Regardless of your ideal brow shape, it’s easier to achieve the look you want when you have enough hair to manage. And while a pencil can certainly be used to define eyebrows, having to rely on makeup isn’t for everyone. This is where brow growth serum comes in. A number of formulas on the market say they can help condition the brows, prevent breakage and even lead to potential hair growth.
SKIP The best serums for eyebrow growth | How to buy eyebrow growth serums | How often should I use a brow growth serum?
Wondering what causes sparse eyebrows? Genetics play a big part: If you weren’t born with many hair follicles at all, no topical or oral solution will create follicles where they didn’t exist before, said Debra Jaliman, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City. Aside from genetics, some people may have lost eyebrow hair because they “plucked too much, have an autoimmune condition, eat poorly, have experienced hormonal changes, or have inflammation of the skin,” Jaliman said. Fortunately, there are solutions to these environmental or situational changes in your eyebrow hair.
Typically, dermatologists like Jaliman and Dr. Michele Green of New York City patients who wish to stimulate eyebrow growth with Latisse, a prescription topical solution marketed for eyelash growth but also works on eyebrows. Latisse “has been shown in clinical studies to help lashes grow longer, thicker and darker,” said dermatologist Dr. Hadley King.
If you’re not willing to go to the dermatologist for a prescription, you might want to consider an eyebrow serum. Finally, eyebrow hairs are less likely to break when groomed, and your brows will look healthier overall. While some of the experts we spoke to were skeptical about the effectiveness of over-the-counter brow growth serums, others noted positive results from patients – like hydration and thickening.
The best eyebrow serums
While some of the dermatologists we spoke to had concerns about fully supporting the effectiveness of brow growth serums for growth, they recommended several options with ingredients that have conditioning aspects or that they have had success with in their patients.
Vegamour GRO eyebrow serum
Green says that many of her patients like Vegamour’s GRO Brow Serum. Vegamour is formulated with botanical nutrients like acetyl tetrapeptide-3 and red clover extract, both of which have been shown to help promote hair growth, King said. In a clinical study of 30 people who took acetyltetrapeptide-3 for 60 days, King mentioned that 94% saw an increase in the density and volume of their brows.
RevitaLash RevitaBrow Advanced Eyebrow Conditioner
Jaliman and King both recommended this option from RevitaLash, another vegan option that’s formulated with the brand’s BioPetin complex, a blend of the peptides biotin and green tea, to condition and strengthen brows and give brow hairs an overall healthier look to rent. It’s also formulated with calendula, a humectant that the brand says helps brows retain moisture. The serum has an average rating of 4.3 stars from 4,042 reviews on Amazon.
RapidLash RapidBrow Serum to improve the eyebrows
Jaliman and King also both recommended this option from RapidLash, which is formulated with “octapeptide-2, copper tripeptide-1, and Sh polypeptide-1, all of which have been shown in studies to be potentially helpful for hair growth,” King said. In addition to the peptides, RapidBrow uses panthenol (or vitamin B5) to nourish and condition the hair and improve the overall appearance of your brows, RapidLash says. The serum has an average rating of 4.2 stars from 1,501 reviews on Amazon.
Babe Original Brow Amplifying Serum
King recommended this serum from cosmetics brand Babe Original, which is formulated with nourishing emollients like castor oil and hyaluronic acid, which can help moisturize and thicken the appearance of brows.
Maya Chia Power Fol Multi-Correcting Eyelash/Brow Serum
This King recommended option from Maya Chia uses peptides to stimulate hair growth. It’s also formulated with panthenol, also known as vitamin B5, which the brand says helps nourish hair. This option can be used on both lashes and brows — it even has a dual-ended applicator that makes it easy to switch between applying to both areas.
Joey Healy Renovation Serum
Another King recommendation, this paraben-free serum by Joey Healey contains peptides to stimulate hair growth and hyaluronic acid to condition and hydrate the brows. It also contains hydrolyzed wheat protein, which the brand says can add volume.
How to buy a brow growth serum
Again, experts we spoke to expressed some skepticism that brow growth serums can seriously boost hair growth. However, they did agree that with the right ingredients, they can help improve the condition of the hair you already have and even help create an environment conducive to new growth. As with any cosmetic product, ingredients are key: “A savvy consumer is someone who looks at the labels,” Jaliman said. Below are some ingredients you’re likely to come across in your search, along with some pointers to their effectiveness, as well as some tips on which ingredients to avoid.
ingredients for growth
- Peptides: Jaliman and Green both found that peptides and amino acids are stimulants that can promote hair growth.
- Biotin: Many brow growth serums contain biotin, a B vitamin that’s commonly taken orally to support hair and nail growth, rather than topically like in a brow serum. The experts we spoke to said that while biotin is a safe ingredient and won’t hurt, topical application may not help either. In King’s words, “I don’t think there’s any data to support the effectiveness of topical biotin.”
Ingredients for follicle conditioning
- Hyaluronic Acid: Hyaluronic acid is a popular skincare ingredient and humectant that can help hydrate and thicken hair’s appearance and coat the follicles, but doesn’t promote growth, Green said. It can “help condition the brows and prevent breakage, but that’s not the same as growth,” King added.
- Castor oil: Similar to hyaluronic acid, castor oil “may provide some conditioning that improves the flexibility of the hair fiber,” King said, but “there are no studies showing that castor oil directly causes hair growth.”
- Argan Oil, Jojoba Oil and Vitamins E and D: The dermatologists we spoke to agreed that these ingredients are safe, effective and support eyebrow health but do not promote hair growth.
Which ingredients should you avoid?
What to avoid, Jaliman cautioned against using brow growth serums with synthetic prostaglandins, as these often have side effects like irritation. Consider skipping if you see any of the following impossible-to-pronounce ingredients: Isopropylcloprostenate, Isopropanol, Phenylhydroxylpentene, Dihydroxycyclopentylheptenate, Dechloro Dihydroxy Difluoro Ethylcloprostenolamide, and Trifluoromethyl Dechloro Ethylprostenolamide.
Can I apply Rogaine to my eyebrows?
The active ingredient in most shampoos for thinning hair and products like Rogaine is minoxidil, which essentially expands blood cells and “allows more oxygen, blood, and nutrients to reach the follicles,” King said. Given that it’s the most proven treatment for hair loss in both men and women, it seems like a strong candidate for eyebrow growth, but the dermatologists we spoke to advised us to proceed with caution. “Side effects of applying Rogaine to the eyebrow area include burning, dryness, itching, redness and flaking,” King said. Plus, Green added, you could grow hair where you don’t want it.
How often should I use a brow growth serum?
Jaliman recommended using a brow growth serum every night to see results. “You don’t really want to use them during the day when you’re putting makeup on,” she said. When you get ready for bed, apply the serum as the final step of your evening skincare routine and let it dry completely so you don’t wipe it off on your pillow when you lie down. “Once you have your desired brows, you can reduce the use to thrice a week,” she noted.
Just know that in order to maintain the results you “must be religious if you keep using it”. If you stop using the serum once you’re happy with the results, your brows will go back to how they were before.
Get to know our experts
At Select, we work with professionals who have expertise and authority through relevant education and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure that all expert advice and recommendations are independent and free of undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
- dr Michele Green is a board-certified dermatologist in New York City specializing in cosmetic dermatology. She’s also offered her guidance in Select’s guide to the best shampoos and treatments for thinning hair.
- dr Debra Jaliman, is a board-certified dermatologist in New York City and the author of Skin Rules. She’s also offered her guidance in Select’s guides to the best dandruff shampoos
- dr Hadley King is a board-certified dermatologist in New York City. She’s also offered her guidance in Select’s guides to the best drugstore shampoos and treatments for razor burn.
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