Friday, December 6, 2013

Nourish Your Lashes

I am big on moisturizers and treatments, and not just for the skin. My hair gets a weekly coconut oil hair mask, for instance. 

Browsing online, I came across the idea of oiling up eyelashes. Why not? I mused. After all, if I moisturize my skin after cleansing, why shouldn't I moisturize my lashes after washing off my eye makeup? They have been looking forlornly dry.

Any natural (or even unnatural) oil can be used. Users have been happy with extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, sweet almond oil, castor oil, and jojoba oil, to name a few.  

In the case of castor oil, there is some internet chatter about the potential hair-growing benefits of castor oil. So I bought myself a bottle

Castor oil is thick, viscous, and a little sticky; some combine it with other oils to make it more malleable, like when applying it to the scalp. 

I place a drop of it onto my finger, and thoroughly douse a q-tip into it. I run it slowly along my lashes, making sure to apply it to the root, where the magic happens.

I gently moisten the q-tip, since applying the oil heavy-handededly will lead to runoff into the eyes, and as a myopic individual, having my vision compromised even further is not entertaining when I'm trying to do my nighttime reading. 
 http://pad1.whstatic.com/images/thumb/4/4c/Get-Longer-Lashes-Step-6.jpg/670px-Get-Longer-Lashes-Step-6.jpg
It also removes any mascara or shadow that may have been missed by after cleansing. 

Any oil that strays is a plus, unless one has very sensitive skin. The dermis around the eye hungers for moisture, and moisture means plump, happy, youthful skin.

By morning all the oil as been absorbed, leaving nourished, happy lashes. 

I used to do this only occasionally, but recently I began to do it every night after thinking my natural lashes were looking rather sad lately. But after a week they appear to be thicker and longer.      

8 comments:

Ender said...

I just had to post to tell you how much I enjoy your unique writing style. For example, in this post, how you said "As a myopic individual..." instead of just "I'm nearsighted and..."
Thanks for providing a thought out, well-written post every day!

Princess Lea said...

I love you.

Unknown said...

I love reading your blog. It is delightful!

Unknown said...

I have a question on this post since you've already done all the googling. Is the castor oil good to put in your hair as well? Mine has become dull and very unattractive. Any tips is greatly appreciated. Chava

Princess Lea said...

Some swear by castor oil for thinning hair issues, but debunkers claim that it is the scalp massage that accompanies oil masks is what makes all of the magic.

I would say any sort of unrefined oil, like olive, is a great candidate for a hair mask. I use coconut oil weekly, and massage my scalp as well with the fleshy tips of my fingers to help stimulate hair growth.

An apple cider vinegar rinse should also help revitalize:

http://frumanista.blogspot.com/2013/07/apple-cider-vinegar-not-just-for-salads.html

Princess Lea said...

Thanks for the compliment as well. :)

Anonymous said...

What do you think about the oil cleansing method that people are into? for the face? I just bought some avocado oil but I'm skeptical....curious what you have to say

Princess Lea said...

I think for certain skin types it's great. For a little history, the Romans did not have soap; they would grease themselves up with oil, scrape it off along with the grime, then bathe in water. Probably did wonders for their skin. Some people nowadays with excessively dry skin or bad skin conditions are using that old method. I've even tried it myself once or twice.

But some skin types, like mine, don't react well to the oil, or perhaps different types of oil. I experimented with using jojoba oil as a moisturizer, but it made my skin break out. I know jojoba can be a hit or miss, but I haven't tried it again yet. Maybe coconut won't have that effect, but for now I'm sticking with my current method.

I would say it is most certainly worth a try, since it could be great.