Lush eyebrows and long, thick lashes are in high demand. The latest twist is a heightened interest in natural solutions. It seems like everyone with a product that helps to grow lashes and/or brows is now claiming be organic or natural. WINK has been a growing brand for over 5 years; always natural, organic and transparent about the ingredients and science behind it’s formulation. It’s getting confusing out there so we want to set the record straight.
Why do lashes and brows get thin?
Sparse lashes and brows are also a problem that arises because of:
- Stress
- Aging*
- Poor hygiene
- Forgetting to remove makeup
- Waterproof mascara
- Overuse of damaging chemicals or processes
- Pulling or tugging at lashes
- Poor diet
Just think about all the times you ripped off those falsies at night, the numerous lash extension treatments, Semi-permanent lash treatments and the list goes on … Ugh. All of that mistreatment does permanent damage to your lashes and brows.
The problem with mistreating your lashes and brows is that such treatment not only causes trauma to the follicle (the base of the hair) causing it not to grow back, but the trauma can also trigger the surrounding area not to grow either. So we just went from 1 plucked-out lash or brow hair to a bald spot in about 5 seconds flat. *Aging is particularly troublesome, and we’ll hit that hard below!
Now that you know what causes the problem, let’s talk about the science of hair growth, so we can understand how to use natural ingredients–or an enhancer like WINK–to enhance what we’ve already got.
THE SCIENCE OF HAIR GROWTH
When your hair isn’t growing, it’s either resting or well, dead. If it’s dead, there’s no bringing it back. If it’s resting, we have a chance to stimulate the follicle back into the growing phase.. but how?
The resting phase is called “telogen” while the growing phase is called “anagen”
Research shows that it all starts with essential fatty acids. Essential fatty acids have been found to increase prostaglandin/prostaglanoid production in individuals with a deficiency (Medical Hypotheses, 1980). Prostaglandins stimulate eyelashes to enter and prolong the growth (anagen) stage.
This means, if you supplement your eyelash and eyebrow follicles with essential fatty acids, you may be stimulating prostaglanoid production naturally, which would result in fuller, longer lashes as well as fuller brows.
But one caveat: Back to the research about EFAs and Prostaglandins: Who has a deficiency? Actually, it turns out, our prostaglandin production declines as we age (source). Since prostaglandins are produced locally (source), essential fatty acids produce prostaglandins, and prostaglandins help grow lashes and brows.
How essential fatty acids (EFAs) can stimulate dormant follicles to grow.
That bad news? Your body cannot produce essential fatty acids by itself.
The best way to supplement your body with essential fatty acids is by applying them topically to the area, with a product like WINK. Applying essential fatty acids topically to the area(s) where you’d like to see improvement is the most effective method to get the results you want.
The modern diet is extremely deficient in Omega 3 fatty acids relative to Omega 6s. In fact the average diet has way too much Omega 6: on average 4x too much relative to Omega 3s. WINK is here to fix that – at least for your lashes and brows!
WINK is a mix of Omega 3, Omega 6 and Omega 9 essential fatty acids based on our ancestral diet, from a variety of natural nut and seed oils.
The Power of Essential Fatty Acids
The most import thing to note about WINK’s formulation is it’s unique mixture of essential fatty acids, derived from some of nature’s finest and most exclusive ingredients. Your body cannot produce these essential fatty acids on it’s own, and they are essential for strong, healthy and full hair–which includes eyelashes and eyebrows. Our aim with WINK is to bring the essential fatty acid mix as close as possible to our ancestors diets, for improved hair growth and functionality.
Additionally, WINK contains several penetration enhancers, which help the ingredients get into the skin deeper and faster than ever.
The Benefits of the Ingredients
Check out some of the history and benefits of these powerful anti-oxidant ingredients, below:
1. ORGANIC CASTOR OIL
The oil of the castor nut is used in Jamaica for anything from burns, cuts, and wounds to hair growth. It’s composed of 90% Ricinoleic acid, an Omega 9 fatty acid, and up to 6% Oleic Acid (Omega 9) (source). Castor oil has been used for centuries to treat inflammation and acne. But why ricinoleic acid? Why does it work? Given that fellow omega-9 fatty acid eicosenoic acid (C20:H1) is the precursor to lash and brow growing prostaglandins (source), it might stand to reason that structurally similar ricinoleic acid (C18:H1) provides a similar prostaglandin-boosting properties.
2. ORGANIC RASPBERRY SEED OIL
You may know raspberries because of their delicious taste, but these tiny seeds pack a big punch! Aside from their properties as a protectant against UVA and UVB rays, raspberry seeds also have anti-oxidant vitamin E. The oil’s composition is 55% Linoleic acid (Omega 6), 33% alpha-linoleic acid (Omega 3), and 19% oleic acid (Omega 9) (Bushman, Phillips, Isbell, Ou, Crane, Knapp). The modern western diet is extremely deficient in Omega-3 fatty acids–or at least the ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3s is way too high, currently at 16:1 instead of closer to 4:1. Given that balance is necessary for proper functioning in the body and that prostaglandin production is local, rather than global, raspberry seed oil may provide the much-needed balance our lashes and brows need for healthy growth.
3. ORGANIC ARGAN OIL
Argan Oil is native to Morocco, and used for everything from beauty to cooking. You might recognize the name, because of it’s recent popularity in the US market as a hair oil. It’s rich in fatty acids–essential and non-essential–and contains 3x as much Vitamin E as olive oil! Argan Oil is composed of 42% Oleic Acid (Omega 9) and 37% Linoleic (Omega 6), with trace amounts of Linolenic acid (source). Argan oil is extremely moisturizing and decadent, and best of all: a 0 out of 5 on the comedogenic rating scale (meaning it won’t cause comedonal acne).
4. ORGANIC KUKUI SEED OIL
Also known as the Candlenut tree, the kukui is the state tree of Hawaii. Research on the unique seed is lacking, but Hawaiians use kukui seed oil for anything from stretch marks, to burns, eczema and even healing wounds. It’s comprised of 20% Oleic acid (Omega 9), 42% Linoleic acid (Omega 6), and less than 29% Linolenic acid (Omega 3). We chose Kukui Nut Oil for it’s moisturizing properties, Hawaiin roots, and low Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio.
5. ORGANIC BORAGE OIL
A plant that grows like a weed, Borage is a rather under-appreciated superstar. Borage is high in GLA–gamma-linoleic acid–known for it’s soothing properties during menopause and for pain reduction in those with arthritis (source). Although evening primrose is a more popular version of GLA, Borage has 2x more GLA. Given that GLA is almost completely eradicated from the western diet, but an important part of many bodily processes, Borage Oil may be some of the best food you can supply to your lashes and brows for proper, healthy growth.
6. ORGANIC SQUALANE
Squalene occurs naturally in human sebum and also in many marine animals. Squalane on the other hand – the saturated form of squalene – can be found in olives, which is how we derive it. Squalane has an very silky, oily texture and penetrates skin at a rate of 2mm/second, making squalane literally the best penetrator and “drug carrier” that nature can make (source).
7. ORGANIC BAOBAB OIL
Though the word “baobab” might give you memories of the weedy plant on the tiny planet of the Little Prince, Baobab oil is made from baobab seeds, found inside of large capsule-like fruits produced by the the magnificent baobab trees of the African savannas. The Baobab tree is found in very remote areas of South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Mozambique and other tropical African countries where suitable habitat occurs. High in sterols, Omega-9 fatty acids (42%) and Omega-6 fatty acids (21%), Baobab oil also provides a healthy dose of Palmitic Acid (27%), making it’s composition extremely similar to human skin, thereby increasing the penetration abilities of the entire formulation. (source)
8. ORGANIC JOJOBA OIL
A rich golden oil with a slightly nutty flavor, Jojoba Oil is very similar to our skin’s natural oil composition, making it a great “balancing” agent for skin oil. It’s composition is 66% Oleic acid and 24% Palmitoleic acid (source). Weird but fun fact: Jojoba oil is non-caloric and non-digestible, meaning if you eat it as or with food, it will pass through your body without being recognized as food.
9. ORGANIC TAMANU OIL
If you thought Jojoba oil had a rich nutty smell, try Tamanu oil. Dark greenish brown in color, Tamanu oil’s thick liquid has an overpowering nutty smell is both soothing and luxurious, giving WINK’s new formulation a specific dry, rich smell. Tamanu oil is high in Omega-9 (38%) and Omega-6 fatty acids (29%), with a pointed boost in both Stearic Acid (16%) and Palmitic Acid (16%), bringing the overall WINK formulation closer to our skin’s natural oil composition, for increased penetration.
10. ORGANIC POMEGRANATE SEED OIL
The pomegranate was revered in ancient cultures for it’s amazing properties. Pomegranate seed oil can be used medicinally or cosmetically, and is known for its high anti-oxidant contents, used to fight off free radicals and aging of the skin. Recently, pomegranate seed oil has been shown to be high in PA (punicic acid), an Omega 5 fatty acid, which has been shown to help with inflammatory diseases (de Melo, de Carvalho, Mancini-Filho).
11. ELDERBERRY PHYTOCIDE OS
Elderberry Phytocide has replaced our previous natural preservative system of sodium anisate and sodium levinulate. Instead, we have harnessed the natural anti-microbial and anti-bacterial properties of eldberries to protect and enhance WINK’s organic oil formulation (source/TDS). To sweeten the deal, elderberry phytocide on it’s own is a great skin conditioner, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and is GMO-free. What’s cooler than saying that your preservative is a beauty product in and of itself?Wink beauty oil is: 99% organic, Vegan, Cruelty-free, Free of Soy, Corn and Gluten, Made in the USA & Recyclable
Wink is: Vegan, Cruelty-free, Organic, Free of Soy, Corn and Gluten, Made in the USA & recyclable. All of our oils areOrganic, Cold- pressed, Hexane-free & Virgin (unrefined)
So, if you’re seeking a natural/organic solution be sure the ingredients are transparent. If you need to look everything up to tell what it is then it likely is not really Natural or Organic.
