In an age when we’re all wishing we never over-plucked in high school, one brave beauty writer tries an all-natural eyelash and brow enhancing serum–and this is what happened.
- A version of this article previously appeared on Walking with Cake.
When my two sisters and I were little, we used to take turns hanging upside down off the bed or couch, making silly faces to entertain each other. It always amused and freaked us out a little that our eyes and brows looked so different upside down, like strange versions of our own faces. When you think about it, eyebrows are really weird and seem almost vestigial. I was curious enough about human brows to look it up, and this entertaining video explains that our eyebrows are, in fact, leftovers from a time when humans had a lot more hair on our bodies. Now, eyebrows act as umbrellas, along with our eyelashes, to help protect our eyes from dust particles and debris.
But, as any makeup lover already knows, eyebrows and eyelashes are so much more than that, and these days, everyone wants very full eyebrows and lashes. It seems like the eyebrow trend rotates through each decade, alternating between thick and thin. I remember playing with a Brooke Shields doll as a child in the 1980s, complete with a tiny pair of Calvin Klein jeans and her signature thick eyebrows painted on the plastic doll’s head. As a teenager in the 1990s, I was warned by my wise mother not to overpluck my eyebrows, in case they didn’t grow back. She knew from experience as a child of the 1950s, when body hair was completely controlled and restrained. My husband comes from a family with very dark and heavy eyebrows, not unlike those of Cara Delevingne, and my mother-in-law swears that her mom actually plucked her eyebrows when she was a baby! Eyebrows and their shape are obviously a thing and always have been.
While I’ve read about lash and brow serums for years now, I never wanted to try one, mostly out of fear of infection and strange reactions, which seem common with chemical serums. When MakeupTIA mentioned a natural brow serum in one of her videos, I became interested and decided to give it a try. Plume Science’s Lash and Brow Enhancing Serum, created in Canada and sold by Credo Beauty in the United States, is made with 100% natural ingredients and is free of all toxic ingredients. Designed by a chemist, Plume claims to “enhance what you already have,” and at $95, it comes at a steep price. The good news is that it works. Sort of. And that’s the bad news.
I purchased and used Plume regularly for the recommended two months, applying it to my brows (and sometimes lashes) before bed and often using it in the mornings, too. My goal was to increase my eyebrow growth, especially along the outer edges, where some hair loss is common as we age. What I learned after using this serum for two months is that our eyebrows need moisturizing, just like our skin, and regular, everyday applications of natural moisturizing products, all of which are in Plume’s serum, will slowly help to encourage natural hair growth. I didn’t notice any remarkable difference in my eyebrows in the two months of regular use, and from the reviews, I’ve read online, other users didn’t either. To be completely fair, Plume isn’t advertising hair growth with their product, but asserts that it “promotes the longevity and fullness of brow and lash follicles.”
While doing a bit of my own research, I ran across many articles suggesting that regular application of castor oil and essential oils like lavender work to promote hair growth and protect eyebrows and eyelashes. I already add a drop of lavender oil to my mascara, a tip I read a few years ago, and it doesn’t seem to hurt. In all honesty, I think you could easily apply these more affordable options daily and have the same results. Plume contains both castor oil and various moisturizing oils, and it’s a safe option when compared to other brow serums that use harmful ingredients. Also, increasing brow growth goes hand in hand with just leaving them completely alone, as explained in this article by brow guru, Kristie Streicher.
In my very unscientific opinion, I don’t believe most natural products or serums will help to increase lash and brow growth or give you Brooke Shields or Cara Delevingne brows. But regular moisturizing will protect your eyelashes and brows, hopefully keeping them strong and healthy. Plume is a good option for those who want to spend the money on a natural moisturizer, or you can experiment with the same ingredients on your own.
Have you tried Plume or another lash and eyebrow enhancing serum? I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences, too.
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Photo: Walking with Cake
