack – the used tea bags can be used to help reduce the appearance of under-eye circles – talk about multipurpose!
11. Avoid falsies. Falsies are great for special occasions, but try not to rely on them. The quick fix isn’t great for your natural lashes in the long term, since removing them will often cause the accidental removal of your own lashes. Lash glue is also hard to completely remove from the lashline, so best to avoid it if you know you have a bad habit of improper makeup removal! If it’s not removed properly, the residue left behind could cause irritation, infection and block lashes from growing over time – not something you want to happen if you’re growing your lashes!
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Thank you for the tips!! I had no idea that there are remedies for making them grow!
What a great collection of simple and easy to implement tips, thank you! I would never have thought to use some of these things.