Will coconut oil help your eyelashes?
Coconuts were somewhat of the darling of 2015. Coconut water, oil, milk.. coconut everything seemed to invade beauty! Now we’re pulling back the reins a little on how much coconut can really help every beauty pain, but our investigation today may surprise you.
Keep reading below about whether coconut oil can help your lashes!
Coconut oil for Lashes: a match made in heaven?
Coconuts are seriously all the rage. As I write this, I’m sitting in Thailand (on a journey to find Asian beauty secrets, of course!) so believe me when I say I love a good coconut. Coconut water is packed with potassium and natural sugar; it’s the perfect pick-me-up on a hot day or when you have a hangover (hehe). And the best part? You can drink a young coconut, but they get sweeter and sweeter over time. Ahhh..
Coconut meat is full of good esential fatty acids and protein, without so much sugar. Coconut oil is a great moisturizer and cooking oil and–my god–it’s even tasty by itself. But will coconut oil help your lashes? Keep reading..
Coconut Oil: will what’s inside help my eyelashes?
Coconut meat, water, milk and oil are all different in their compositions. Contrary to popular belief, it’s actually not the vitamins and minerals inside of coconut oil that’s good for eyelashes. It’s the essential fatty acids.
Coconuts have an average of 7-9% Oleic acid in the water, milk and meat. In coconut oil, after all processes are performed the extract the oil from the meat, only about 8% of the remaining fat content is comprised of Oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat. None of the other fats found in coconut oil are monounsaturated fats. That means Oleic acid is the only Omega-9 fatty acids (or Omega fatty acid at all) in coconut oil.
What helps grow eyelashes that’s in coconut oil?
Essential fatty acids, like the Omega-9 fatty acid Oleic acid found in coconut oil, have been shown to stimulate prostaglandin production in individuals with a deficiency (Medical Hypotheses, 1980). This prostaglandin production could stimulate dormant lash (and brow!) follicles to grow again, leading to fuller and longer eyelashes.
Unfortunately, coconut oil is only comprised of about 8% Oleic Acid. That means you’d need a LOT of coconut oil to help your lashes grow. It’d be a great moisturizer, but not that great of a lash enhancer.
Furthermore, coconut oil only contains one type of fatty acid. There’s three: Omega 3, Omega 6 and Omega 9 fatty acids. It’s important to get a full mixture of fatty acids applied directly to the eyelashes to make a difference.
What could help my eyelashes grow?
A product like our WINK lash & brow oil has a unique mixture of essential fatty acids. Since we know that essential fatty acids are important in stimulating eyelashes to grow, this could be a match made in heaven. Not to mention, Wink has a money back guarantee!
Conclusion: Coconut Oil for Lashes? Not so much.
As you might have expected, given some of the recent negative press about coconut oil, it’s not the best component for growing eyelashes. For longer and fuller eyelashes, we suggest ditching the highly saturated-fat coconut oil and going for a better blend of monounsaturated fatty acids. ?
