Your Lash Serum Companion: A Guide to Application, Safety, and Results

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Do you thirst for naturally longer and thicker lashes? If so, you need to pick up a lash serum. Lash serums can power up your lashes naturally, improving their thickness and length. They amp up your eyes’ natural frame for days when you’re not in the mood to wear makeup. In this post, we’ll cover everything you need to know about lash serums, including how they work, how to use them, and more! 

Some lash serums utilize natural ingredients, including peptides, growth factors, and plant extracts. These ingredients are chosen for their nourishing effect that stimulates better lash growth or for their ability to inhibit the factors that lead to lash loss. Clinical research shows that these types of formulas are able to improve lash length and density. 

Other popular formulas rely on ingredients called prostaglandin analogs, which are believed to work by stimulating and prolonging the growth phase of the lashes, which leads to longer lashes and better lash density.   

• Lash density: Your lash line will look denser and fuller thanks to a reduction in lash shedding. 
• Length: Over time, your lashes will likely appear longer and a little curlier, as well, thanks to a longer growth period. 
• Color: Depending on the serum, you may also see darker and more lustrous lashes. 
• Ease of use: Lash serums are effortless to apply and work well alongside most skincare routines. 
• Pair with extensions: Most lash serums can be used alongside lash extensions to help keep the lashes healthy and strong. 

Here’s how to apply lash serum, step-by-step, with a few added tips that’ll make the process as simple as possible. 

Step 1 - Clean and Prep the Eye Area

Always start with clean eyes prior to applying your lash serum. If you’re wearing contact lenses, make sure to remove those before applying the serum, as well. 

If you’re wearing eye makeup, take it off completely with the help of makeup remover. If your makeup remover is oil-based, consider washing your eyes a second time with a cleanser or micellar water to remove any oil residue that might prevent the serum from penetrating. 

If you’re wearing lash extensions, make sure to clean them thoroughly with a lash shampoo and brush.

Step 2 - Apply to Upper Lash Line

Most lash serums come in a small tube with a thin brush built into the cap. Unscrew the cap, and then use the brush to apply the lash serum along the base of your lash line from above. 

If you’ve ever applied liquid eyeliner, this is a similar process. If you have hooded eyes, you can slightly pull on your lid to reveal the skin at the base of your lash line to ensure a closer application. 

The liquid will do its job seeping in between the lashes, so you don’t need to worry about “tightlining” it on. 

Step 3 - Apply to Lower Lash Line 

Finally, apply the eyelash serum to your lower lash line. Brush it on from below your lash line - not in the waterline. The closer you apply it to the root of your lashes, the better. Once you’re done, you can continue with your evening routine! 

• Opt for water-based formulas: While oil-based lash serums can be nourishing to the lashes themselves, they don’t have the ability to penetrate and stimulate the lash follicles to the same extent. If you’re looking for significantly longer lashes, water-based serums are the way to go. 
• Keep it affordable: Lash serums work best when you use them consistently, so make sure to choose a formula that’s not overpriced. Excellent lash serums don’t have to break the bank to show amazing results! 
• Clinically proven ingredients: Look for a formula and ingredients that have been clinically tested, to ensure both safety and efficacy. Knowing that there’s clinical testing behind a product will also give better insight as to how long before you can see results and what kind of effects you can expect. 
• Think twice about prostaglandin analogs: Prostaglandin analogs like bimatoprost, the active ingredient in Latisse, are generally very effective, but they come with added side effects that peptide and plant-based formulas don’t have. You can still achieve amazing results without them, so they’re not a must. 

How long a lash serum takes to work largely depends on the type of lash serum you use and how often you use it. With once-daily use, you can expect to start to see results within four to 10 weeks, which is about how long the lashes take to go through a full life cycle. This is also the amount of time usually spent on clinical research, and it’s when most researched lash serums show the most dramatic results. 

Yes! Using an eyelash serum is a great way to keep your lashes healthy even while wearing lash extensions. Eyelash serums are actually applied to the lash line rather than the lashes themselves, so your extensions don’t get in the way of results. Eyelash serums are very compatible with Lilac St.’s DIY lash extensions since they adhere from below the lash line rather than from above it.  

There are some reported cases of loss of orbital fat and hyperpigmentation using lash-enhancing products made with prostaglandin analogs like isopropyl cloprostenate (which is found in cosmetic lash serums) and bimatoprost (which is found in lash-enhancing drugs).