Eyelash Care – Lets Spell it Out

Eyelashes are not just pretty eye decoration, they do serve a purpose that help keep the eyes protected from the sun, dust and small particles that can get into the eyes on a daily basis. It’s ironic in fact that the one thing they can’t protect our eyes from are eyelashes themselves! Don’t you just hate it when you get one of those little rascals in your eye! You can kiss that freshly applied eyeliner and mascara goodbye and say hello to a red and watery eye instead. But never fear, eyelashes are designed to fall out when they are good and ready, to make way for a brand-new eyelash in its place that you can help to grow strong and healthy, so you are always rocking a full set. That may be worth the odd one falling into your eye when you least expect it!

The eyelash growth cycle is responsible for this little annoyance but don’t worry, it is completely normal to lose an eyelash or two every now and then. What happens is the eyelash grows in the follicle, starts to get stronger, enters its resting phase where it can sit happily above your eye for a few weeks, then as the follicle weakens, the eyelash will just fall away and the cycle repeats. There are around 150 eyelashes on your upper lid at any one time though, so never fear, they are all in their own cycle at different times, so you won’t have to go eyelashless completely while waiting for a full new set to grow in.

Over time and with age the cycle can change, slow down and even stop for some follicles, but there are things you can do to keep ahead of the game and make sure your eyelashes look fantastic at every occasion!

First thing is first, when you are an expert in your own eyelashes, you will be able to tell when something isn’t right or when something has changed. Only you know your body well enough to notice when things change or don’t play ball the way they used to. Eyelashes can be a good indicator that something isn’t right or a sign that you need to make a few changes to your lifestyle.

But you don’t have to be an expert in eyelashes to know when something is up, you can just take a good look in the mirror and see if they look healthy and not dry. You can compare them to photos of yourself from a few years ago and see if they are still looking full or if they have started to look a little sparse and you could even compare how they look in mascara compared to without. Mascara is a girl’s best friend, and don’t let anyone tell you different. But to make sure you don’t fall out with your mascara, you need to make sure you are using it correctly. Ok, so there isn’t a rule book on mascara use but a few tips are to make sure that you use a mascara with a good wand that brushes through the individual lashes and doesn’t clump them together and also a wand that suits you and has a good grip. Sometimes beauty brands tend to go a little crazy over the shape of the mascara wand and they start to get so fancy that they become impractical! Sometimes the basic but classic wand will do your eyelashes just fine.

While we’re on the subject of mascara, one top tip for self-care is to make sure you get rid of that stuff after a few months and go out and buy a new one! It doesn’t have a very long use by date when it comes down to it and shouldn’t really be kept past three months from opening it. All mascara starts to go clumpy and may even start to smell funny, but mainly after months of using it, bacteria from the eyelashes can be transferred and then sealed into your mascara tube and then being reapplied to your lashes again. Not the best step when trying to look after your lashes so I may be best to ditch it before it even gets to that stage!

What does food have to do with anything, you ask? Well actually diet and nutrition is so accountable for the health of our skin, hair, nails and you guessed it… eyelashes! Most of what we consume is converted into some sort of energy or protein, some good and some bad and some should just have a “Never” sticker on them. So, a few handy tips here are based around the good stuff, the bad stuff and the stuff you should just avoid if you want your eyelashes to remain in good health or try and get them back to health again.

Salmon is on the good list as it has too many benefits to count. As well as being good for your heart and your bones, it is a sturdy favourite in helping eyelashes and hair stay thick, long and full. As it is rich in Omega 3 which can only be gained through food, it allows moisture into the skin cells, stimulates follicles and helps your hair grow naturally! So, get a nice salmon dinner ready for later and keep the good stuff coming in!

Grab a handful of nuts for a daytime snack instead of reaching for the bad stuff like cake and sugary goods. Nuts are amazing for hair and eyelashes as again they are rich in Omega 3 and fatty acids and Vitamin E and nutrients like biotin which is commonly used to combat hair loss. All these nutrients combined will feed your body with the right stuff to promote your eyelash growth faster that you would realise. So, swap your usual snack for some nuts and keep an eye on those lashes over the next month or so and watch them transform into long and luscious eyelashes.

Spinach should move to your good list. And no, it isn’t just for Pop-Eye! Although the story that it made him stronger came from somewhere and there is a lot of truth in it. As spinach is full of good nutrients and Vitamin C and iron, they all work together to keep skin and follicles healthy and cells regenerated for healthy hair and eyelash growth.

So, stop snacking on those crisps and ordering takeaway with lashings of salt and sweeteners in them. The best thing you can do for your eyelashes is to feed them healthy foods like you would feed yourself. Think about how good you would feel after a nice cranberry and almond salad as opposed to a stodgy pizza packed with grease and dairy. Remember if you feel bad, your body parts will start to feel it too. Keep yourself hydrated and take control over how your eyelashes grow with some amazing new recipes!

Ok, so this was supposed to be about eyelashes but if you are in the neighbourhood, there is definitely no harm of checking in on your eyebrows at the same time! It doesn’t always go the way you want to when it comes to eyebrows, after all there have been so many trends over the years that we have been putting them through hell and back to achieve a certain look. But they can start to look unhealthy or sparse and even full but unruly. So how do you fix this? Well, you’re in luck because there are loads of options now to keep your eyebrows looking full, health and personally styled.

No one should be without a pair of tweezers, so make sure you invest in a decent pair with good grip and a slightly angled end for precision hair grabbing. Even if you are not a fan of plucking, they are handy to have around to get rid of the strays that become bothersome from time to time. There’s nothing wrong with a little tidy up here and there. Using a cooling gel, or maybe aim to go for the tweeze after a nice hot bath or shower when the pores are open and eyebrow hair can be pulled out easier and with less pain. If you are more a fan of threading, then make sure you don’t cover the area with creams or lotions after an appointment as you need the area under the eyebrows to breathe and heal without risk of clogging the pores and causing infection or sores. The same goes for sun creams and lotions, try to keep your face shielded from the sun directly after getting any treatment on your eyebrows to make sure the skin stays healthy and smooth as the area will really be open to sun burn at this time.

If they are looking a little thin in the bulk of the eyebrow you could try an eyebrow growth serum that encourages the hairs to grow back faster and fuller so that you can just sit back and wait while they start to grow in. Xlash Eyebrow Growth Serum is a brilliant option as it goes on with ease and doesn’t leave any sticky residue so you can feel free to carry on filling in your eyebrows with a colour kit or pencil until you are happy with the results and barely need to use make up to draw them back in anymore. Simple! Ok so that’s the eyebrows taken care of, back to eyelashes!

One of the best things about living in the time we live in now is that we have so many fixes for things we want to change about ourselves without just resorting to painful surgeries and unwanted permanent procedures. So, for eyelashes that look a little on the sparse side lately, or even just because you have an event or holiday coming up that you want the convenience of the mascara look without mascara, there is the option of eyelash extensions. So many people are opting for extensions these days as they last long enough for them to be worth while and they look like they are your actual eyelashes as opposed to false eyelashes that always have that tell-tale evenness that no eyelashes are lucky enough to have.

A good set that lasts a few weeks won’t cost too much and they are tailor-made to your eyelid shape so that they look natural. One of the growing reasons for getting eyelash extensions now is convenience. Waking up in the morning and not having to worry about that part of your makeup routine is priceless, so if your lashes are in need of a boost and you can’t wait for serums or nutrients to do their job then go for a consultation and see what your options are.

Serums, creams and lotions promise to do a lot for our bodies, and we are always concentrating on how to slow down the ageing process when it comes to our skin, but what about our eyelashes? Surely there is something that can help them stay healthy and full that helps fend off the ageing process all in one go? Well Xlash Eyelash Growth Serum is just an all rounder when it comes to eyelash care. As it includes natural ingredients and plant extracts containing vitamins and biotin, it helps to promote healthy growth of eyelashes and works deep into the follicle to work with the eyelash growth cycle and give you longer and fuller eyelashes in just a couple of weeks.

The benefits of using a serum for eyelash growth are plentiful. You can apply it with ease and still carry on with eyelash extensions for the meantime if you wish, you can still wear mascara on your lashes and it will still get to work and serums are kind to your skin, keeping your eyelids healthy and soothed every day. If you have a little more patience and are willing to try something natural, then give an eyelash growth serum a go for healthy and long eyelashes.

On the flip side, there are other remedies for promoting eyelash growth that various people swear by. They may have some benefits in giving them a try as they are healthy options for your eyes, but as they aren’t formulated with eyelashes specifically in mind, they might work differently for different people.

One of these remedies is coconut oil, and this one has universal uses in cooking, skincare and hair care so it may be worth giving it a try. As it has the right kind of oil that penetrates the hair and the follicle it can leave your eyelashes feel smoother and softer and hydrated for extra growth.

Petroleum jelly is another option for a lot of the same reasons as coconut oil, but it also has protective properties that keep the eyelashes and eyelids clean and clear of mites and dust and relieves the dryness that can occur.

Aloe Vera gel, castor oil and green tea are also amongst the various remedies people have tried to get their eyelashes back into good health or to make them longer and fuller once more. All have healthy and healing properties that in theory should work but the only way is to give them a try! Just remember to drink the green tea and don’t try putting that one near your eye or you’ll end up with bigger problems that your eyelashes!

Removing makeup at the end of the day can be such a tedious task and a lot of us can’t be bothered to do this every day, but it is really important for your eyelash health that you remove your makeup and especially eye makeup carefully and properly.

We’ve probably all been there where we have applied a stubborn mascara that refuses to budge, and we still end up with black circles around our eyes the next morning even though we were so sure we got it all! Well, as annoying as it is, this mascara has to go, and we all need to learn a lesson or two in makeup removal.

Coconut oil again has another use here as it really gets into and under mascara to help it slide of the individual eyelashes without tugging at them so that could be a good thing to keep around you. But if not, always use a separate eye makeup remover to your cleanser as ones designed for eyes are less harsh on your actual eyes but know just how to get rid of that suborn makeup leaving your skin and lashes clean and clear.

Sleeping in mascara is a huge cause of breakage and awkward growth as it coats the lashes and doesn’t allow any wiggle room while you sleep. You can accidently sleep on your eyelashes and they may stick in a funny position by the time you wake up, leaving them uneven and pointing in all kinds of directions! If you get into the habit of cleaning off your mascara and eye makeup, you will soon see the benefits of it as your eyelashes will look and feel as fresh as a daisy the next day and provide a clean slate to re-apply makeup on.

As I mentioned earlier, there are hundreds of ways to look after your eyelashes and even more reasons why. They are the protectors of your eyes and they deserve the same attention as you would give your hair and skin. Eyelashes can be long or short, light or dark and they will still cry out for attention when they need it so you should see it as a nice treat to keep them healthy and looking fantastic.

While you’re at it, there is no harm done in experimenting with your makeup and learning what looks good on you. For example, I always love the winged eyelash look along with a smoky, cat-eye with the help of a clever gel eyeliner and a dark eyeshadow palette for parties and events so I might go for a mascara that really accentuates the outer edges of my eyelashes, but sometimes for work, it just calls for a simple flick of the wand against my lashes to give my eyes a little more definition – and to hide the fact that my tired eyes couldn’t sleep last night!

But I also keep up with my applications of eyelash growth serum to ensure that no matter what, my lashes are healthy underneath the glitz and glamour of my choosing! Even with longer eyelashes, a little mascara still doesn’t hurt and I for one, cannot leave the house without a little bit on them.

As serums are designed with healthy eyelashes in mind, the fact they are so convenient and easy to use just makes them that bit more appealing. So, now we’ve spelled it out for you, what are you waiting for? Go get those healthy eyelashes that you’ve always desired!