Eyelash Serum Do’s and Don’ts: Avoid These Costly Mistakes!

While using my lash serum for a few months now, I learned some important do’s and don’ts. I wanted to write this article to share what I’ve learned so you can maximize your results and avoid the mistakes I have done.

Let’s get started!

Lash Serum Best Practices

1- Do Research the Ingredients

I found that many, many, many growth serums contain an ingredient called “prostaglandin”. This is a common culprit that may cause irritation, redness, or more severe side effects.

Sure the product was effective, but at what cost? You will have to decide that for yourself. But for me, I decided to go with more gentle formulations.

2- Do Apply on the Upper Lash Line Only

You can’t put the lash serum on your bottom lashes. These products are meant to be applied to the upper lash line only.

Why is that?

That’s because if some of the product makes its way to the eye, you’re may experience a more severe adverse reaction. By applying the growth serum to the upper lashes only, you’re reducing that risk.

3- Do Be Consistent

Consistency is key if you want to have results. You can’t apply once or twice and then skip a couple of days and start over again.

This will simply not work.

To see results, you need to apply the serum every day, without fail.

4- Do Be Patient

Most brands require a daily application for 4 to 8 weeks before you can asses your progress. So don’t give up if you don’t see results immediately.

5- Do Use a Small Amount

More of a good thing doesn’t necessarily equal greatness. In the case of eyelash serums, applying more than recommended won’t speed up the process.

What it will do is increase your chances of having side effects. So it’s just not worth it.

Lash Serum Pitfalls

1- Don’t Re-Dip the Applicator in the Bottle

How I wish I had known this before I started using eyelash serums! You would think you need to dip once for each eye.

Wrong!

If you double-dip the applicator in the bottle, you end up using wayy too much product. Not only that, you may contaminate your bottle!

Instead, just dip once and apply to both eyes swiftly. It turns out you have more than enough product on the applicator to coat both lash lines.

2- Don’t Share With Others

That’s a big no-no. Even if you want to have your friend try it once or twice, you shouldn’t share your lash serum. It can again lead to contamination and infection.

3- Don’t Apply Makeup Right After

You’ll rapidly find out that you can’t apply eye makeup immediately after you’ve just coated your lashes with your serum. Doing so would smudge your makeup and it just won’t set properly.

I found the sweet spot is waiting for at least 5 minutes after my serum application for it to completely dry. That way, I can then apply my eyeliner without any problem.

4- Don’t Use If You Have Any Eye or Skin Condition

I think this one goes without saying but you should apply a lash serum if you have an eye infection or a skin condition that would make it worse. You don’t want to risk additional irritation.

If you’re in this case and still want to coat your lashes, make sure to consult with a doctor before.

5- Don’t Use If You’re Pregnant or Breastfeeding

There are no adequate studies that would allow us to conclude you can use a lash serum while pregnant or breastfeeding.

In fact, Latisse (the only FDA-approved serum) confirms that bimatoprost (active ingredient) has been shown to be passed through milk in animal studies.

Given the state of current research (or lack thereof), it’s best to err on the side of caution.

6- Don’t Use If You Have Allergies

If you have any allergies, make sure to check the list of ingredients thoroughly. I’ll admit, some products use quite a long list of impossible names. I generally stay away from those and focus on simple, natural ingredients.

You should also do a patch test on your skin first to see if you have any reaction. If you don’t then you know your chances of allergic reactions to the eye area are less probably.