The 8 Best Eyelash Growth Serums of 2024, Tested for 12 Weeks

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Believe it or not, the best one we tried was only $8

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People / Amazon (2); Ulta

Let’s face it: False eyelashes can be uncomfortable, messy, and hard to apply. The same goes for even the best mascaras from time to time. But an easy way to avoid wasting time and money on less-than-perfect lash makeup is to invest in a high-quality eyelash growth serum that will give you the doll-like fringe of your dreams naturally.

Whether you have sparse or thinning lashes or just want to see how much longer your flutters can grow, lash serums can enhance your natural features with noticeably thick lashes, whether wearing mascara or bare.

“With consistent daily use, they can boost growth of new hair, thicken, lengthen and even darken existing hair,” Dani Vincent, celebrity makeup and brow artist, tells PEOPLE.

In search of the best serums on the market, we tried 35 different lash serums to determine which ones actually worked and which can be left behind. Since 2023, we’ve tested dozens of formulas at home for up to 12 weeks at a time to ensure that we got the best results that each product could offer. Ahead, the products that are worth the lash-lengthening hype.

Absorbed quickly without dripping or leaving a residue

Saw results in two weeks

Made our lashes look like falsies

Contains less product than others we tested

There were several perks of this lash serum from E.l.f.: Its skinny brush was easy to swipe along our lashlines, the formula fully absorbed in just one minute (without dripping or gooping), and our makeup wore flawlessly on top of the product. At just $8, this drugstore serum worked just as well as the more expensive products we once favored, and in a matter of two weeks, we noticed fuller, thicker fringe that rivaled the look of our false eyelashes.

The formula was gentle enough that even when a bit of serum ended up in our eyes, we didn’t experience any redness, irritation, or burning — a huge perk for beginners. We did notice it didn't contain as much product as others we had tested, but this little tube is a quarter of the price of our old favorites. We find ourselves reaching for this one every day now.

Key Ingredients: Glycerin, camellia sinensis leaf extract, castor seed oil | Size: 0.12 oz. | Application Frequency: Morning and night

Delivered noticeable results despite the low price

Glossier, thicker, and overall more conditioned lashes over time

Mascara-like bristle applicator is easy to use

Easy to get excess serum on the brush, which can lead to clumps

This pick from Maybelline is made with a bristled wand that applies like a mascara — making it super user-friendly. We loved how glossy and luscious this serum made our lashes look as we swiped it on and we noticed a visible change in the volume of our lashes after 10 weeks.

Its formula, made from arginine (a protein-building amino acid) and pro-vitamin B5, helps strengthen your lashes and keeps them from becoming brittle, which is great for people who routinely use lash curlers. Just make sure to wipe the excess product off before swiping it on, because the wand can get a little goopy.

Key Ingredients: Arginine, pro-vitamin B5 | Size: 0.18 oz. | Application Frequency: Morning and night

Nearly doubled our lash length in one month

Formula is as thin (and non-irritating!) as water

Lashes felt much stronger and less prone to breakage

Most expensive serum we tested

Editor’s Note: This was our best overall lash serum for almost two years until September 2024, when new products were tested.

We weren’t sure what to expect when we started using this growth serum that Meghan Markle once swore by, but it soon became the one that we recommended to everyone if they wanted to invest in a high-quality product.

To our surprise, we noticed eyebrow-touching lash growth in just one month that had friends stopping us to ask if we got extensions (let us preface that this never happened before). Its thin formula feels like water and dries quickly, leaving the conditioning components to soak into our lash follicles and stimulate gradual growth. Though we were applying this serum once per day for 10 weeks, we saw our lashes nearly double in length over the course of just a month, all the while becoming thicker and less brittle as a result. The price is high, but this product delivers on its return, so it’s worth every penny.

Key Ingredients: Biopeptin complex, ginseng, swertia japonica, saw palmetto, amino acids, B vitamins | Size: 0.67 oz. | Application Frequency: Once daily (morning or night)

Brows grew in thickness and strength

Dries within 20 seconds of applying

Beneficial skin and hair ingredients like peptides, amino acids, and hyaluronic acid

Irritating when some got into our eyes

Full of powerhouse ingredients like peptides, amino acids, and hyaluronic acid, this made quick work of our hair follicles — drying down within 20 seconds and giving us thicker strands within ten weeks. We saw a noticeable difference in the volume of our eyebrow hairs specifically, and our lashes looked and felt stronger (though there was less of a lengthening effect here).

However, when excess serum got into the corners of our eyes, it did sting a bit. We advise you to be sparing with the serum and avoid eye contact. The product’s instructions advise swiping the serum above your lashes like a liquid liner instead of applying it directly onto your lashes.

Key Ingredients: Amino acids, hyaluronic acid, grape seed extract, honey, aloe vera extract | Size: 0.07 oz. | Application Frequency: Once daily (morning or night)

Make sure you’re not wearing contact lenses when applying your lash serum in case the product gets into your eyes.

No interactions or irritation

Less eyelash fallout while using

Works well with other skincare products, including night eye cream

Tube doesn’t stand upright, making it inconvenient to store

The Cils Booster Lash Revitalizing Serum from Lancôme has mastered sensitive eye-safe formulas, causing zero irritation or reactions during testing (and one tester had pre-existing eczema on their eyelids, which says a lot about the gentle nature of this serum).

Its fast-drying formula doesn’t drip into the eyes and requires just one dip into the tube to glide over both eyelids, coating each lash line evenly. It worked well with our nightly routine of eye creams and other potions, and truly did lengthen and thicken our lashes over time, and we noticed far less lash loss than we did before using it. Our only qualm? We wish the tube had a flat bottom, so we could display the pretty gold product with the rest of our go-to nighttime skincare.

Key Ingredients: Amino acids, arginine, panthenol | Size: 0.13 oz. | Application Frequency: Morning and night

People / Cindy Mathieu

Feels cooling on our eyes and spreads easily

Lost far less lashes while removing makeup at night than before

Stimulates lash follicles and helps reduce appearance of fine lines

More serum comes out in one pump than you need

We love a product that multitasks, which is why we love this eyelash growth serum that doubles as an anti-aging product. In fact, after several weeks of testing, we noticed a significant change in the fullness of our lashes, especially when it came to our bottom lash line. We had far less eyelash fallout when removing makeup at night and loved the cooling effect as we dabbed this serum onto our eyelids before bed.

People with mature skin and younger skin alike will both benefit from this serum, whether it be for more lush strands, preventative measures, or anti-aging purposes. We just wish it came in a brush or wand format rather than a pump; it dispenses a lot, and we don't want any to go to waste.

Key Ingredients: Rhamnose, pure hyaluronic acid, volcanic water | Size: 0.51 oz. | Application Frequency: Morning and night

People / Emma Phelps

No gloppiness or dripping during application

Lashes physically and visibly grew in strength and length

Super comfortable to wear, even on sensitive eyes

Didn't do much in terms of volume

This speedy-fast iteration from RapidLash delivered noticeable results in just a few weeks, showing visible growth faster than the competitors we tried. We loved how gentle this serum was, as our testers have sensitive eyes yet experienced zero discomfort when using this product. The super thin consistency kept it from getting clumpy or dripping into our eyes, too.

Our lashes were looking longer and growing stronger after just a few weeks of use, resulting in less lash fallout than we experienced before and lengthening our flutters significantly. While we do wish we saw a bit more thickness in our lashes after the trial period, we appreciate our now-lengthy lashes (and the speed at which we got them).

Key Ingredients: Polypeptides, biotin, panthenol, amino acids, soybean oil, pumpkin seed extract | Size: 0.10 oz. | Application Frequency: Night

Truly weightless on our skin

Dried almost instantly

Length grew substantially and developed a curl pattern

One of the more expensive we tested

This fast-acting, lash-lengthening serum was a total standout among others that we tested for its quick results, gentle formula, and substantial growth. We started seeing visible results just a few weeks into testing, and our office colleagues even told us how luscious our lashes looked.

This serum was easy to use and glided onto our lids without dripping, absorbing quickly, and never irritating our eyes or skin throughout the process. We noticed much less lash loss throughout the testing period and noticed that our lashes adopted a new curl pattern being brought out in our lashes — something we’d never seen before! It was one of the more expensive products we tested, but it was effective.

Key Ingredients: Biotin, keratin, peptides, Swiss apple extract, pumpkin seed extract | Size: 0.10 oz. | Application Frequency: Night

People / Ashleigh Morley

VieBeauti Premium Eyelash Growth Serum: It was super easy to apply this budget-friendly serum thanks to its fine tip wand and gentle formula that absorbed quickly into our lashlines. We saw length results, but we wish our lashes grew a bit thicker, too.

People / Sharon Budhai

The ingredients are very important when selecting the right kind of lash growth serum. “The most effective lash growth products contain peptides, amino acids, vitamins, and natural ingredients (like red clover extract and ginseng),” says Vincent.

However, there are definitely ingredients that you should be avoiding to preserve the health of your eyes. Lipids known as prostaglandins and prostaglandin analogues are at the top of Dr. Mack's "no" list. She explains how prostaglandins are molecules that were first used in ophthalmology as a treatment for glaucoma and originally thought to stimulate eyelash growth.

Researchers have discovered that this type of chemical, or synthetic versions of it (prostaglandin analogues) have been linked to a myriad of issues around eye health. “With consistent use, individuals may develop upper eyelid ptosis (drooping), deepening of upper eyelid (fat shrinkage), increased blood vessel formation, and darkening of the eyelids and under eye area,” Dr. Mack explains.

For your safety, all of our winners were free from bimatoprost, a well-known (and previously popular) prostaglandin. However, we encourage you to always check the ingredients yourself, as formulas are often subject to change, or confirm with your doctor that the serum you want to try is safe.

Products with prostaglandins should especially be avoided during pregnancy. Since prostaglandins are hormone-like substances, according to the Cleveland Clinic, using products with this type of lipid can affect existing pregnancies or create health issues along the way. Though all of our picks are free from bimatoprost, check with your doctor before using, if pregnant.

Some serums focus on lengthening, like the Borboleta Lash Serum — but maybe you want luscious lashes in a short timeframe, so you opt for something fast-acting like the RapidLash Eyelash Enhancing Serum. Our best overall pick, E.l.f. Enhancing Lash & Brow Serum, both lengthens and thickens in a short period of time. It’s easy to get swept up in the sea of serum options out there, so be sure to keep your ultimate lash goals in mind when picking out the right product for you.

People / Sharon Budhai

Our team took pictures of our makeup-free lashes and removed our contact lenses before testing these serums the first time. Now, we’ve used these products for nearly two years — with testing periods ranging from 10 to 12 weeks of daily use to determine which products actually work. From there, we rated each lash enhancer based on the following attributes:

At the end of the testing period, we reflected back on our trials and rated each testing attribute on a scale from one to five, with five being the best. With these in mind, we also rated the products on value and the results of our lashes at the end of the testing period. Keeping all those factors in mind, the E.l.f. Enhancing Lash & Brow Serum earned our pick for the best overall eyelash growth serums.

Eyelash serums are applied just above the lash line, so as to not drip into your eye and cause irritation. Most serums are in brush form, which you can glide on like a liquid eyeliner, or a brush bristle form (think a mascara wand), and in rare cases, a pump like the Vichy product.

Follow the product's instructions for application frequency. “Daily usage is necessary for tangible results and it can take up to three months to see the full result,” says Vincent. She warns that breaking from consistent usage will return your lashes to their former state, so upkeep is paramount for lengthy, thick lashes.

Some products like the Lancôme Cils Booster Lash Revitalizing Serum require application twice a day in the morning and evening. And some are a little more particular, like the Borboleta Lash Serum, which specifically requires nighttime application. The packaging your serum comes in should tell you everything you need to know regarding application frequency

Alyssa Brascia is a staff shopping writer at PEOPLE with a proficiency for beauty research and who’s extensively covered cosmetics and skincare. For this piece, Brascia analyzed the insights given by our testers as they tried the lash serums at home for several weeks, coming back with their thoughts and opinions on each product. She also gathered expert opinions on what makes or breaks an eyelash growth serum, which ingredients are safe, and which products are really worth your money.

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