17 Eyelash Growth Serums That Really Do Work (2024)

If you weren’t born with naturally long, fluttery lashes (welcome to the club), you might have considered adding an eyelash serum to your routine. Even though there are many ways to add length to your lashes, from easy-to-use falsies to eyelash extensions to curlers and do-it-all drugstore mascaras, lash serums are enticing because they promise to boost length and volume, and promote healthier lashes long-term. The eyes are a sensitive area of the face, though, so whenever you're applying products, you'll want to make sure they're not just effective but safe. Ahead, find out more about eyelash serums, including how they work.

Do eyelash serums really work?

The short answer: It depends. Currently, there is only one product proven effective for growth and thickness, which is Latisse. The FDA-approved serum is formulated with an active ingredient called bimatoprost, which not only causes existing lashes to become longer but also stimulates growth in hair follicles not currently producing lashes. The catch? It’s a pharmaceutical drug, so you’ll need a doctor’s prescription to get it.

What to look for in an eyelash serum

"Over-the-counter lash-growth serums are cosmetic products rather than drugs, so they do not make any claims to grow lashes longer," says Joshua Zeichner MD, a board-certified dermatologist. However, these alternative formulas do offer conditioning benefits, so be sure to keep an eye out for ingredients that help hydrate and strengthen, which can help prevent breakage and promote the look of longer and fuller lashes.

"You can’t argue with the before-and-after photos of consumers using these products and experiencing significantly thicker and fuller eyelashes," Zeichner says. Mona Gohara, MD, a board-certified dermatologist, can attest to the power of lash serums. "I have experienced a loss of lashes from aging and alopecia areata, and I've seen tremendous benefit from these products," she says. If you're interested in trying a lash serum for yourself, read on for our favorite picks and dermatologist-recommended options.

Get the length you've always dreamed of with Benefit's latest eyelash serum. It contains a blend of plant extracts that help make lashes appear thicker, rice proteins to strengthen and lengthen, and biotin to condition and promote healthy lashes. You'll notice a difference in just six weeks.

Formulated with peptides, biotin, and hyaluronic acid, this affordable serum helps to soften, nourish, and condition lashes and brows. Over time, the conditioning benefits will help promote the look of fuller and thicker-looking hair.

Available with a prescription, Latisse is an FDA-approved solution that’s been on the market since 2001. Tara Rao, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at Mount Sinai Hospital, says when used as directed, it can “increase growth and thickness.”

What’s so great about this cult classic: The plant-derived actives help give lashes a growth boost, and the formula also enhances their curve and color. Coleus forskohlii helps to stimulate the production of melanin in your lashes to give them a deep, dark look, while silk proteins coat and curl.

“This lash serum contains peptides, which are like messengers that tell your eyelashes to grow,” says Zeichner. Over time, you'll notice incredibly thick and stronger lashes.

This serum not only promotes stronger and longer lashes but also maintains moisture so they appear darker and healthier-looking. For best results, use every night on clean lashes.

Gohara likes this serum because it conditions, thickens, adds volume, and boosts density. The formula contains conditioning biotin, hydrating sodium hyaluronate, softening panthenol, and contains dehydrolatanoprost, a prostaglandin, which targets the anagen phase of the lash cycle to help boost thickness. It's safe to use on all skin types and tones.

Our beauty editor, Genesis Rivas, swears by this lash serum. "Grande Lash Serum transformed my sparse, small lashes. Now everyone always asks me if my lashes are real or extensions," she says. “It not only stimulates healthy growth of new lashes but also strengthens and hydrates lashes you currently have,” adds Zeichner.

This nourishing serum from Shiseido packs a one-two punch: It will pump up the volume of your lashes as well as make your brows appear fuller—thanks to the formula’s MVP, arginine (an amino acid). Even better? The doe-foot applicator makes it easy to get to hard-to-reach spots between lashes and into the lash line.

If your lashes seem sparse or, worse, damaged after removing falsies, try this revitalizing serum. It’s fortified with amino acids—a.k.a. proteins—that help make lashes look longer and feel softer.

A little thicker than other products, this is a clear gel that applies easily on the upper lash line and is so gentle you can use it with contacts. “The soy protein helps enhance lashes and keeps them stronger and longer,” adds Rachel Nazarian, MD, a board-certified dermatologist.

Olaplex's signature bond-building technology is now available in a lash serum to help transform dry and brittle lashes. Experience stronger, nourished, and healthier looking lashes with this formula packed with peptides. It also helps support the skin barrier to promote a better environment for natural growth.

This clean option is infused with red clover, which has shown to help prevent hair loss causes, and an amino acid peptide to stimulate growth in four to six weeks. It's safe to use on sensitive eyes, and the formula is vegan, gluten-free, and cruelty-free.

Nazarian says the peptides and hydrators (like hyaluronic acid) in this gentle anti-aging serum assist in fortifying and conditioning eyelashes. It also helps to visibly improve the appearance of under-eye wrinkles and crow's-feet. The texture is lightweight, and the formula is fragrance-free.

Joyce Imahiyerobo-Ip, MD, a board-certified dermatologist with Vibrant Dermatology, says she started noticing new growth about two weeks into use, and by the end of the first month, her lashes were "definitely stronger." She recommends this formula, made without any gluten, parabens, phthalates, or sulfates, for anyone looking for a cleaner product. "It has eyelash-fortifying peptides (amino acids) and hair-fullness peptides that offer superior results," she says.

“This serum contains a peptide to stimulate lash growth along with biotin to provide healthy building blocks for hair follicle activity,” says Zeichner. It's packed with biotin, pumpkin seed extract, which is rich in vitamins, amino acids to promote healthy and stronger lashes, and panthenol to seal in moisture. You can also use it with lash extensions.

You don’t need to apply harsh chemicals to your sensitive eye area to get lush lashes. This clean formula is plant-based yet effective. Hemp-derived cannabis seed extract hydrates and conditions lashes and brows, plant peptides create the appearance of lash and brow thickness, and quinoa helps support healthy hair follicles to encourage natural growth.