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An exciting eye look can only be achieved with full, thick eyelashes. But you are not always blessed by nature and have these beautiful lashes, then you should help a little.
The beauty industry has just the right mascara for every type of lash, but to enhance your eye look in the long run, you should use your eyelash serum.
In our big eyelash serum test 2023 we present various serums that care for, thicken and lengthen your eyelashes. In this way, you can also rebuild stressed eyelashes and beautify your eye area in a natural way.
Find out what ingredients you should look out for and which serum can work best for you.
You should pay particular attention to hormonal ingredients. With the right information and the perfect serum, eyelash growth will also work.
The most important facts
- An eyelash serum is applied directly to your lashes and creates an effect that makes your eyes appear larger. Unlike an artificial extension, your lashes look more natural with serum applied.
- You can choose between an eyelash serum with hormonal ingredients and an eyelash serum without hormonal ingredients.
- Before buying, you should check the active ingredients, the quantity, the method of application, possible intolerances and the price-performance ratio.
The Best Eyelash Serum: Our Picks
Advice: Questions you should ask yourself before buying eyelash serum
What is eyelash serum?
This results in a more voluminous lash line and longer lashes.
This is because the growth phase of the eyelashes is extended so that more eyelashes can grow at the same time. In addition, the eyelashes also grow longer, resulting in curved and thick eyelashes.
What is the effectiveness of eyelash serum?
The eyelashes should not only feel more voluminous and longer, but should also be visible after 2 to 3 weeks.
However, it is often reported that this positive change is mainly noticed at the beginning, but becomes less pronounced over time.
What are the benefits of eyelash serum?
The serum does not require an elaborate procedure as compared to other methods. In addition, the serum is also far less expensive than professional procedures.
If an eyelash serum with beneficial ingredients is used, it supports natural growth and does not negatively or unnaturally attack the body.
What side effects can eyelash serum cause?
What side effects can eyelash serum cause?
Eyelash serums with hormonal ingredients can cause red, burning eyes and itching. There have also been cases of headaches, darkening of the eyelashes, lash line and iris.
Serums with conditioning or hair-strengthening substances can cause side effects depending on their compatibility with the respective active ingredients. You should therefore check the ingredients in advance and clarify possible allergies to them.
Is eyelash serum harmful?
However, a discolouration of the iris has often been observed, which of course bothers many users, as everyone would like to keep their own eye colour.
How much does eyelash serum cost?
Drugstores often offer nourishing eyelash growth serums from their own brands, these are already available from three euros.
In pharmacies, you can get well-tolerated hormone-free eyelash serums from about 20 euros for 5 ml.
The prices of eyelash growth serums with hormonal ingredients vary greatly. They depend on the ratio of hormonal active ingredients to neutral and caring substances, as well as on the amount in millilitres and the duration of the treatment.
In general, eyelash growth serums of well-known brands start at about €15 and can go up to €120 for 5ml.
We have presented the different price ranges in a small table, whereby the price for approx. 5 ml was considered.
| Eyelash serum | price |
|---|---|
| Hormone-free serums | from € 20 |
| Serums with hormonal active ingredients | € 15-120 |
What alternatives are there to eyelash serum?
Artificial alternatives
Among the artificial approaches, the following three methods can offer alternatives to eyelash serum:
- With “conventional” artificial eyelash extensions, individual hairs are added to your own eyelashes. Such eyelash extensions are extremely effective, but they also have their price. The result lasts up to four weeks, after which a refill is necessary.
- A long-term alternative is eyelash implantation. This makes eyelashes permanently thicker and longer. However, the duration and price of this method are similar to those of a real eyelash implant
- A much simpler and cheaper alternative is the classic mascara or gluing on artificial eyelashes. Both methods produce a great effect and can be easily applied by yourself. However, they are short-lived.
Natural alternatives
Some hormone-free eyelash serums already contain natural moisturisers and botanicals. However, most cosmetics use preservatives and chemicals to bind them.
You can recognise good cold-pressed castor oil by the fact that it is very light and yellow. To preserve the quality, the oil should be stored at room temperature in a dark environment.
There are several home remedies that you can use to care for your own eyelashes naturally.
However, these usually do not promise additional eyelash growth, but give the natural eyelashes shine and strength and prevent them from falling out prematurely.
Here, too, the results depend on regular use and can vary greatly.
Here we have listed some natural alternatives with their description:
| Alternative | Description |
|---|---|
| Vaseline | Carefully applying Vaseline to the lash line and lashes moisturises overnight and gives the lashes time to regenerate. The advantage of Vaseline for eyelash care is that it is easy to apply and generally well tolerated. |
| Castor oil | Another popular home remedy is castor oil. Even the oil of the miracle tree does not directly contribute to eyelash growth, but makes the eyelashes appear well-groomed and healthy. For application to the eyelashes, we recommend cold-pressed castor oil, as opposed to refined oil from the pharmacy. The cold-pressed oil still contains many beneficial active ingredients. To get the viscous oil onto your eyelashes, we recommend a lint-free cloth or an empty mascara brush. |
| Nutrient-rich diet | As with many beauty tips, the same applies to eyelashes: beauty comes from within. Therefore, a vitamin-rich diet can help. Biotin, which is contained in vitamin B, can improve eyelash growth. Your body absorbs it from yeast, bananas, carrots, egg yolks and legumes, for example. |
Decision: What types of eyelash serum are there and which is the right one for you?
Basically, you can distinguish eyelash serums by their different ingredients.
- Eyelash serum with hormonal ingredients
- hormone-free eyelash serum
All eyelash growth serums contain neutral ingredients such as water and nourishing active ingredients. There are also lash serums with hormonal ingredients that support tissue growth.
In the following sections, we will help you find the best eyelash serum for you. You will also learn how an eyelash serum works and which criteria are decisive when buying it.
What distinguishes an eyelash serum with hormonal ingredients and what are its advantages and disadvantages?
Prostaglandin is a tissue hormone that is used in eye drops for the treatment of glaucoma and has resulted in brisk eyelash growth in patients.
Subsequently, prostaglandin and similar agents were used in cosmetics for eyelash growth and strengthening.
The hormonal agents in the eyelash serum activate the hair follicles which grow more and stronger eyelashes.
An eyelash serum with an active prostaglandin ingredient already shows its effect after about 4 weeks. The natural eyelashes become thicker, longer and often more curved. To keep the new eyelashes healthy, most serums also contain moisturising care substances.
Eyelash serums containing prostaglandins can have a number of side effects, which may or may not be more severe, depending on the sensitivity of the skin and eyes.
Contact lenses are not recommended for serums containing hormones because they may cause discolouration.
What distinguishes a hormone-free eyelash serum and what are its advantages and disadvantages?
A hormone-free eyelash serum strengthens your eyelashes and makes them look healthy and shiny.
Hormone-free lash serums often contain biotin and hyaluronic acid. These ingredients are known from hair shampoos and anti-ageing creams.
They can be used to strengthen thin eyelashes that fall out easily and make them look thicker. In addition, the natural eyelashes are cared for if they have been stressed by rough make-up removal, eyelash curlers and a lot of mascara.
The hormone-free ingredients help the eyelashes to grow naturally and prevent them from breaking off, but excessive eyelash growth is usually not possible with such a serum.
With a nourishing eyelash serum, side effects can of course also occur if you are allergic to the ingredients. You can find more information on possible intolerances under Trivia.
Buying criteria: Compare and rate eyelash serums based on these factors
Of course, the results of an eyelash growth treatment with a serum can vary greatly. It depends on the frequency of application, the active ingredients and the compatibility with the product.
Here are some criteria that are important when choosing an eyelash serum and can help you make a decision.
- Active ingredients
- Amount
- Application
- Tolerance
- Price-performance ratio
Active ingredients
Depending on the effectiveness and manufacturer of an eyelash growth serum, the ingredients and their composition differ. Water and solvents make up the majority of each serum.
In addition, like most cosmetics, eyelash growth serums also contain additives. These are usually used for better binding and consistency or for perfuming.
The following paragraphs will give you an overview of the most common ingredients and their effects.
You should note that many ingredients can be assigned to one group, although they have very complex, different names. This is because the substances often differ only by slight chemical changes.
If you want to care for and strengthen your eyelashes naturally, the best way to do this is with an eyelash serum that contains care substances such as panthenol, hyaluron or biotin.
Hyaluron can bind up to six litres of water per gram of its own weight. With age, we lose hyaluron in the skin, which is why we get wrinkles.
If you want a strong eyelash extension, a serum with hormonal ingredients, such as prostaglandin derivatives, is the way to go.
Hormonal ingredients
Hormonal ingredients activate the hair follicles on the lash line, stimulating natural lash growth. Most serums for eyelash extension use derivatives of the tissue hormone prostaglandin.
These differ in intensity.
Here are some examples of what these prostaglandin derivativesmay be called: Bimatoprost, Isopropyl-Cloprostenate, Dechloro-Dihydroxy-Difluoro-Ethylcloprostenolamide and Methylamido-Dihydro-Noralfaprostal.
The effect of the hormonal components has not yet been researched. The use of these products should be avoided during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Substances to strengthen the hair
Many manufacturers of eyelash serums do not use hormonal active ingredients and therefore use substances to strengthen the hair. These can be of natural or synthetic origin.
The most common are biotin, creatine and peptides, which can also be found in hair building shampoos.
Skin care products
The skin around the eyes is particularly thin and therefore also sensitive. An eyelash serum should therefore also contain active ingredients to care for the skin and eyelashes, irrespective of the growth substances. This way you protect your skin and also your new eyelashes.
Care substances such as panthenol or oil provide important moisture to the eyelashes, the lash line and the sensitive skin around the eyes. You can judge the quality of an eyelash serum by the quantity and the ratio of the care ingredients to the other ingredients.
Additional ingredients
Additional substances are used to combine the care substances and active ingredients, and they also help to preserve the ingredients.
Quantity
The filling quantity of the eyelash serums varies greatly, the content is usually between 3.5 ml and 7 ml. In order to be able to compare the price, we recommend calculating per millilitre.
Eyelash serums have different application times. This means that 3.5 ml is sometimes enough for a whole application course of up to 2 months, but in other cases only for a shorter period.
Application
Each eyelash serum has a different application frequency and duration. Most lash serums are easy to apply with a brush, as with eyeliner, or with a brush, as with mascara. It is easier to apply with a brush.
The serum can be applied thinly along the lash line. For best results, most serums are applied 1 to 2 times per day. For best results, the serum should be accompanied by a detailed description of the treatment.
Tolerance
Tolerance is one of the most important criteria if you want to use an eyelash serum to lengthen your eyelashes. Before you start using the serum, you should inform yourself about the ingredients and possible intolerances.
If you experience burning or itching during the growth treatment, rinse the eye immediately with warm water and continue to avoid the serum. You can find more information on the individual ingredients that an eyelash serum may contain under “Active ingredients”.
Price-performance ratio
Before you decide on a high-priced eyelash serum, you should take a look at the active ingredients and their composition. An eyelash serum with hormonal active ingredients tends to cost more than one with hormone-free substances for hair strengthening.
In addition, the amount of natural ingredients can have an impact on the price. In order to easily compare the prices of eyelash serums, you should inform yourself about the respective quantity delivered beforehand.
Facts worth knowing about eyelash serum
How long and how often should eyelash serum be applied?
The application time varies depending on the eyelash serum and is usually explained in detail in the instructions for use.
In general, a serum for lengthening the eyelashes should be applied once a day, regularly, so that a result is visible.
This usually happens after about 2 – 4 weeks, the eyelashes then appear healthier and already thicker. In the following 8 – 16 weeks after starting, the eyelashes reach their maximum length (10% – 20% longer than originally).
Permanent eyelash extension is only possible if the serum continues to be applied up to twice a week.
In most cases, one vial is sufficient for an entire application course – i.e. up to 16 weeks.
How do I apply eyelash serum?
Basically, you should thoroughly remove make-up and cleanse your face and especially the eye area before use.
Most growth serums have a brush that you can use to carefully apply the product to the lash line.
Be careful not to let any of the product run into your eye. If it does and your eye starts to burn, rinse it quickly with warm water. As you should not mascara or work on your lashes afterwards, we recommend that you apply the serum before going to bed.
How fast do eyelashes grow?
A person’s natural eyelash growth occurs in three phases.
Depending on genetic make-up, eyelashes grow actively for about a month in the first phase and reach a length of about 10mm. After that, the hair follicle constricts so that the hair can attach itself. The eyelashes stop growing in this second phase.
An eyelash growth serum can therefore not lengthen already existing hairs, but activates the hair follicles, causing more, natural eyelashes to grow. Since more hair roots are activated, the eyelashes can also become thicker.
Most serums contain additional ingredients to give your lashes an extra boost. Check out the table to find out what’s behind the content of your eyelash serum.
| Ingredient | Effect |
|---|---|
| Biotin (vitamin B7) | Delays lash fall and strengthens lashes. |
| Hydrolysed glycosaminoglycans | This ingredient increases the elasticity of your lashes and provides moisture. |
| Hyaluronic acid | Hyaluronic acid keeps your lashes supple and healthy looking. |
| Panthenol (Vitamin B5) | Panthenol is a moisturiser and gives your lashes a beautiful shine. |
Image source: unsplash.com / Perchek Industrie
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