Are you tired of having short, sparse eyelashes? Have you tried various methods to enhance your lashes, but nothing seems to work? You’re not alone. Many people search for ways to improve their eyelashes and often come across the term “biotin.” In this article, we’ll explore the benefits of biotin for eyelashes, how it works, and how you can incorporate it into your daily routine to achieve the long, luscious lashes you’ve always wanted.
Contents
What is Biotin?
Biotin is a water soluble vitamin that is also referred to as vitamin B7 or vitamin H. Ensuring that you’re getting adequate amounts of biotin is important, as biotin regulates the metabolism and creates essential enzymes that the body needs in order to function optimally.
We derive biotin from the foods that we consume, such as bananas, milk, and eggs, but many people obtain biotin in supplement form and it has benefits for the hair and nails. Despite the fact that biotin is obtained through the diet, some people are deficient in it and can experience thinning hair as a result. Biotin supplements can reverse this problem, and they can also promote hair and nail growth.
There are numerous eyelash serums currently on the market that are intended to promote eyelash growth. These serums often contain biotin as one of the active ingredients, because it has been scientifically proven that biotin-based serums applied directly to the eyelashes encourages growth.
Please be aware that this article is our opinion and not to be used to make a decision about whether Biotin is safe for you to use or not. Please consult an expert who is aware of your health situation before trying out the diy formula below or trying products containing biotin.
The benefits of Biotin
Biotin is widely believed to promote eyelash growth and health. Here’s how it can benefit your lashes:
- Stimulates hair growth: Biotin is known to help hair grow faster and thicker by strengthening hair follicles and promoting cell growth.
- Prevents hair loss: Biotin deficiency can lead to hair loss, so taking biotin supplements may help prevent this issue.
- Improves hair health: Biotin helps keep your eyelashes nourished, preventing breakage and brittleness.
How does biotin work?
Biotin promotes eyelash growth by improving the health of hair follicles, which are responsible for hair growth. It does this by helping our bodies convert nutrients into energy, which is then used by the hair follicles to produce new, healthy cells. This may result in stronger, thicker, and longer eyelashes.
Whether you opt to take biotin in supplement form or use the vitamin directly on your eyelashes in a serum, biotin is thought to make eyelashes grow. So, if you’ve been unimpressed with the natural length of your eyelashes, then the right biotin-based eyelash serum could potentially help you to grow long, thick and sexy eyelashes that you can flaunt and be proud of.
However, this belief might be a bit of an urban myth and it could be the other ingredients in your lash formulas containing biotin that are really working wonders. There isn’t a lot of research into how effective biotin itself is in growing your lashes but this study about it’s effects on reducing hair loss, concluded that Biotin had limited beneficial effects on slowing hair loss.
Simple DIY Biotin eyelash growth formula
To make the formula you can use a contact lens case or small plastic or metal tub. Contact lens cases or metal lip balm tubs work well because they are small, sterile and easily sealed. You could even use a Mascara tube but the deep black colour can be difficult to get rid of. You’ll also need an applicator, such as an eyeliner brush and along with some biotin liquid soft gel tablets, you’ll need either vaseline, castor oil, lubricant eye gel, aloe vera gel or coconut oil.
- Step 1 – Break the biotin tablets to release the formula into your container. I usually break 4 or 5 of the small tablet, but you can experiment with more or less.
- Step 2 – Add half a tea spoon of vaseline or one of the alternative ingredients listed above.
- Step 3 – Use the applicator to mix the formula until the consistency feels right and apply it evenly onto your lash hairs.
How to use biotin for eyelashes
There are various ways to incorporate biotin into your daily routine to promote eyelash growth:
- Oral supplements: Taking biotin supplements is a convenient way to ensure you get enough biotin to support eyelash growth. However, consult a healthcare professional before starting any new supplement regimen.
- Biotin-enriched products: Many eyelash serums, mascaras, and conditioners contain biotin, making it easy to apply directly to your lashes.
- Biotin-rich foods: Eating foods high in biotin, such as eggs, nuts, seeds, and whole grains, can help maintain healthy eyelash growth.
Biotin Supplements vs. Biotin-Enriched Products
Choosing between biotin supplements and biotin-enriched products ultimately depends on your personal preference. Oral supplements are a great way to support overall hair, skin, and nail health, while biotin-enriched products target your eyelashes specifically. You may also choose to use both methods for maximum results.
Safety and side effects of Biotin
Biotin is generally considered safe, and side effects are rare. However, in some cases, high doses of biotin may cause mild side effects such as nausea, cramping, or diarrhea. Always consult a healthcare professional before starting a new supplement regimen, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or taking medications.
You should always be concerned when it comes to using a product on or near your eyes, especially if you’ve never used it before. Biotin eyelash serums are great for growing your eyelashes, but there are some potential side-effects that you should be on the lookout for.
When used on the lashes, formulas containing biotin could possibly cause red eyes, irritation, dry eyes, itchy eyes, and darkening of the eyelids. Some individuals have even experienced swelling of their eyelids if they were found to be sensitive or allergic to one of the ingredients in the serum. These serums contain a lot of ingredients so this may not have been caused by biotin itself.
By using serums containing biotin according to the instructions that comes on the package, most people notice little to no side-effects when using biotin lash serums to grow their eyelashes. Lash serums containing prostaglandin analogues and other ingredients used to grow lashes more intensively, may be more likely to cause side effects. Biotin isn’t know to be a problematic ingredients itself.
How much biotin for eyelash growth?
The amount of biotin that’s needed for eyelash growth will vary depending on the specific serum that you’re using. You should refer to the specific instructions that come with the serum that you choose. If you’re using a DIY serum, then you are likely to use a clean mascara brush to apply the vitamin. There is no need to measure the amount, as you will apply one coat of biotin to your upper and lower lashes, twice a day.
How long before eyelashes start growing with biotin?
The length of time it will take before you notice results with biotin can vary greatly, depending on which serum you use, how much you’re using, and how often you’re using it. However, you should notice some growth in about 2-3 weeks, but significant growth will likely be noticeable after 6-8 weeks of consistent use. If you miss some days, then achieving the desired results will take longer than average.
Tips for Boosting Eyelash Growth In addition to using biotin, here are some other tips to promote healthy eyelash growth:
- Be gentle with your lashes: Avoid rubbing your eyes or pulling on your lashes, as this can cause damage and breakage.
- Remove makeup before bed: Leaving makeup on your lashes overnight can weaken and damage them. Always remove your makeup with a gentle makeup remover before going to sleep.
- Invest in a good eyelash serum: Look for a high-quality eyelash serum that contains biotin and other growth-promoting ingredients such as peptides and panthenol.
- Maintain a balanced diet: Eating a healthy diet rich in vitamins and minerals can support overall hair health, including your eyelashes.
- Be patient: Eyelash growth takes time. It may take several weeks or even months to see noticeable improvements in your lashes.
What are the alternatives to Biotin for growing your lashes?
If you don’t like the idea of using serums directly on your eyelashes that could potentially irritate your eyes, then there are alternatives. One alternative, of course, is to take biotin supplements, which will grow your hair, nails and eyelashes. No woman would object to having her hair and nails grow longer while she works on growing her eyelashes, so that’s often a welcome side-effect. Let’s check out some of the alternatives you might want to try out instead of or alongside biotin.
Castor oil as an alternative to biotin for growing eyelashes
If you don’t like the idea of using biotin to grow your eyelashes, or you’ve had a negative reaction to a biotin-based serum, then castor oil is a viable alternative. This oil, which has been around for many years, has been used for years to grow back eyebrows that had been accidentally shaved unevenly. Just like the biotin-based eyelash serums, there are also castor oil-based serums that grow your eyelashes (and eyebrows).
You can even opt to use plain castor oil as an eyelash growth serum isn’t necessary and could contain additional ingredients that could be problematic for you. To apply castor oil to your eyelashes, simply get a clean and sterile mascara brush, dip it in the castor oil and apply the oil to your eyes as if you were applying mascara. Be sure to get both the upper and lower lashes.
Coconut oil as a biotin alternative to grow eyelashes
If you can’t use castor oil and are seeking another alternative for another reason, then you should give coconut oil a try. Why coconut oil? Coconut oil has the ability to penetrate the follicles in the eyelashes and stimulate growth. Applying a small amount of coconut oil to your eyelashes twice daily can give you great results. Although, it may be that the thick oily substance is actually binding hairs together and making them look thicker than before. Either way, if our lashes feel and appear better we are half way towards improved eyelash growth.
Mixing various oils together for eyelash growth
If you would like a combination of oils for growing your eyelashes, then you can use equal amounts of coconut, castor, olive, and argon oils, which will work together to nourish your eyelash follicles and promote growth in the area. Many women prefer using DIY products in order to grow their eyelashes, because they know exactly what’s in them and they don’t have to worry about preservatives, additives and other possibly harmful ingredients that sometimes exist in store-bought formulas.
Final thoughts about the use of Biotin on your eyelashes
As you can see, there is no need to settle for having short, stubby and unattractive eyelashes, because if you are lucky some biotin based eyelash serums such as Babe lash and Grandelash could grow them until they’re long, luscious and absolutely beautiful. You will no longer find yourself gluing on false eyelashes to enhance your beauty, as your natural eyelashes will be the length and thickness that you desire. Hopefully, you will find that your self-esteem has increased immensely once your eyelashes reach the length that you’ve been longing for.
The downside of using lash serums containing biotin is that they take several weeks to begin to work and only last as long as you continue to use the serums daily. There is also the chance of the serum causing side effects, even though only FDA approved Latisse has concrete figures outlining the potential risk.
