If there is one thing the Egyptian women of 3400 BCE and I have in common, it’s the desire to have longer, thicker, darker lashes. Of course! They were doing it to ward off the evil eye (since eyes are windows to the soul, they need to be protected against the devil) and shield their peepers against sun, sweat and debris, while I simply want a stunning pair that will make my eyes look gorgeous. Oh! And while those gorgeous Egyptians were zealous proponents of a “lash growth serum” made from honey, crocodile dung, ivory, bone and water, I would rather opt for something less… um… disgusting. Thank you very much.
But then there is the little caveat that I am paranoid about putting anything in or around my eyes unless it’s 300% safe. Which can’t be said with full confidence for the new lash growth formulations, like Latisse and Careprost, all of which have the potential of leading to dry eyes, eyelid skin darkening, redness and itchiness. So, time to turn to an old and well established recipe that’s been around for about a century and, according to wise women wisdom, works every single time.
Longer, Thicker, Darker
- 2 tablespoons Castor Oil
- 4 tablespoons Vitamin E Oil
- 2 tablespoons Aloe Vera Gel
- 1 old mascara or nail polish container (washed well)
- 1 mascara wand (washed well)
First, blend both the oils together and then and add the aloe vera gel to this mix. Shake well and pour into the container. Apply a light layer to lashes (or brows!) with the mascara wand every night before going to bed. Follow up with a thin layer right at the lash line with a clean eye liner brush or cotton bud. Repeat daily for 6 weeks.
This recipe is definitely safe but does it actually work? To track the results, I took “before” and “after” pix of my lashes over a course of 6 weeks. As you can see, I had very sparse, very light lashes a month-and-a-half back. Without mascara, they would seem almost invisible. These have metamorphosed into long, dark and downright fluttery ones now… in fact, when I wear mascara it often ends up streaking my sunglasses. Seriously! My dermatologist does not find this at all surprising since it’s an established fact that castor oil thickens the lashes, while both aloe vera gel and Vitamin E accelerate their length. Yay 
Here are two more classic lash growth recipes for those who are interested. I haven’t tried these personally but have friends who vouch for them 100%.
Conditioning & lengthening blend
- 1 tablespoon Aloe Vera juice
- 1 tablespoon Jojoba or Flaxseed oil
- 1 teaspoon Chamomile tea (strong – one tea bag steeped in 1/4 cup of boiling water)
Apply this conditioning mixture to your lashes twice a day with an old mascara wand that has been washed well in warm, soapy water. If you wear mascara, rinse the blend off 15 minutes after application and then apply your mascara. This is a very nourishing recipe for your eyelashes and it will protect them from drying and brittleness while accelerating their length.
Lash dye
- 1/4 cup crushed black walnut husks
- 1 tablespoon chopped sage
- 1 teaspoon Chamomile tea (strong – one tea bag steeped in 1/4 cup of boiling water)
Strain the mixture and apply to your lashes twice a day with a cotton bud.
What’s your secret fluttery eyelash trick?
I’m def gonna try this.. Btw where did you get aloe vera gel from? store bought or fresh extraction?
I made 2 batches – the first one was with freshly extracted aloe vera juice. The 2nd one was with organic pre-extracted juice from a health store. Both seemed to work equally well.
does this work for eyebrow hair too ? am sure i have lost hair off them – want luscious, thick brows
I would think it should since they are effectively the same as lash hair. But haven’t tried it first-hand.
wow!!…ur before and after pic has totally inspired me to try it out…:)
Thank u
My own picture inspired me to go for more natural treatments!!!! Pls put up yours once the effects start showing!
Wow! I can’t believe how well this worked! I’ve been using Nutraluxe MD serum for several months now, and it does work, but in all honesty it does dry out the delicate skin around my eyes and has even caused some discoloration. Does anyone know how long this mixture “keeps” for? Is it good until it’s gone, assuming you use it every night?
Hi Kristin, it normally keeps for a month or so but as with everything related to the eye area, I would recommend making smaller batches so everything remains fresh and unspoiled.
Amazing! I can’t wait to try this. But I had to laugh about the crocodile dung- what’s worse putting crocodile dung on your lashes or harvesting said crocodile dung? I conjured amusing images of crocodile wranglers risking life and limb for the beauty of their queen.
I’m definitely going to try this. I’m all about the natural methods. Latisse scares me. I actually took Dr. Christopher’s complete bone and tissue oral supplement to help with a soft tissue injury about a year ago, and it made my lashes really grow. I wasn’t sure if it was something that I should be taking long term so I stopped once my injury was healed, and sure enough my lashes went back to normal shorties. I’m 6 months pregnant now, so I’m not going to be taking it now or while I’m nursing. I was just thinking about it this week and how it will be quite a while before I could try taking it again. This sounds great though! And I want to use it on my eyebrows. The other morning my husband looked at me and said, “Have you been tweezing your eyebrows or something?” I said, “I never tweeze. I don’t have anything extra to take out. I just always fill them in every day, and this is me with a washed face.” He thought I’d gone all crazy and plucked out all my eyebrows! In your picture it looks like it made your lashes darker as well. That would be awesome! I’m getting my supplies this weekend.
huge congratulations on the coming baby
And you are so right… these products are scary when you are pregnant. Let me know if the natural recipes worked for you!
Thanks! This is baby #6 (and last). I bought my supplies on Saturday and started that night. If I remember I will take a picture tonight, though you may not be able to see anything. Mine look like your before picture, but blonde. Here’s hoping they get darker too!
6? Hats off to you!!!! I can’t even manage one
I’m definitely noticing an improvement in my eyebrows. Another question: do you continue to do it everyday once you achieve desirable results? Or just intermittently?
I use it every day for 4-5 weeks. What about you?
I think I’ve been doing it 3 weeks. Are you still doing it?
I did it for about 5 weeks once and since the results seem to be permanent, didn’t have to repeat it.
Thanks so much!! Looking forward to trying this out.
let me know how it goes
Could you tell me what brand Vitamin E Oil and also what brand Aloe Vera Gel you use? I’m having a hard time finding pure versions of either of these. Thanks!
Hi Jennifer, I normally use Colonial Dames Pure Vitamin E Oil and Forever Living Aloe Vera Gel… these have worked well for me in the past.
You have no idea how happy I am that this works for eyebrows too! About a year ago a had a pair of cute glasses(I’m farsighted) that kept plucking the hairs out of the center of my brows. I’ve since had them replaced, but the hairs there never grew back. I’ve never had a problem with my eyelashes, but I might try it on them too, just for fun.
Tell me about it! I waxed off mine when I was 12 and half of them never grew back. Thankfully, this recipe helped. It was horrid going through life with half an eyebrow
Well-those before and after pictures…WOW-i think that am going to mix together all the oils there is
olive oil, castro oil, almond oil, e vitamin and aloe…and my eyelashes better be as gorgeous as yours 
Thank you for inspiration!
And then post your after pix… will wait for them
Well, i will do this about 5 weeks…master plan is to see does this actually work in my lashes…i have been lash extention addict for years and my lashes are in good shape but now i just got tired of them…
Actually i will do 2 serum test. In the evening homemade oil-mix on the lashes and Placenta Active serum (kind of new stuff in our market) in the morning before eye makeup…
Lets seeee….:) and then i will share pictures:)
ooooh… that sounds like a great study. Will wait to hear from you!