While there’s a cosmetic procedure for every beauty treatment, using olive oil for eyelashes can be an effective natural remedy you must try!
In this world of beauty bloggers and YouTubers who swear that thickening and getting fuller eyelashes through natural ingredients is really easy, is it really so? Can you really just coat your eyelashes with a simple ingredient that is probably already lying around your kitchen and improve their health and growth? In this article, we will answer the question if you can really get thicker eyelashes with olive oil.
Is Olive Oil Good For Eyelashes?
You may have often heard that olive oil is beneficial for your hair, but the question still remains if olive oil is good for eyelashes, too. Before we answer that question, it is important to know how eyelashes naturally grow. The complete growth cycle takes anywhere between four and eleven months.
Research says that if you have been experiencing hair loss, it could be due to a dietary deficiency in essential fatty acids. However, more must be studied on how this could be linked to eyelash health or its growth. Currently, most of the research available is either theoretical or more in tune with scalp hair growth than eyelash growth.
Besides the deficiency of essential fatty acids, some research also associates oxidative stress with premature hair loss. One study shows that olive oil can penetrate the skin well and has anti-oxidant properties. In fact, researchers believe that extra virgin olive oil contains several compounds that can benefit both hair and skin health.
Olive oil is particularly rich in different types of fatty acids, including oleic, linoleic, and palmitic acids, which have anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and antioxidant properties. These fatty acids help condition hair and skin, regulate sebum production, help cells regenerate quickly, prevent clogged hair follicles, and more.
Here are the specific benefits of each fatty acid that can prove how extra virgin olive oil for eyelashes is helpful.
- Oleic acid- Besides regulating your body’s sebum production and having anti-bacterial properties, it can also hydrate your eyelids, helping them produce healthy follicles and healthier eyelashes.
- Palmitic acid- Acting as an emollient, this helps keep your skin and eyelashes soft, making them look lush and healthy.
- Linoleic acid- This encourages healthy turnover of skin cells, thus preventing clogged or dead hair follicles.
Besides the above benefits of olive oil for eyelashes, applying extra virgin olive oil to eyelashes can make them look shinier, thicker, and healthier in literally an instant! This is because it darkens the lashes and makes light reflect off them, making them look fuller and longer.
How To Use Olive Oil For Eyelashes
- When choosing your olive oil, ensure that it is a high-quality extra virgin olive oil containing all the good stuff, like Vitamins E, K, chlorophyll, and carotenoids. This is a crucial step that will ensure that you reap the most benefits from this routine.
- Heat the oil up a little and rub it between the tips of your fingers. You can then massage it on your eyelashes.
- An alternative to the above step would be to get a clean, disposable mascara wand and apply olive oil to your eyelashes. Ensure that your wand is not dripping with oil, as that might get into your eyes. Go with a smaller amount, coat your eyelashes from root to tip, and leave on for 10-15 minutes or even overnight if you want.
- After you have left it on for quite a while, rinse it off with water or a gentle cleanser.
- Repeat once daily for three months for best results. You could also consult your dermatologist regarding the routine you should follow.
Wrapping Up
While you do not have much to worry about if you are using a natural ingredient like olive oil for your eyelashes, you must ensure that you are not allergic to it. It is advisable to do a patch test and wait for 48 hours for any redness or irritation before you start using olive oil for eyelashes regularly.
While there is very little research linking olive oil with eyelash growth, the fatty acids present in the oil have many amazing benefits that you can see for yourself in your eyelashes after using it regularly for several weeks.