Lash serums – ingredient lists and INCI analysis

Lash serums are liquid or gel products, usually applied once or twice a day with a thin brush along the upper lash line, sometimes also to the lashes. They are leave-on products used very close to the eyes, so manufacturers typically recommend avoiding contact with the eye itself and stopping use if irritation appears. Most come in small tubes containing a few millilitres.

A typical formula starts with AQUA, then humectants such as GLYCERIN, BUTYLENE GLYCOL or PENTYLENE GLYCOL, and a thickener like HYDROXYETHYLCELLULOSE or a carbomer. Conditioning ingredients often include PANTHENOL, BIOTIN, SODIUM HYALURONATE and peptides such as MYRISTOYL PENTAPEPTIDE-17 or MYRISTOYL HEXAPEPTIDE-16. Plant extracts and amino acids also appear frequently, usually towards the end of the list.

Some lash serums contain prostaglandin analogues, for example ISOPROPYL CLOPROSTENATE or DECHLORO DIHYDROXY DIFLUORO ETHYLCLOPROSTENOLAMIDE. These substances have been reviewed by EU safety authorities, and their regulatory status has been under discussion, so many readers want to know whether a product contains one. Because they are used at very low levels, they often appear near the end of the INCI list rather than at the top.

Beyond actives, it is worth checking the preservative system, commonly PHENOXYETHANOL, ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN or SODIUM BENZOATE, and whether the formula contains PARFUM. Many lash serums are fragrance-free, but not all. Short ingredient lists are common in this category, which makes it relatively easy to compare products side by side. Packaging details such as the period after opening symbol are also printed on the pack.