9 Tips for Naturally Longer Lashes

As we age, our eyelashes become thinner and shorter due to slower regeneration or loss. Try not to lose hope. You can still grow naturally longer lashes. Of course, there are treatments available in shops and at salons, but they’re not necessary. There are nutrients available in your own cupboards whose power you can harness to get the same results from the comfort of home.

If your goal is long and healthy lashes, you’ll have to commit to daily care. Counterproductive as it sounds, limit your use of mascara. D on’t rub or scrub your eyes too much unless you’ve eyelashes to spare and – as much as possible – step away from the lash curler. It can actually lead to eyelash breakage. Always remove your makeup as gently as you can. Lashes are fragile creatures and harsh movements can cause them to fall out.

To help you look after the lashes you have, we’re going to share a few home recipes with you. Always bear in mind that, just as it’s not really possible to exercise only one part of your body, it’s not wise to nurture one specific part of your body whilst neglecting the rest.

All hail olive oil

For cleansing your eyelashes and eliminating contaminants, nutritious olive is superior to anything else you could choose for cleaning your eyelash follicles, eliminating anything that is contaminating them. This oil will also stimulate growth.

Using a cotton pad, sweep the oil across your lashes every night before you go to bed. Remove any excess when you get up in the morning.

Cue up longer lashes with castor oil

Castor oil’s incredible emollient properties will greatly improve the suppleness and strength of your eyelashes, which will prompt growth. As with olive oil, it is best applied before going to bed and removed first thing the following morning.

If you have an empty mascara tube, you can clean it thoroughly and pour the castor oil inside. Use the wand to apply the oil to your lashes.

Chamomile flowers help eyelashes blossom

This treatment is works best on a freshly washed face without a stitch of makeup on it. Just boil a cup of chamomile flowers (you can purchase them online or at larger health food shops) in a pot. Once the infusion has cooled to the touch, wet a cotton pad with it and run it over your eyelashes. Make this a daily routine and you’ll notice slow but consistent results over the course of about a month. It won’t happen overnight, but you’ll be pleased when you see how well it works if you’re patient.

Carrot, orange, flower pollen and walnut

You’re probably thinking that these ingredients seem the unlikeliest of bedfellows, but stay with us. Drink this and your lashes will be nurtured beyond your wildest dreams. It’s bursting with vitamins, minerals and healthy essential fats. Juice six carrots and four oranges, then add two tablespoons of flower pollen and a tablespoon of crushed walnuts. Sip the delicious goodness throughout the morning, every morning for two months.

Give ’em a trim

It’s not as strange as it sounds. The principle works just as well for lashes as it does for hair. When you trim the dead ends, you’re stimulating growth. Try it!

Build more keratin

There’s truth to the idea that keratin is a key nutrient in the promotion of healthy hair. This applies to your eyelashes, too, of course. To stimulate keratin production, increase your intake of foods that are high in protein – things such as tofu, pulses, beans and rice.

See more vitamin C

Is it possible to heap too much praise on vitamin C? It’s so vital to the human body’s functions that it’s practically indispensable. Not only does it strengthen your bones, but it also gives resiliency to your hair. Enjoy a good dose of C in all its glorious guises: oranges, kiwi, papaya, strawberries, lemon, cantaloupe, tomatoes, bell peppers, chilli peppers and kale. Try them all. It’ll leave you with luxurious lashes.

Get your groom on

As with the hair that sprouts from your scalp, brushing the hair that sprouts from your eyelids will promote growth. Use a clean brush (similar to a mascara wand) and gently stroke your eyelashes every night before you apply olive or castor oil. Do wash your brush regularly to keep it free from bacteria.

Avoid too much fat

We don’t want to sound like a broken record, but you are what you eat. What you put into your body has a direct effect upon what it gives you. For instance, eating too much fatty food – especially the junky kind – impedes eyelash growth. Feed your temple with loads of whole grains, fruits and vegetables.

A final word of caution: if your lashes seem to be falling out quite frequently and in more abundance, see your GP. He or she may refer you to a dermatologist for treatment. In the meantime, the tips we’ve outlined above should work wonders in helping you to create shinier, stronger, longer and fuller lashes. However, they’re not meant to replace emergency care. If you have an infection or condition that is weakening your lashes, you should seek professional guidance.