Each year, brow care becomes increasingly more impactful. Whether we’re going for big and bushy, soft and feathered, or thin and trim, caring for the hair above our eyelids has become a second nature portion of our beauty routines. But it doesn’t have to require going to a salon, and you don’t have to be a makeup artist or beauty professional to get the job done. At-home brow care is easy, convenient and necessary.
“Brow care is extremely important because just like the hair on our heads that’s required to be cleansed and conditioned, the same goes for brow hair,” says celebrity brow stylist René de la Garza. “Incorporating brow care into your routine helps maintain long term fullness, and boosts shine that in turn makes the skin and hair look healthy.”
Now that we’ve established the importance of at-home brow care, let’s get into easy, at-home brow maintenance tips from the brow experts below!
If you wouldn’t go days without washing the makeup off your face, why would you do the same for the makeup on your brow area? No remnants of eyeshadow or eyebrow pencil, etc. should be left on the brows.
“Cleansing your brows daily ensures that all makeup residue is cleared,” de la Garza advises. “This will prevent pore blockage which could ultimately stunt the growth of brows. Cleansing balms and cleansing oils are the best and more nourishing form of brow makeup removal.”
Brow Code founder Melanie Marris also suggests cleanser as the best way to prep for a growth serum, which she says should be applied to clean, dry hair. Our tried and true gentle cleanser of choice is the YOUTH TO THE PEOPLE Superfood Cleanser which is basically a smoothie for the skin.
No matter the length, shape, or fullness of your brows, you’ll want to keep them actively growing. Marris suggests the BROW CODE Multi Peptide Growth Serum, which features a triple-peptide blend of vitamin B5, hyaluronic acid, pumpkin seed extract, and biotin to support growth and volume. We’re also fans of the ANASTASIA BEVERLY HILLS Brow Genius® Conditioning Brow Serum because we’ve never gone wrong with anything from the O.G. brow guru Anastasia Soare.
“Growth serum should be applied following your skincare routine and before any brow cosmetic application,” Marris says. “Using the brow applicator, apply the serum to both brows from the inner corner to the tail. Allow the serum to dry for 20 minutes before applying other eye or brow products.”
“Brow serums with peptides boost fullness and new growth for any sparse areas,” de la Garza adds.
Applying nourishing brow oils is a popular way to incorporate moisture into your at-home brow care routine. “Moisturize your brows daily to ensure that your brows are shiny, healthy, and strengthened to prevent breakage,” de la Garza says, adding that if you don’t have a specific brow oil on hand, you can use castor oil which has many of the same hydrating benefits.
Marris advises applying brow oil at nighttime, opting for her BROW CODE Brow Gold Nourishing Growth Oil, which is a blend of castor oil, argan oil, rosemary oil, sweet almond oil, and geranium oil. “Apply a droplet of our luxurious brow oil to both of your brows and rub through the hairs gently, making sure to coat the brow hair and skin nicely in oil,” she says.
Some people’s brow hairs grow back more quickly than others. This step is to be followed at your own discretion (we’ve been guilty of over-plucking so be mindful!), but you’ll want to have a reliable pair of tweezers on hand. This is an instance where we suggest making an investment. You’ll want high-quality tweezers that offer strong, precise grip and can clean up pesky stray hairs and really help you maintain your eyebrow shape. We recommend our highly reviewed EMITE MAKE UP Professional Slant Tweezers, which are reminiscent of Tweezerman.
While this next step obviously wouldn’t be implemented daily, it’s important for general natural brow maintenance. Marris developed BROW CODE Eyebrow Trimming Scissors, “which have been custom-made to help you trim and shape the brows with ease,” she says. “This brow styling tool has been specifically designed for trimming unruly hairs to create a soft and natural finish. Simply brush the hair in the desired shape, and once the brow is sitting how you would like it styled, snip away the hairs falling outside of this shape. This is a great hack for ensuring you do not trim away any hairs that are crucial to your desired shape.”
We’re huge fans of brow lamination when we aim to achieve the perfect brow. Even if you have thin or sparse brows, the spoolie or brow brush-applied process can help make your natural shape appear like they’re fuller and thicker by locking the hairs in a brushed-up position. Not only does the process last six weeks (so nothing you have to commit to permanently), but they also fall into the at-home brow care category. Marris herself has developed a BROW CODE Lustre Lamination Kit, with everything you need to get pro-level brows in minutes. A full tutorial is available HERE.
Whether your brows are laminated or not, you can lock them into place daily with an eyebrow gel. De la Garza developed BROW DOWN STUDIO Brow Naturale Lamination to Go, a waxy consistency that activates with water and can be removed at the end of the day. It acts as a heavier brow gel. If you get confused by gels or waxes, there are many useful tutorials on TikTok.
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