When my dad noticed the lashes on a news anchor the other night – I realized that the lash obsession in our country had hit critical mass.
Gone are the days when women opt for lash curlers and a great mascara. As per usual, the beauty industry has taken it up a notch. Now those on the quest for longer and thicker can choose from fake lashes, lash extensions, a visit to a lash salon, drops, potions, serums or… wait for it… keratin treatments AKA lash lifts. Each of these treatments promise longer, darker, thicker lashes. None of them mention the potential risks.
Right near the top of my “things I give a fuck about” list is my vision. So you can bet your little tushy I will be letting no person come near my eyes with glues, potions and magic anytime soon. I can barely stand the feeling of getting my eyes dilated at the doctor once a year so I am in no rush to experience the unintended side effects of the next best eyelash thing.
If you’ve been following along this BETTER journey – I have told you once or a maybe a thousand times that the beauty industry doesn’t have to do much of anything to protect your health. Even if a company’s phones are ringing off the hook with complaints and reports of adverse reactions… they are not required to report or reformulate. Yes, your lashes may grow from some of these innovations – but you may also experience itchy, red eyes, dark eyelids, reduced eye pressure, iris pigmentation (AKA changing the freakin’ color of your eyes!), and unwanted hair in areas you don’t want it. No thank you.
Before you flip your shit… I am going to tell you what to do:
1. Look at the ingredients in the products you’re putting on your lashes. Look them up using the ewg skin deep database. It’s not rocket science people. LOOK. UP. YOUR. SHIT. Your potion may not be terrible at all (there are some products that are totally fine)… but you will not know until you do some research.
2. If you’re having lashes applied at a salon or going in for any other kind of treatment, ask what is going to be used. Find out the name of the glue. Get the ingredients. Then LOOK. UP. THAT. SHIT. I asked a local lash extension specialist for her formulas. She shared both with me. Both were not something I would want anywhere near my eyes. If I had to pick one over the other I would opt for the sensitive formula (sensitive be like – you may still be able to see in 6 months).
3. Now here’s the easy part. Listen closely. STOP. USING. THAT. SHIT. If there’s crap in your products don’t put crap on your eyes. Easy peasy.
Now here’s where we get to the BETTER part. I am going to share my secret, not so secret formula for longer, BETTER lashes. This magic will cost you a fraction of the price, it won’t cause any unintended side effects and it will leave your lashes stronger, healthier and hopefully a little longer, too. Here’s what you need:
1. Organic, cold-pressed castor oil
2. Q-tips
That’s all.
After washing your face in the evening (and removing your eye makeup if you are wearing it)…lightly saturate a q-tip with castor oil and apply it to the base of your lashes before bed. Voila! Done! Give it a few weeks and you should see increased strength and hopefully a slightly longer lash.
Castor oil has been used for years. It is packed with nutrients that encourage lash growth and has been shown to be fantastic for other eye ailments. It is rich in fatty acids, antioxidants and proteins which is why it is so helpful in encouraging hair growth.
Buy an organic, cold pressed oil. This will cost you a fraction of the price of other lash products and will promote health without the icky stuff.
Give it a try for a month and report back to me! I want to know what you think!!
My other picks for longer, BETTER eyelashes are these two mascaras and this gentle, non-toxic makeup remover from Beautycounter. An unintended and positive side-effect of using products like these is that your lashes will often become healthier as a result. Try these or one of the other safe products I have recommended in the past (here).
