Shoppers With Short Lashes Swear by Olaplex’s $68 Growth Serum and This $12 Amazon Option

Eyelashes endure a lot of wear and tear, despite being one of the most delicate parts of the body. Unlike other beauty categories like skin-care, where products are geared towards long-term results, treatments for lashes (i.e. extensions, curlers, and mascara) will make the hairs longer and fuller in an instant, but ultimately damage them over time. The exception, of course, is lash-growth serums. “Most people see a major difference after two or three months of daily use,” dermatologist Michelle Henry, M.D. previously told Shape of effective growth formulas. "As the normal hair growth cycle is around six to eight weeks, lash growth serums halt the shedding phase and help increase the growth phase of the cycle,” she explained. 

Due to the high demand for lash formulas, Olaplex, a brand known best for their celebrity-used hair repair masks, just launched its $68 Lashbond Building Serum a week ago, and hundreds of reviewers are already buzzing about its fast results. However, thousands of people continue to rave about affordable thickening solutions that have been around for years, like the Fraiche Castor Oil Growth Growth Serum, which costs $12. To help you decide how much to spend on this lash-strengthening essential, we’ve broken down the difference between the two serums reviewers swear by.

Save: Fraiche Castor Oil Growth Growth Serum

Buy It: $12 (was $22), amazon.com

Key Features

Main Ingredient: This serum is made entirely from castor oil, an ingredient long used in hair regrowth products for its ability to “help improve blood circulation” to applied areas,dermatologist Kellie Reed M.D previously told Shape. This in turn gives follicles the nutrients needed to grow. 

Other Ingredients: This minimalist formula only contains one ingredient.

How to Use: With the thin brush side of the applicator, dab the serum gently onto your lash line. You can use it in the morning, evening, or both.

What We Love:

Everyone from Cardi B to Cleopatra has used nourishing castor oil to promote hair growth. While the ingredient isn’t by any means a scientific breakthrough, it is an extremely gentle alternative to formulas that burn and irritate users' eyes or even alter their eye color. What’s more, many Amazon reviewers with short and shedding lashes call this serum a “miracle,” and say that it's very easy to use. “I am shocked with how well this has worked” wrote one user, who dubbed the formula “liquid gold” after seeing their lashes become “so much longer and thicker.”

Keep in Mind:

Some reviewers don’t see a major difference with this serum, even after weeks of use. Others add that the texture feels “sticky” and too thick for their liking.  

Splurge: Olaplex Lashbond Building Serum

Buy It: $68, amazon.com, ulta.com, and sephora.com

Key Features:

Main Ingredient: The serum contains the same bond-building technology that’s made the Olaplex No.3 Hair Perfector famous. The super ingredient gives lashes a boost of peptides, which prevents shedding by strengthening the hairs at the roots.

Other Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid and glycerin moisturize hairs, preventing them from becoming brittle and prone to breaking.

How to Use: Apply the serum to the skin on your upper lash line and wait for a minute and a half before adding another product (like a coat of mascara). The brand recommends repeating this step twice a day in the morning and evening. 

What We Love:

Olaplex has become a household name and go-to amongst celebrities who frequently bleach their hair like Kim Kardashian and Billie Eilish — and so many reviewers say it’s worth the buzz. “I have very short and thin lashes and this product has been a miracle for me,” wrote one Sephora fan, adding that the serum “transformed” their lashes in under a month. Most importantly, even users with sensitive eyes have found this formula to be gentle and non-irritating. 

Keep in Mind:

This formula just launched, and while the majority of reviews have been positive, the efficacy of longterm use (i.e two, three, or four months) is yet to be determined.

In Conclusion:

Adding the $12 Fraiche Castor Oil Growth Growth Serum into your routine has little to no downsides. It’s affordable, gentle, and for many, extremely effective in regrowing or maintaining lash length and thickness. There’s no guarantee that the $68 Olaplex Lashbond Building Serum will yield faster or more prominent effects, but the brand’s reputation for success coupled with the strength of its ingredient list justifies a splurge.