Even for women who approach their beauty routine au naturel, a swipe of mascara is a necessity before leaving their home. When our eyelashes are long and wispy, our eyes automatically appear larger and clearer, making us look more awake and vibrant. Unfortunately, this trusty makeup bag essential is a double-edged sword: it gives the impression our lashes are fuller but can also make them shorter and more brittle if we aren't caring for them properly. There are ways to naturally improve the health — and length! — of your lashes though, without trying an invasive treatment like Latisse. As New York City dermatologist Dr. Hadley King explains, while these products do work very well to elongate, darken and thicken our eyes' protectors, many people prefer to avoid chemicals that could have side effects.
Here, King and other experts provide their best solutions for how to grow lashes to Kardashian heights organically.
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Consider oil treatments.
Much like you turn to essential oil treatments to help you manage stress, find your zen in yoga or heal rashes and bumps, dabs of these formulated bad boys can also play a part in the growth of your eyelashes. King says that, while there isn't hard data to confirm their specific benefits, castor oil, coconut oil and olive oil are all recommended as repairing solutions. "They may be helpful if the eyelashes are becoming brittle and broken due to use of mascara and adhesives and false eyelashes and curling devices," he explains.
Dermatologist Dr. Anna Guanche says castor oil might be your best bet since it's been shown to induce brow and hair growth. Consider yourself warned though, since she adds its super-oily and silky texture can cause breakouts for those with sensitive skin. And be mindful of what you're buying by reading labels carefully. "Vitamin E oil alone doesn't really induce hair growth, but castor oil is rich in vitamin E, which can cause confusion," she shares.
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Always remove your mascara.
After four tequila shots? Yep. When you've been working for 12 hours and, frankly, you-just-can't? You can. Though you feel like you sweat off every lick of makeup at the gym, anyway? Yes, yes — yes! King says many women don't take the extra time to remove their mascara, which can cause their lashes to break off on your pillow while you're sleeping.
Sabah Feroz, lash expert at Blink Brow Bar in London, also recommends overnight treatments that condition and moisturize your lash after spending all day with caked-on mascara. She recommends BBrowBar's Luscious Lash Oil
that restores and conditions lashes from root to tip. "Wear each evening as an overnight treatment for your lashes and let the formula work its magic," she swears.
It's not only what you apply to your face, lids or skin that impacts your overall health. As with any other spectrum of your vitality, what you eat plays a big part in how well you can sprout lashes. King says those who seek to have softer, more natural eyelashes should maintain a nutritionally robust, balanced diet that's ripe with protein, iron and biotin. While you can derive many of these nutrients from smart food choices, talk to your trusted physician or nutritionist who can recommend a supplement if your levels dip too low.
For Halloween, a fancy celebration or when the mood just calls, false eyelashes are a fun way to upgrade your look. But as an everyday stick-on? Natural skin care expert Debbi Burns says it's dangerous for the durability of your lashes. "What's causing women to lose their lashes and have them not grow out is putting all of those toxic glues in the fake eyelashes. These actually pull out some of your eyelashes and if you don't keep putting them on, you tend to have fewer eyelashes," she says.
