We've all turned to the internet searching for beauty solutions, from remedies for crow's feet to tips for the perfect smokey eye. Thick eyelashes enhance eye makeup and protect our eyes from debris. Unfortunately, eyelashes can thin due to aging or medical conditions. Coconut oil has become a staple in health and beauty products, lauded for its many proven benefits. From moisturizing and protecting your skin and hair to having antimicrobial and antifungal properties, the benefits of coconut oil may extend to your eyelashes, too. But does coconut oil really help with eyelash growth? Let's delve into the science and separate fact from fiction.
Coconut oil is believed to offer several benefits for eyelashes:
Coconut oil contains fatty acids, mainly lauric acid, which appears to help coconut oil be more easily absorbed by the hair shaft, according to research. This may be why coconut oil appears to provide better and longer-lasting protection compared to other oils.
One study found that applying coconut oil to hair before or after washing protected hair by reducing protein loss. In regard to eyelashes, this may help protect your lashes from damage that could result from washing your face or removing eye makeup.
Medium-chain fatty acids, such as those found in coconut oil, have antimicrobial and antifungal properties that can protect against them. Lauric acid has the greatest antibacterial activity of all medium-chain fatty acids. Applying coconut oil to your eyelashes and the skin around them may protect you from skin infections, including folliculitis, which is inflammation of the hair follicles.
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The microbes on your eyelashes have the potential to contaminate your mascara, especially if you use the same tube of mascara for more than three months, according to a study. The pilot study examined the microbial growth of two brands of mascara used every day for three months and found microbial growth in 36.4 percent of the tubes. They found various organisms, including Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus species, and fungi.
There are a couple of ways that you can use coconut oil for your eyelashes, including eyelash serums or virgin coconut oil applied directly.
You can find dozens of eyelash serums for purchase online or at beauty counters. Many of these serums contain coconut oil, along with other ingredients, such as essential oils and castor or mineral oil. The benefits of using an eyelash serum is that it usually comes with an applicator that makes it easy to apply without making a mess. The downside is that they’re not necessarily 100-percent natural. They can also be pricey, depending on the brand.
Virgin coconut oil is available online and in most health food and grocery stores. It can be easily applied using a clean finger, an eyelash brush, or mascara wand. Disposable eyelash brushes and mascara wands can be bought online or at cosmetic stores.
Coconut and coconut oil allergies are very rare but can still happen. Virgin coconut oil is generally safe for use on the skin and around the eyes, but you should still be careful to not get it in your eyes. Using 100-percent organic virgin coconut oil is your safest bet, as other products may contain ingredients that could cause irritation or an allergic reaction.
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Use a clean, damp washcloth to remove any excess oil from around your eyes. If you happen to get the oil in your eyes and feel any irritation, flush your eyes with water right away.
Just like coconut oil, castor oil may also have some benefits when it comes to hair, though evidence is limited to scalp hair rather than eyelash hair. Castor oil is a popular home remedy used for conditioning and growing hair and there is some evidence that it may help reverse hair loss. Castor oil is loaded with ricinoleic acid.
Steps to follow: You will need 1 teaspoon of cold-pressed castor oil and some cotton swabs. First, carefully clean your eyelashes with water and a gentle cleanser, then pat them dry. Dip the cotton swab in the cold-pressed castor oil and apply it on both your upper and lower lash lines. Make sure that you do not get the oil into your eyes.
Castor oil is generally safe, but coconut oil may be the better option when it comes to your eyelashes. Animal studies have shown that undiluted castor oil can cause severe skin irritation. In 2017, a case report published in the International Journal of Trichology found castor oil to be responsible for acute hair felting in a 20-year old woman.
A combination of these remedies may help in managing your thinning eyelashes, but they are not proven solutions to your lack of lashes.
Read also: Managing Hair Loss from Chemo
Latisse is an FDA-approved prescription medication that helps to promote eyelash growth. Latisse should be applied once daily along the upper lash line for 16 weeks. After this period, you may notice longer and thicker eyelashes. Latisse is the only FDA-approved medication for eyelash growth, so it’s the most reliable option for achieving longer and thicker lashes. It’s also easy to use and can be applied in just a few minutes each day.
Now, here is quite a common question when using coconut oil for lashes: does coconut oil help lashes grow longer? The direct answer is no, it doesn’t. Our lashes have a maximum length to which they can grow. What coconut oil can do for lashes is help them grow to their full length.
Coconut oil offers tons of benefits for your lashes, however, making them grow any longer isn’t one of them. So, if your goal is to have long, fluttery lashes, you might want to try eyelash extensions or Latisse.
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