Unlike before, eyebrows nowadays have become one of the main aesthetic attributes when it comes to facial beauty. Natural, thick, and well-maintained brows frame the eyes, provide an excellent visual effect and believe it or not, play a powerful role in interpersonal interactions.
Not long ago, thick and natural eyebrows were not the trending topic. On the contrary, the common look was super-thin pencil eyebrows, and thick eyebrows were considered messy. Now, fuller, messy brows are considered a natural fortune. But, unfortunately, over-plucking (for some) led to difficulty in growing eyebrows back.
Their appearance depends on both genetics and self-care. Not everyone is blessed with full eyebrows, and they are never as thick as we want them to be, which is the reason why we turn to makeup and natural or chemical products for hair growth.
The good thing is that many items can moisturize your facial hair, making it look thicker/healthier, and Vaseline is one of them.
What Is Petroleum Jelly (Vaseline)?
First and foremost, let’s see what Vaseline is. Petroleum jelly, known as Vaseline, Petrolatum, or in Portuguese and some Spanish-speaking countries – Vasenol is a mixture of mineral oils and waxes. They form a solid matter, and this product hasn’t changed much since young chemist with an unusual name, Robert Augustus Chesebrough, found it in 1859.
According to Mayo Clinic’s dermatologist Dr. Dawn Davis, petroleum jelly is one of the dermatologists’ main “tips and tricks”. The odorless and colorless jelly is versatile, as stated by dr. Davis, it sits on top of the skin isolating it, so that it does not lose heat or moisture, and it is chemically similar to proteins in our skin. It is creating the final protective layer.
It has become a basic cosmetic product for many women, and its moisturizing power is very popular for repairing damaged skin tissues, such as when suffering from dry lips or eczema in some areas of the body.
A cheap, simple, and very useful product for almost everything from a beauty product to a household product.
The Truth Behind Vaseline as an Eyebrow Growth Product
Before going into the matter, let’s clarify the misconceptions about petroleum jelly – Vaseline. The actual forerunners of the growth of eyebrows and lashes are prostaglandins and essential fatty acids. That being said, there is no scientific proof to confirm the popular claim that Vaseline makes your hair grow faster because Vaseline is not a growth serum, nor does it stimulate the hair to grow.
Numerous ladies worship Vaseline, and indeed there are benefits when it comes to moisture and protection – leading to that thicker appearance after more prolonged use. What Vaseline does is it helps seal the surface with a water-protective barrier. That barrier retains moisture helping the hair not to dry out.
Vaseline protects against breakage, dryness, and moisturizes your eyebrows. Use it as a supplement to your skin’s hydration levels, because it encourages well hydrated, non-brittle strands – a great way to breed strong and healthy brows. The power of this jelly is well known, and its versatility is used in the industry to help improve injured skin tissue (among other things).
Thicker and Bolder Eyebrows
So, now that you know that Vaseline is not a growth serum nor can it help with eyebrow hair growth in any kind of way, it still certainly has goods to make your eyebrows look better.
The optical illusion of the eyebrow growth – Vaseline users experience is due to its hydration power, making them appear bolder. Yes, that’s right, because of its hydration and moisturizing power.
A well-moisturized brow becomes more powerful and thicker, unlike the brittle hair that starts to fall out and is more prone to breakage. It is equal to the use of a good shampoo/conditioner for your hair. The hair grows thicker and fuller when it’s not dry and brittle. The same principle applies to the use of Vaseline. So, remember, dry eyebrow hair means brittle eyebrows leading to hair breakage. The secret is to keep them hydrated.
The market has a bubble of products that promise similar effects to us. However, with chemical products, we need to think twice because, in the package, we also get various, not very safe, and often harmful cheap chemicals.
In the long run, it’s always worth paying attention to natural preparations, like Vaseline. Not only will you not apply a lot of unnecessary chemicals to your eyebrows, but you will also save money.
How To Apply Vaseline?
To benefit from Vaseline, you should know how to apply it correctly. There are many ways to use Vaseline, and you can’t make a mistake unless you apply it orally. But, make sure to go through these tips.
Aside from the thickness petroleum jelly provides for the brows, if you have fearless eyebrows, that is, if the hair is constantly moving and making your eyebrows bushy, lubricate a very thin layer of Vaseline on them, and your eyebrows will obey.
Clean the Brows
First of all, make sure that your eyebrows are clean. That means that they are pre-washed and dry. If you have makeup, there is a chance that you might still have some on them.
Wash off any makeup or filth of the brows using a cotton pad and micellar water (or any other makeup remover) if necessary. The reason why they need to be clean is that Vaseline will not infiltrate the hairs and will have no result at all if the hair has another unnecessary layer on them (dirt).
Convenient Equipment
The most natural and most convenient way to apply Vaseline on your eyebrows is with a mascara wand. You can buy a regular brow wand, or you can use the one from your mascara and clean it with a paper towel or with a brush cleaner.
Dip the wand in the Vaseline, and get a substantial amount of it. Make upward movements as if you are combing the eyebrows, and check to see if there is still enough product on them afterward.
Adding Additional Ingredients
A different way to use Vaseline on eyebrows is to mix it with additional beneficial ingredients. Such an ingredient is olive oil. Mix it, prepare a mask, and use it in the same way. Just like Vaseline, a great moisturizer is also olive oil. It can hydrate and rejuvenate your eyebrow’s hair.
The Overnight Treatment for The Best Results
For all of that to work, the ideal time to apply Vaseline would be right before bedtime so that it can sit overnight. The longer you leave-in the product, the better so that your eyebrow hair can soak up the moisture they require.
The water-protective barrier Vaseline leaves when applied on penetrates the hair strand easier than the oil-based one would do.
When you wake up, rinse your face with lukewarm water. Lukewarm water helps to seal the hair follicles. Make it a routine, because the best results are achieved if you are consistent. No method is truly a one-size-fits-all, but some kinds, like this one, will work for most eyebrows.
From a variety of experiences, it takes two to three months to see the difference. Remember, there is no one-night treatment that will leave long-lasting results.
Additional Eyebrow Growth Helpers
If Vaseline turns out to be useless for you, or if you just want to do something more on the eyebrow growth besides it, other alternatives might do the additional work.
A Healthier Diet
The food you consume has a substantial effect on the general hair growth, including eyebrows. As mentioned above, the actual forerunners of the growth of eyebrows are prostaglandins and essential fatty acids. That being said, it means that we can intake food that includes omega-3 fatty acids knowing that it will not only helps us with healthier hair but in overall health also.
Proteins, vitamins, and minerals all play a role in making the hair healthier and stronger. Try increasing the intake of fish, whole grains, and nuts, as well as zinc, iron, and vitamins.
See Your Doctor
The Internet has a lot to say, it is a great source of information, but it does not mean that you should believe in everything you read. Some ingredients might work for you, some may not.
Every derma and every follicle is different, therefore seeing a professional who can examine you is essential.
Increase Blood Circulation
The semi-liquid does not contain any ingredients that stimulate hair growth, but, when the facial hair area is massaged, the blood flow is increased, circulating all the essential nutrients to the hair follicles. That’s how hair growth is encouraged eventually.
What may also be the reason why people seem to attach petroleum jelly to hair growth. To sum it up – Increasing blood circulation means increasing eyebrow growth.
Using Vaseline for eyebrow massage is excellent because its composition is jelly-like, meaning it lasts a while – giving you time to massage it into your skin and hair. You are probably focused on shaping and grooming them, without thinking that it’s time to do something different.
Face massage is great, it relaxes you, but an eyebrow massage is even better since it has more benefits.
How to massage your eyebrows (increase blood circulation)?
Take Vaseline and using your ring finger, place it underneath the eyes and loop from the center of the eyes up around the bridge of the eyebrow and the eye socket. The second massage is to take the Vaseline, put it onto your thumbs, and slide your thumbs through the inner eye.
You will feel the pressure point of stimulation, and you can move the thumb along the bridge of the eyebrow. So what you are doing is making half-circles going from the inside of your eyebrows to the outside.
Movements should be calm, gentle, and you should not feel any pain. Twice or three times a week, for one minute.
This is a proven method to get your hair follicles to do their hardest, as funny as it sounds.
Above all, the eyebrow massage will not only help with eyebrow growth but will also produce chemicals endorphins that are responsible for that good, stress less feeling—an ideal win-win outcome.
Is Vaseline Safe for The Skin?
In general, Vaseline is safe to use, although there are many different Vaseline products.
When buying a product, make sure that it’s fully refined as white petroleum first. Skin “eats” whatever we put on it, so choose wisely what’s it going to be.
Fully refined, original Vaseline is safe for the eyes (not irritating in most cases), and it’s also used by specialists when conducting specific eye treatments. It is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a “cure-all” medicine, skin protectant, sold without the prescription.
Vaseline is an emollient, and it has the ability to soften and soothe your skin. Most emollients create no side effects, making them safe and effective to use. However, like everything else – depending on the skin type, sometimes, using emollients on your skin can cause a stinging feeling, inflammation, or redness.
All in all, treating eyebrows a few times per week, or even days if your skin isn’t too sensitive certainly will not do you any harm. If any side effects occur, or if you notice some undesired difference, stop using Vaseline and look for another product, a different solution for eyebrow care.
Final Words
Apart from personal stories, there is no credible evidence that Vaseline improves hair growth. It may be an excellent additional product for your eyebrow care routine when it comes to other benefits that we have mentioned in this article. Still, it most probably will not become your new ingredient for brow growth by just applying it.
However, despite all the scientific proofs and tips of other people, do what you feel is the best for you, and be moderate with everything.