Cheryl Shops

One of the things I get asked to review most by readers is eyebrow growth serum. Coincidentally, it's one of the items I get pitched most frequently by brands. In the interest of investigative journalism, I have tried many products intended to help brows grow; most of them have made little to no difference. There are all manner of brow serums on the market, at all price points (The Ordinary just came out with a version that's a very accessible $14.50), and if you read the reviews, for every rave, there's another that claims the product did absolutely nothing for them. It's a lot to sort through, so that's why I'm here to share what's given me the best results so far: RevitaBrow Advanced Eyebrow Conditioner. This product was provided to me for free by RevitaLash with no obligation to review, however everything shared in this post is my honest and unfiltered opinion. Read on to see what I thought.

Why is it called an eyebrow conditioner?

Having worked in the beauty industry for years, I can tell you there's a whole vernacular in creating product names and describing their benefits—words like "addresses visual signs of aging" and "helps support stronger/smoother/firmer/brighter-looking" whatever—to skirt the FDA and FTC regulations against making medical claims. For example, you'll notice that these are almost always called brow serums or conditioners; using the word "growth" would be a medical claim, which would catapult the product into a whole other pharmaceutical realm, subjecting it to years of clinical testing, more strict regulations, and, of course, a much higher cost for everyone involved. (You'd also need a prescription from a doctor.) There currently is no FDA-approved brow growth product, although many have tried using Latisse off-label on brows, which is amusing in that Latisse was originally a glaucoma solution that, doctors noticed, made patients' eyelashes grow (it is, for the record, FDA-approved for eyelash regrowth). So as with many skincare products where a brand will pay for its own clinical study to back up its results—and, of course, many months or even years of research and development by actual scientists—over-the-counter brow serums and conditioners can't claim that they actually make your brows grow. And often, they don't. 

My brows: before

First, a little bit about my brows. Like many of us who came of age in the '90s, I overplucked my eyebrows for years. With some patience and a daily biotin vitamin, mine have gradually grown back. However, I think I'm also experiencing some natural thinning due to age (I just turned 45). My eyebrows are also blonde—I know they look brown, but trust me, I always have to use the lightest shade of any brow product—which makes them look even more sparse. I took this photo in natural lighting in January, the day I started using RevitaBrow; my brows didn't look terrible, but they could be fuller. 

I am wearing mascara in this photo, but no other makeup. The photo is unretouched.

My brows: after

I used RevitaBrow every night for two months straight; this photo was taken in early March. You only need to use the product once a day on clean eyebrows, and while you can apply additional products on top (like brow gel or pencil), I figured I'd rather just do it at night. The conditioner is easy to apply—the applicator is a doe foot, like on a lip gloss—and it did not irritate my skin or eyes. The texture is super lightweight, and there's no scent to the product, thankfully. After two months of use, there still appears to be plenty of product left in the tube (according to the brand's website, the 3ml tube is a 4-month supply). So, how am I feeling about the results? 

I am not wearing any makeup in this photo, and as you can tell by my pores and wrinkles, it has not been retouched.

My honest review of RevitaBrow

Here's a better before-and-after comparison. After two months of nightly use, I did not spontaneously grow Cara Delevingne–level brows. In fact, I am not 100% certain that I have a significant amount of new growth. What you can see, however, is that my eyebrow hairs themselves look much thicker and stronger, which gives them more definition and the appearance of fullness. I've found I can get away with wearing much less brow product than normal—I'm wearing zero makeup in the "after" photos—and my brows are much easier to groom into place (see how floppy and wispy they look in the "before" photo?). I also did not experience the hairs-growing-everywhere effect that I did with another brow serum that shall remain unnamed. Which brings me to an important point: RevitaBrow is a conditioner, not a growth serum. Delevingne brows would be an unreasonable expectation here, and I'm happier that these are a healthier, stronger version of my own brows anyway. One thing to note: Good results often come at a cost, in this case $110, however your first order is 15% off when you sign up for the mailing list, and all of RevitaLash's products are backed by a 90-day guarantee. I've already ordered their volumizing set  and the eyelash conditioner is next on my list. 

Where to buy RevitaBrow

RevitaLash (official brand website)

Dermstore

Amazon

Net-a-Porter

Nordstrom