The best eyelash growth serums compared

Where did eyelash serums come from?

Eyelash enhancing serums have been around for almost ten years now and there are loads of brands available today. They’re cosmetics, just like make-up and shampoo, so you can buy them over-the-counter (OTC) in shops and from online stores.

But they didn’t start out this way. It all began with a licensed and FDA-approved medication for eyes, called Lumigan.

Ophthalmologists prescribe Lumigan to treat patients with glaucoma. A few drops placed inside the eye helps control intraocular pressure. A side effect in most patients is they grow extremely long lashes in their treated eye.

Allergan, the manufacturer of Lumigan, saw this opportunity and in 2009 patented the same drug for use as prescription-strength eyelash growth serum. They called it LatisseTM.

The active lash-growing ingredient in Latisse is a prostaglandin analog called bimatoprost.

Prosta-what-now?

Prostagladin analogs & bimatoprost

Prostaglandins are a group of physiologically active substances with diverse hormonelike effects in animals. They’re found in nearly all the tissues in our bodies and the various structures/types of prostaglandin affect different biological activities. These prostaglandins are lipid compounds from fatty acids, and they bind to prostaglandin receptors.

So, bimatoprost prostaglandin works because it activates Prostamide Alpha F2 receptors in the hair follicle (primarily the dermal papilla and outer root sheath) to stimulate growth. It’s not known how it works exactly, but it’s thought to influence the development and regrowth of the hair follicle. It causes an increase in the duration of and number of hairs in the active “Anagen” growing stage. So, your lashes grow longer and are fuller because there’s more of them sprouting. Yay!

Allergan patented the use of bimatoprost in Lumigan and Latisse, which means others can’t use it. So, those wily cosmetic brands made synthetic copies of bimatoprost which probably have the same growth effect on the lashes.

These synthetic prostaglandins in the ingredients list of these lash serums are:

• Choprestenol isopropyl
• Isopropyl cloprestonate
• and Cloprostenol isopropylester

But such serums are still cosmetics, which means they’re much less potent than the medication Latisse.

Let’s learn how next…

Lash enhancing vs Lash growth?

First, you’ll notice these synthetic prostaglandin analog ingredients very far down, or even at the end, of the ingredients list. This means there’s not very much of it in the serum.

But why is this?

A serum with a high concentration of synthetic prostaglandin analog is exactly like the drug Latisse; it causes changes in your hair follicles to grow hair. Such serums would require licensing and approval by each coutries governing bodies, and a prescription from a doctor too. So, keeping the concentration very low reduces the effect, and keeps it within the scope of a cosmetic product.

There are also restrictions over labelling of these serums. Because cosmetic ingredients and concentrations can’t affect or change cell function, it’s misleading (and naughty) to label these growth serums. So, most are more appropriately dubbed lash enhancers instead.

But not all lash serums contain prostaglandin analogs. So, next let’s see what other types of ingredients you can choose from.

What ingredients are in eyelash serums?

There’s a cocktail of ingredients found in most serums.

• A few contain very low amounts of stimulating prostaglandin analogs
• Most have hair supporting peptides & vitamins
• And others include hydrating ingredients & conditioning botanical extracts to prevent lash breakage
• I’ve also found a few serums with mysterious-sounding biological enzymes 😲

Here’s a table comparing the ingredients of the serums and what they claim to do:

Let’s look at them in turn.

What do prostaglandin analogs do?

The synthetic prostaglandin analogs in serums are Choprestenol isopropyl, Isopropyl cloprestonate and Cloprostenol isopropylester. These prostaglandin analogs directly affect how your hair follicle cells function.

The prostaglandin sinks into your hair follicle and binds with receptors in the hair building areas of your follicles, the dermal papilla and outer root sheath. This causes your hairs to spend longer in the Anagen growing stage and triggers hairs in the Telogen to start the Anagen stage. It all results in longer and fuller lashes.

You’ll see prostaglandins very low down the ingredients list. This low concentration in the serums means they take a rather a long time to work on your lashes.

So, you’ll usually find peptides, vitamins and extracts in the ingredients list before Prostaglandin analogs. These other ingredients don’t act directly on the hair follicles to trigger growth as a prostaglandin analog does. But they can fuel hair growth by providing all the goodies your hair needs to grow strong.

More on peptides next…

What are Peptides?

Peptides naturally occur in nearly every tissue and cell in our bodies. We get most of them from the food we eat (broken down into manageable chunks from proteins during digestion), and our cells synthesise other peptides too. Peptides are the little siblings of proteins; much smaller molecules but made of the same building blocks.

The peptide molecules are short chains of amino acids bound together by ‘peptide’ bonds. They have strings of between 2 to 50 amino acids. Peptides with closer to 50 amino acids are polypeptides. Our cells combine peptides and other amino acids to build complex proteins like collagen, elastin and keratin.

Peptides perform a wide range of essential functions, and we’re still learning more about them. The types of amino acids in the chain, their sequence, and the shape of the peptide determines what it does.

Some peptides act like biological messengers regulating blood glucose, appetite and stimulating tissue growth. So, because these can cause biochemical changes in cells, they are bioactive peptides.  Bioactive peptides are a very interesting science with oodles of potential. Scientists isolate the smallest effective amino acid string and engineer synthetic peptides as new medicines.

According to WebMD there are over 100 peptide drugs available in the U.S., and the list keeps growing. These medicines treat conditions like type 2 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and high blood pressure.

So, what about peptides in cosmetics and lash serums?

Peptides in cosmetics & lash serums

Cosmetic peptides are not bioactive peptides. They don’t directly affect your cells’ metabolism or function. If they did, they’d be drugs and so regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

However, they’re small and readily absorbed by the skin. And so, cosmetic brands say they can help protect and strengthen the structures of your lashes to encourage healthy growth. This in turn can give you naturally longer and thicker lashes.

Here are the peptides listed in the ingredients of popular lash serums, and a brief description (if available):

• Pentapeptide-17 & Myristoyl Pentapeptide-17 : cell communicating ingredients (usually combined) which stimulates your keratin genes for stronger hair
• Copper Tripeptide-1 : a cell communicating ingredient which stimulates follicular cell proliferation resulting in larger hair follicles, which in turn produce longer and thicker hair
• Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1 : a cell communicating ingredient claimed to help reduce hair loss and for making the eyelashes appear longer, fuller, and stronger.
• Polypeptide-23 : not much available on this one, it’s listed as a skin conditioning ingredient
• Octapeptide-2 : not much available on this one, but manufacturing sources reference it as a ‘hair growth peptide’.

Lash serums also contain a few amino acids too, (GrandeLash-MD is jam-packed with them!), such as:

• Arginine : one of the primary building blocks of hair keratin and skin collagen
• L – Proline : an amino acid our bodies can produce that’s also one of the major building blocks of collagen
• Alanine : a non-essential amino acid that hydrates the skin
• Aspartic Acid : a non-essential amino acid that hydrates the skin
• Glycine : a non-essential amino acid that hydrates the skin
• Histidine : a semi-essential amino acid that hydrates the skin
• Isoleucine : an essential amino acid and skin identical ingredient that hydrates the skin and protects the skin barrier
• Phenylalanine : an essential amino acid and skin identical ingredient
• Serine : a non-essential amino acid that hydrates the skin
• Threonine : an essential amino acid that hydrates the skin
• Valine : an essential amino acid that probably hydrates the skin

Vitamins, extracts & moisturisers

You’ll also find popular vitamins, botanical extracts and common cosmetic moisturising ingredients thought to encourage or support hair growth, protect and strengthen your hair follicles, and soften and condition your lashes too. But again, they’re all cosmetic ingredients and don’t affect your hair growth directly.

Here’s a quick overview of these ingredients found in lash serums:

Common vitamins…

• Biotin or Vitamin H ; when taken as an oral supplement this vitamin can help with stronger nails and hair, but there’s no evidence it works if applied to the skin/hair.
• Panthenol (Pro-Vitamin B5): Panthenol is moisturising for your skin and might make your hair softer & more elastic.

And a bunch of botanical extracts…

• Cucurbita Pepo (Pumpkin) Seed Extract : there’s not much information about this one, but brands claim this stops lashes falling out and keeps hairs in the Anagen growth stage for longer.
• Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil : moisturising ingredient
• Calendula Officinalis Extract : a soothing, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant ingredient
• Panax Ginseng Root Extract : an antioxidant ingredient which also stimulates blood flow, and so cell nutrition and metabolism
• Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice : an anti-inflammatory and moisturising ingredient
• Camellia Sinensis Extract (or Green Tea) : Green tea is proven to be a great antioxidant, UV protectant, anti-inflammatory, anticarcinogenic and antimicrobial ingredient
• Swertia Japonica Extract :
• Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate Licorice extract : an ingredient with a nice sweet smell and soothing and anti-inflammatory properties
• Portulaca Oleracea Extract : anti-inflammatory and antioxidant ingredient
• Coconut Fruit Juice : a moisturising ingredient which is claimed to support healthy cell growth and skin hydration
• Hydrolyzed Yeast Extract : a skin moisturising ingredient
• Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract : Chamomile in skincare has anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties
• Arctostaphylos Uva Ursi Extract : an antioxidant that has some antibacterial activity, as well as contains the well-known skin lightening agent, arbutin

And moisturising & protecting ingredients too…

• Glycerin : a skin identical moisturising ingredient to protect the skin barrier
• Sodium Hyaluronate or Hyaluronic Acid : a skin identical moisturising and hydrating ingredient
• Sodium PCA : a skin identical moisturising ingredient to protect the skin barrier
• Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans : a moisturising and conditioning/softening ingredient
• Adenosine : a cell communicating, anti-inflammatory ingredient which might be useful for the hair helping with hair thickness and hair growth
• 2-Hydroxypropanoic Acid : exfoliating and moisturising ingredient
• Allantoin : skin softening & protecting ingredient
• Sodium Lactate : a super skin moisturising ingredient

And there’s one final type of ingredient to look at…

Mysterious EPM biological enzyme

SILLY GEORGE says their serum “works by activating the hair follicle to promote rapid growth of eyelashes, making them grow longer, thicker and fuller in as little as 1 week and best results, at around 6 weeks…”

Now, the active lash-growing ingredient in SILLY GEORGE serum is a mysterious substance called “EPM Biological Enzyme”. I say it’s mysterious because it doesn’t exist in an INCI search, or any other type of cosmetic or chemical ingredient search.

Hmmmm…

Cosmetic manufacturers largely self-regulate in line with country specific legislation. The FDA and EU/UK legislation for cosmetic ingredients labelling ensures we have enough information to compare products, check for ingredients we’re sensitive to, and make informed choices. INCI ingredients are the standard format, and a listing and description gives us some reassuring visibility about an ingredient.

So, because theirs isn’t publicly available, I contacted SILLY GEORGE for more info.

But after several polite reminders, I’ve had nadda in return.

Now, all the other lash serums clearly list their ingredients in the INCI standard (even those with proprietary formulations). And that’s good because I want to know what is in it, I want to know what it does and I want to know it is SAFE.

So, I’m frustrated, and an extra curious bunny with many questions whirling around my now suspicious brain 🐰🔍🕵️‍♀️…

What-the-follicle is EPM biological enzyme?

After more coffee-fuelled, tenacious interwebs research, here’s what we do know…

#1 It’s made of 10 Amino acids.

SILLY GEORGE share this. And we know Amino Acids are the building blocks of peptides and proteins, remember? So, this also matches up with its enzyme status. Enzymes are biological catalysts and almost always a protein. They speed up how fast specific chemical reactions take place in cells. But the enzyme doesn’t change during the reaction. It stays the same and continues enzyming, repeatedly.

But what we don’t know is which Amino Acids, or which protein is it derived from? How big is it, perhaps it’s really a peptide? How is it made? Also, we don’t know what hair follicle cells it works on or how it works its magic 🤔.

#2 They call it a growth serum

Earlier in this article I explained the difference between cosmetics and drugs, and lash enhancers and lash growth serums. A growth serum implies it affects your cells’ function directly and causes growth. This would make it a drug/medication, just like Latisse, requiring through tests and approval. So, brands call their cosmetic serums lash enhancers instead.

But not SILLY GEORGE.

They call theirs a lash growth serum, but it’s still sold as a cosmetic.

So, this could simply be an exaggerated and somewhat misleading claim designed to standout versus other lash serums. I’m not sure because there’s no independent information available on EPM Biological Enzyme. But something isn’t quite right here.

#3 EPM Biological Enzyme is not unique to SILLY GEORGE.

A quick Google search of the SILLY GEORGE ingredients list led me to bulk-buy, white-label lash serum products made in China, listed on sites like alibaba.com. A few serums contain Biological Enzyme “EPM” made of 10 Amino Acids.

#4 EPM peptide?

Whilst trying to find anything about EPM, I discovered a few research studies from 2003 and 2005 about a peptide derived from Epimorphin. Epimorphin controls development in various organs, and plays an important role in hair growth.

Here’s how…

Stem cells in our hair follicles create Epimorphin, which then binds to other hair follicle cells and triggers the active, Anagen hair growth. The team behind the studies extracted a smaller peptide from Epimorphin, made of 👉10 Amino Acids. They tested it in a lab culture and on mice and, just like Epimorphin, it induces Anagen growth in hair follicles. They call the peptide EPM.

The company behind the studies patented the peptide, but since this early excitement about its hair growing potential, I found nothing more on EPM peptide. Therefore, it’s not clear to me if it’s the same active ingredient in SILLY GEORGE serum, or just a similarly named drug 🤷‍♀️.

So, there are many questions still unanswered. I’ve requested assistance from various contacts and will update this article should I get more concrete information.

Do lash serums work?

Let’s look at the objective evidence first.

Although almost all these brands claim their formulations are clinically proven, there’s scant evidence to back it up. None share details of a robust trial design or anything resembling a typical strict clinical standard. So, I’m sceptical such testing exists.

Blurred in with the “clinically proven” statement, they also share the positive results from their consumer studies. The studies range in number of particpants, the largest are from RapidLash and neuLash.

But don’t mistake these as the afore mentioned clinical results. Consumer studies are at-home tests by participants following the treatment regime, and then completing a satisfaction survey. The results are subjective feedback scores (not objective measurements). These consumer studies sound positive, but they are not as reassuring as published clinical studies which have a strict design, control group and measurement method.

So, what about lash-growing proof for the ingredients?

Well, manufacturers claim their peptides and Amino Acids support hair growth. And yes, the conditioning and hydrating ingredients can help the appearance of your lashes too. But there’s little human testing supporting their efficacy, even for the most popular peptide ingredients. There’s also little testing supporting the synthetic prostaglandin analogs in these lash serums. So, they may or may not work for you as promised.

Of course, you could rely on the many 5-star reviews on the lash serum brand websites. But remember, the brands control the reviews that show up so you may not get a fair representation of all experiences.

And finally, don’t let the marketing hype blind you. These are cosmetic formulations and not medicines. Whilst many people do see healthy, longer or improved lashes, others don’t see much change at all. It’s important to have realistic expectations about what these serums can do for you.

Here’s a comparison table of treatment schedules for each serum:

Here’s a comparison table of clinical study and consumer study data for each serum:

Are lash serums safe?

All the serums (apart from SILY GEORGE) list known and safe INCI ingredients. So, yes, they’re safe. However, you could still have allergic or sensitive reactions to a specific ingredient.

And it’s worth highlighting prostaglandin analogs can cause side effects. We know this because of the thorough clinical tests and trials for the eye medications containing prostaglandin analogs.

The possible side effects of prostaglandin analogs are:

• Itchy, red eyes
• Darkening of the eyelids
• Reduced eye pressure, which could mask glaucoma
• Unwanted hair growth in areas the product repeatedly touches
• Darkening of your eye colour, especially if your irises are hazel or green. Here’s a good article that explains the eye darkening side effect

However, bear in mind these side effects come from prostaglandin drops placed directly into the eye. With lash serums you apply a much smaller amount along your lash line (not in your eye). And these serums have a significantly lower concentration prostaglandin. So together, this means the prostaglandin dose is much less likely to get into your eye and cause side effects.

However, the synthetic analogs in lash serums are largely untested (especially compared to Latisse and Lumigan). So, it’s still a risk worth considering.

Here's a quick summary of the best eyelash serums.

Which one do you fancy?

Please check deals below and shop via my links. I may earn a small commission from some (but your price stays the same). I really appreciate your support 🙏!