Let it Grow...let it grow! Eyelash serums

Lash lifts, eyelash extensions, false eyelashes, lash primer, tubing mascaras...the list goes on and on for all the products that have been created to give that long, fluttery lash look. And the reason is quite easy to see, long eyelashes instantly open up your eyes, give a demure but sweet or sultry look and, done right, can be the easiest part of your routine.

During the COVID quarantine, I played around with DIY lash extensions (which...like DIY micro needling, can be damaging if not done right) but found that I would rub them off or end up damaging my own natural lashes. I still love the look of long eyelashes, especially since face masks left only my eyes uncovered as a part of my makeup routine. I had seen success with an eyelash serum that I got off Amazon but was interested in a verified product along the lines of Latisse...but without the Rx.

That is when I came across Babelash, a product that seemed to leave everyone that used it with lashes that seemed absurdly long. It was the priciest serum at $50 but I was dying to try it. I applied it twice on day on days that I did not wear makeup and before I did my red light therapy (see my post on hair growth to learn ways to combat hair loss). 

Ok, there are a few moments when I wish I had taken before-and-after pictures and this was one of them. My eyelashes, which are normally average length but were a bit sparse and thinner because of the back to back weeks of eyelash extensions reached the top of my eyebrows within a month. Even my bottom lashes were thicker and so long that when I blinked, I would find them becoming entangled with the top lashes on occasion...and I didn't even apply any serum to the bottom! I was so excited to have something that worked that I would probably have paid twice the amount for this serum...that is until I learned about orbital fat loss.

Wait, what? What is Orbital Fat Loss?

I knew Latisse caused darkening of eyelids and of the iris but with a darker skin tone and dark eyes, this was not a big deal. I did notice that my eyelids became more textured and dryer but I assumed that scaling back my twice daily application would be enough. Prostaglandins are chemical compounds found in naturally within almost all of our body's tissue that are responsible for signaling inflammation within the body. This means it can potentially causing a sunken eye appearance by shrinking the layers of orbital fat around the eye socket.

source

What serums contain this scary ingredient?

The following serums are popular but contain prostaglandins:

• Xlash Eyelash Enhancer
• Neulash
• NeuveauBrow
• RevitaLash
• Nutraluxe MD Lash
• M2 Lashes Eyelash activating serum
• Peter Thomas Roth Lashes to die for Platinum
• Rodan and Fields Lash Boost
• Latisse
• Grandelash

and you guessed it...

• Babelash

When I discovered this, I was so heartbroken...long, luscious lashes are not an equal trade for sunken-in, hollow eyes. I finished my bottle and ended up switching to Vegamour's vegan eyelash serum with the intention of simply maintaining my gains. Within a week of stopping the Babelash, my dry eyelid cleared up and I was still able to keep the long lashes with the Vegamour serum.

Would I recommend Babelash or the other lash serums...knowing the risk and the possible benefit? No...orbital fat loss is not reversible and fat loss is an inevitable part of getting older. What is the point of all the procedures and steps we take to preserve collagen if your lash serum is going to reduce it in one swipe? That being said, I do not think the Vegamour serum would have given me the dramatic length the Babelash serum gave me but mascara and strip lashes take just a few seconds and do not result in any permanent damage.