Using Vaseline to Lengthen Eyelashes - Try These Tips

In 1859, a chemist named Robert Augustus Chesebrough, a native of Brooklyn New York, went to Pennsylvania in order to check out an oil well there.

While he was there, he noticed that some of the workers were using some wax and smearing it all over their cuts and burns.

He then extracted the petroleum jelly and began to market it under the name Vaseline.

From chapped lips to smeared mascara, Vaseline (petroleum jelly) seems to be a sort of cure-all.

Petroleum jelly or white petrolatum is a semi-solid mixture of hydrocarbons used by consumers as a kind of topical ointment to cure everything of toenail fungus to diaper rash.

It can also apparently be used to make your eyelashes fuller and longer.

How to Apply Vaseline to Lashes

Following are the steps for How often should you put vaseline on your eyelashes? Clean your eyelid area and make sure that your lashes are gunk free (you can even use the petroleum jelly to clean your mascara for this step).

Just take a q-tip and dip it into a little bit of petroleum jelly, you don't need to put on a whole lot of it.

Using the q-tip as an applicator, run it along your lash line careful not to get it into your eye, as you would eyeliner.

Afterward get a little bit of the petroleum jelly in between your thumb and index finger and slowly get some of it onto your lashes. You should start seeing some improvement in about 2-4 weeks.

Eyelashes with Vaseline

Pros & Cons

Here are a couple of pros and cons to help vaseline to help eyelashes grow.

PROS

• It is dirt cheap.
• You can find this everywhere. You can find this at any drugstore or department store near you.
• It is known to heal cuts and burns by moisturizing the affected area.
• It gives you a natural dewy look when you apply it on your eyelashes in the day time instead of mascara.
• It has been said to make your makeup last longer. So if you are applying it before your mascara, vaseline to make eyelashes grow long.

CONS

• Some people say that instead of making your mascara last longer, it smudges your mascara and ends up giving you raccoon eyes.
• The greasy texture and nature of Vaseline may removing eyelash extensions make
  more difficult.
• Oils around the eye area can cause a problem since this could lead to a build-up. It then leads to unsightly puffiness and dark circles under your eyes. So remember to rinse the oil out properly come morning.
• The oily and thick texture of Vaseline may lead to clogged pores which will probably lead to, you guessed it, acne.
• Although it is an extremely rare occurrence, some people have allergic reactions when Vaseline is applied to the extremely sensitive eye area.

How Does it Work?

Lashes fall off naturally and do so when they start becoming a little bit heavier at their bases.

If you can provide a little bit of strength to the base, as petroleum jelly does, the lashes can hang on a little bit longer and can continue to grow. Another way that this also works is by providing moisture to the hair itself.

Petroleum jelly, with its moisture rich properties, makes eyelashes healthier thus preventing any premature breakage.

Tips

• You don't have to wait 2-4 weeks to reap the benefits of Vaseline. As soon as you put it on, the oily substance increases reflectance and can add drama and definition to your lashes much like mascara does.
• Try using Vaseline every day under your usual mascara, it could just make your look last a little bit longer.
• Be patient with your lashes. Everyone is different, there is no fixed time as to when you are going to start to see results. Some people say it is in a span of days while others have to wait a month or so. Just be patient with your lashes, and you will surely reap the benefits of your perseverance.

Warnings

Always remember to wash off the Vaseline properly in the morning. Rinsing the product well will ensure that there are no oils left upon your eyes that could cause clogged pores and acne.

It also ensures that you won't get any dark circles or puffiness around your eye area by reason of oils that have been stuck.

Final Verdict

Although admittedly it has its drawback (but what doesn't right?), Vaseline is still a must try if you're looking to get longer lashes. Its price is also very cheap. You can also find it anywhere. Just be careful and make sure to rinse it off properly.

Also, monitor for any allergies and such. But the most important reminder of all is to be patient. Vaseline heals your brittle and dry lashes, breathing into it, new life, it'll take some time. You know what they say, Rome wasn't built in a day!

2 Sources

We review published medical research in respected scientific journals to arrive at our conclusions about a product or health topic. This ensures the highest standard of scientific accuracy.

[1] Eyelash Growth from Application of Bimatoprost in Gel Suspension to the Base of the Eyelashes https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2864326/
[2] Diseases of the Eyelashes https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537100/

Donna Fisher

Donna is an award-winning health, wellness, and beauty writer based in Texas. She has also published eBooks and edited several other Read Full Bio