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Beauty
Can castor oil really help your eyebrows grow thicker and fluffier?
By Chloe Burcham &Lucy Partington
2 years ago
3 min read
Take a quick scour of the internet and you’ll find rave reviews of castor oil being touted as a natural hero for helping bushy brows grow. But does it work?
In a bid for full, bushy eyebrows, we’ll try just about anything. After years of over-tweezing, the quest for growing natural, fluffy-looking eyebrows has been a journey to say the least and, from microblading to eyebrow shaping, we’ve tried just about everything.
Sure, you can steer clear of the tweezers all you want – but if you weren’t genetically blessed with the brows of Cara Delevingne, getting yours to grow can be hard work.
Eyebrow growth serums can sometimes prove a solution. However, the best ones can be expensive – which means that we are always on the lookout for a more natural (and affordable) option.
Step up to the plate, then, castor oil.
Does castor oil really help to grow your eyebrows?
“If you want to grow out your eyebrows, you should take care of them like you do your skin,” says Suman Jalaf, eyebrow expert and founder of Suman Brows.
“You can help the brows grow faster and healthier by using castor oil or vitamin E and aloe vera gel. These are all great natural boosters. Be careful around the eye area and apply with a disposable mascara wand to your brows overnight.”
What is castor oil?
Castor oil is a natural oil made from castor beans. Generally speaking, it’s a very safe and beneficial ingredient that helps both skin and hair health. However, like all natural oils, castor oil can be a potential irritant for some people.
To avoid irritation, always check that the product you’re buying is 100% pure castor oil. Some castor oils are blended with preservatives like grapeseed extract, which can be an irritant. It’s also always a good idea to do a skin test on your forearm before using.
How long does it take castor oil to work on eyebrows?
“Brows grow in a three to four-month cycle. If you’re growing out your brows, don’t remove any hairs for at least 12 weeks before getting them shaped.”
“Applying castor oil daily can help to keep your skin and hair in good condition, which in turn could help to boost growth.”
7 of the best eyebrow growth serums
Castor oil not cutting the mustard? Try these expert eyebrow growth serums instead.
Vegamor Gro Brow Serum
An all-natural, vegan formula, it uses the brand’s exclusive polyphytobase complex alongside zinc and biotin, all of which are essential for healthy hair follicles.
Kosas Grow Potion
This vegan two-in-one formula works just as well on lashes as it does on brows. Using a trio of peptides, pro-vitamin B5 and hyaluronic acid, it works to support and encourage new hair growth.
UKBrow Eyebrow Serum
Formulated with a blend of vitamin B5 to smooth and condition brows, green tea extract and biotin peptide to encourage healthy hair growth, there’s a reason why they’re confident enough to offer this serum with a 12-week money-back guarantee.
BaeBrow What The Brow! Eyebrow Growth Serum
This vegan and cruelty-free blend of natural oils helps to condition the brow hairs and stimulate new growth. It contains castor oil alongside rosehip, almond, coconut, argan and vitamin E oil.
BBB London Nourishing Brow Oil
This nourishing eyebrow oil is designed to strengthen and condition brow hairs, resulting in stronger, thicker brows. It doesn’t contain castor oil, but instead uses sweet almond, rosemary, lavender and sandalwood oils to encourage eyebrow growth.
RevitaLash RevitaBrow
If you’re after the strong stuff, then this is the serum for you. It blends natural botanicals with scientifically advanced biotin and peptides to give seriously impressive results.
Rodial Lash & Brow Booster Serum
Perfect for both brows and lashes, use this serum nightly to boost follicle growth. It’s packed with vitamin B5 and peptides to help strengthen and stimulate hair growth.
Images: Caroline Tompkins / Refinery29 for Getty Images
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