There are several reasons why women are dying to have long and thick lashes:

For one, large and gorgeous eyes have always been a symbol of beauty, regardless of the decade. You could say it’s almost a built-in attraction to have long lashes framing your eyes. 

And of course, it’s just one of the most accessible beauty shortcuts we could all use. With fantastic eyelashes, less makeup is necessary. Just like that, we’re ready to go!

It’s no wonder eyelash services are booming in the beauty market right now. If you’re blessed to have naturally long and thick eyelashes, then good for you. However, if you find yourself lacking in that area, and you simply do not have the funds to go to the eyelash salon every month, read on!

Is it Possible to Naturally Lengthen & Strengthen Lashes?

Look, we hear you! Some of us here are still practical despite wanting the perfect lashes. Thankfully for us, there are about a dozen ways to grow and strengthen your lashes naturally.

You read that right, the natural way.

Our lashes are also made up of hair. By that logic, growing it entails us to do similar steps as we would with the hair on our head. As with other biological things, the thickness and strength of your lashes can largely be based on genetics too. Even so, understanding what our lashes need is still worth trying.

Below, we list out a few of our favorite eyelash tricks we’ve compiled over the years. Remember, each situation is different. One trick may be perfect for you, while it may do nothing for another. It all comes down to a basic trial-and-error method. Without further ado, take your pick or do everything from our list of ways to strengthen and lengthen your lashes!

1) Natural Oils

Olive Oil

Olive oil has a reputation for many natural beauty improvements:

Some women swear by using olive oil for their oil cleansing method. It can also be a great hair mask base for lifeless manes. With that, it comes as no surprise that this can also allegedly improve your lashes’ strength and length.

The essential fatty acids present in natural olive oil serve as emollients, meaning it moisturizes and softens your eyelashes. Moisturized lashes = better hair growth!

Our best tip?

Apply olive oil using an old mascara brush. Simply dip it in oil and brush onto your lashes every night. If you don’t have a brush, go ahead and do the same with your fingers, although it can be a bit messy.

Castor Oil

Like olive oil, castor oil has also been known to help with several beauty concerns. Some studies have shown that using castor oil can increase hair’s luster, which might be the same for eyelashes too. On the other hand, some scientists also say that there is no direct correlation between castor oil and lash growth. They do, however, acknowledge that castor oil contains a rich amount of ricinoleic acid. This is an omega-9 essential fatty acid that improves circulation and may help with hair growth.

How should you use castor oil for your lashes?

• To use this, clean your lashes first. Make sure that they are free from any dirt or makeup.
• Then, get a cotton swab and dip it into the castor oil.
• Run it on top of your lashes, making sure it doesn’t drip down your eyes.
• As with olive oil, wash this off first thing in the morning. Be very careful not to rub your eyes too intensely!

Warning: Do a patch test first, as this is also known to irritate some people.

Coconut Oil

We’re running out of words here… but coconut oil is yet another essential oil that has truly become a staple in our health and beauty cabinets. It’s used for moisturizing our skin, protecting our hair, and it even has antifungal properties to top it off. With that, the benefits of this oil can also extend all the way to your lashes.

Coconut oil has several fatty acids, primarily lauric acid, which makes it easier for the hair shaft to absorb. Studies found that applying coconut oil religiously every night protects the hair from protein loss. This means that it can help protect your lashes from damage too. 

Apply coconut oil as you would the other essential oils. Don’t forget to do it regularly for the best results!

2) Green Tea

Green tea is, hands down, a holy grail health, wellness, and beauty product which can be used for hundreds of things. Not only does it detoxify our body from the inside, but we can also use green tea to help with our physical appearance.

How can we use this for lashes, you ask?

For this, grab a cotton ball and dip it in (brewed) green tea. Make sure it’s not too hot before smearing it over your lashes. Supposedly, green tea will help in stimulating hair growth and cleaning the follicles. It will then allow a more substantial growth to happen over time.

3) Lash Serums

You’ve probably heard of these famous concoctions already. The market is flooded with eyelash growth serums, which are proven to boost the length of your lashes. If the essential oils listed above alone don’t do much for you, you can try purchasing these pre-made serums. With these, you’re sure to get all the goodies as the ingredients are specially-designed for lash growth. 

Lash serums are convenient for those who don’t like the mess of dipping a cotton swab into oil. Usually, lash serums are already packaged into a mascara bottle. You never have to worry about dripping the product all over with this.

Here are two things to note, though, when purchasing these: 

• Be mindful of the ingredients used! Make sure you aren’t allergic to any of the ingredients. since it might do your lashes more harm than good.
• Remember also to check reviews carefully so you have an idea of what might work best on you. 

4) Brushing Your Lashes

Remember the famous saying to brush your hair at least 100 times a day? Well, it’s famous for a reason.

Just like with your crowning glory, regularly brushing your lashes will help distribute the natural oils along your lashes. Several makeup artists swear by this trick as it also helps the lashes look fuller. Make it a habit to brush your hair AND lashes every night, just before you put any serums or oils.

5) Vitamin E

Vitamin E is another way to naturally achieve thick eyelashes at the comforts of your own home. It is a very powerful antioxidant that can stimulate lash growth.

Aside from length, vitamin E can also be a great help in preventing your lashes from shedding, thus making it stronger too. The best part about this is that it is affordable and can either be applied topically or ingested as an oral supplement. Not only will it moisturize your lashes, but it can even improve your immune system. Win-win!

6) Massage your eyelids

We’re often told to massage our scalp for hair care. Well, the same logic flows with our eyelids and our lashes.

Still unclear why?

Massaging our scalp promotes blood circulation, and massaging our eyelids does the same thing. Once you get into this habit, you’ll never stop doing it since it’s so relaxing. Just don’t push your eyeballs too hard, or you might end up hurting yourself. Yikes!

7) Diet Improvements

Topical treatments can only go so far. If you really want to make a significant change to your lashes, you should start from the inside.

How?

You must nourish yourself with a healthy diet rich in iron and protein.

The fastest-growing cells in our body are our hair cells. At the same time, they are also the first to suffer when you neglect proper nutrition. Nutrients get sent to body parts that need them critically, and whatever’s left goes to your hair. So, consuming the right nutrients in the right quantities is extremely important.

Iron and protein deficiency are some of the most common causes of hair loss. When this happens, not enough red blood cells give you the energy and hair health you need. If you do not consume enough of either, your body will make do of the available quantity by cutting off supply to your hair. This leads to dry and brittle hair. 

To check if you’re getting the right nutrients for your hair, refer to our Top 20 Hair Foods below:

1. Eggs
2. Broccoli
3. Avocado
4. Clams
5. Chickpeas
6. Lean meat
7. Nuts
8. Lentils
9. Dairy products
10. Beetroot
11. Liver
12. Dark chocolate
13. Oysters
14. Pumpkins
15. Soybeans
16. Raisins
17. Sweet Potatoes
18. Turkey
19. Whole grains
20. Spinach 

More Eyelash Care Tips

We’ve listed down our favorite natural lash growth tips above, but what comes after growing you’re your lashes? Of course, we’ve come prepared. Here are some other tips useful for maintaining your beautiful long lashes.

Go Mascara-Free for a While

Putting on loads of mascara every single day can be too much for your fragile lashes. It’s even worse if you have the habit of using waterproof mascaras, which can be a pain to remove. In most cases, real lashes come off when washing off eye makeup or mascaras. 

Remember: letting your lashes breathe for a few days can make all the difference in the world.

If you really can’t sacrifice this beauty step, at least opt for non-waterproof mascaras or invest in the best eye makeup remover.

Eyelash Services

Fine.

Sometimes, even the best natural methods won’t cut it. Maybe genetics just won’t allow you to grow longer lashes. It doesn’t have to be the end of the world, though.

Fortunately, there is a multitude of options available out there for your lashes. Different salons now offer services like eyelash curling or eyelash extensions perfect for your needs. You might need to have regular sessions if you’re dedicated to having perfect lashes. But if you’re willing to pay extra for an effortless curl in the morning, this option is definitely for you. 

Be Gentle With Your Eyes

You’ve heard this before, but we’ll say it again:

One of the main enemies of your eyelashes is the extreme tugging it experiences.

Practice being gentle when you remove your eye makeup as this can easily take off your real lashes. Remember, when it comes to lashes, each piece is important! Invest in oil-based makeup removers or heavy-duty makeup remover wipes so you don’t have to exert too much force in removing makeup.

Aside from that, be careful when rubbing your eyes too. It can be the best feeling to relieve yourself of the itch but don’t wait until your lashes fall out one by one when you rub too much. If your eye itches, try the following methods:

• Close your eyes for a few minutes
• Place a cold compress over your eyes
• Use some eye drops

Eyelash Growth Mascaras

Yup, these products exist and are probably the answer to your concern for eyelash care number 1. Basically, these are just your plain old mascaras with an added benefit of lengthening your lashes.

Can you believe that? Talk about hitting two birds with one stone!

There are already several options for this out in the market. They may not be as long-lasting, but at least you still get to take care of your lashes even if you wear mascara every day.

Use Eyelash Curlers With Caution

We can’t emphasize enough how many eyelash curler horror stories we’ve heard, making the curler one of the scariest beauty tools out there. While you don’t have to give it up completely, it is best practice to know the perfect technique for you.

What should you do?

You can get yourself the right curler, or simply don’t press really close to your lash roots. If a curler is stiff and painful to use the first time, get rid of it, or risk getting rid of your lashes.

Moving Forward

We’ve done all the work and showed you what it takes to reach your dream lashes. Aren’t you surprised that the answer might just be sitting inside your beauty or kitchen cabinet all along? Well, we sure hope you’re a step closer to waking up with lashes for days. Bat those lashes away, sister!