DIY Eyebrow Growth Serum + Best Oils for Eyebrow Growth

Learn how to make natural DIY eyebrow growth serum to grow thicker, fuller brows naturally. This easy homemade recipe is formulated with the best oils for brow growth, and infused with green tea for even more growth-boosting effects. Also includes a recipe for brow serum without castor oil.

I’ve had my fair share of brow disasters, from over-plucking to overzealous trimming.

High school in particular was not a prime time for my brows. And while they’ve recovered since their days of being over plucked, it’s taken me a long time to achieve a shape I’m happy with.

So like all my beauty DIYs, this brow growth serum was born out of my personal experience, and my own desire to thicken and grow out my eyebrows naturally. Because while brow trends may come and go, their unfortunate effects can last a lot longer, especially if the damage is caused by over-tweezing.

But this natural solution helps – my hairs come in a lot quicker, and I’ve regrown most of the damage from my last experiment, which left me with brows that were too short for my face.

So whether you’re looking to grow your eyebrows back, or would simply like to enhance them without procedures like microblading or lamination, read on to learn how to make your own DIY brow serum at home.

I’ll also delve into the best carrier oils and essentials oils for eyebrow growth and why they work so well.

Why I made this eyebrow growth serum

I recently shared a DIY lash serum with castor oil that I’ve been using for years to grow my eyelashes. You can also use it on your brows, but I wanted to publish a separate recipe for the eyebrow area.

Lash serums are applied directly around the eyes, so extra care is necessary – it’s important to ensure the ingredients won’t harm the delicate under-eye skin or the eyes themselves.

But we can get away with using stronger essential oils on the brows, where we don’t have to worry about the product transferring into the eyes.

One caveat: a DIY brow growth serum with essential oils may not be suitable for those with very sensitive skin. For hypersensitive types, even a couple drops of EO can cause itching and redness.

So I’ve also included a way to make eyebrow growth oil without essential oils, using herbal infusion instead. And for those who are more acne prone, there’s also an option without castor oil.

However, if you like oil-free products, you might prefer a water-based growth serum. I like Otaci’s lash and brow serum with biotin peptides. It’s non-irritating, and it also has a watery texture, so it won’t break you out.

But if you’re looking for a natural home remedy to thicken brows, read on.

How oils can help stimulate eyebrow growth

There are many purported “eyebrow growth oils,” or oils said to have hair growth-boosting properties. For instance, argan oil, olive oil, and coconut oil are frequently mentioned in the context of growing hair, lashes, and brows.

But the truth is that most oils don’t have any special hair growth powers. In order for a carrier oil or an essential oil to actually help grow eyebrow hair, it must possess qualities that can influence the growth process in some way.

For instance, certain essential oils (such as rosemary oil) increase hair follicle circulation, creating conditions that favor brow growth¹. And the carrier oil castor oil can directly modulate the growth cycle itself.

There are a few other oils in particular that can stimulate growth, which I’ve also included in this brow serum. The following are some of the best oils for growing eyebrows.

The best oils for eyebrow growth

1. Castor oil

Castor oil has become synonymous with hair growth, especially for growing brows and lashes.

But its benefits aren’t just made up by natural beauty bloggers – despite many naysayers, castor oil has unique features that set it apart from other vegetable oils.

Here are just some of the ways castor oil helps eyebrow growth:

• Moisturizes hair follicles. Castor oil conditions both the eyebrows and surrounding skin, which helps keep the brow follicles nourished and moisturized³.
• Prostaglandin activity. Castor oil stimulates prostaglandin receptors implicated in the brow growth phase², similar to prostaglandin analogs like Latisse. At the same time, it also down-regulates enzymes involved in hair loss⁴.
• Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. Oxidative stress is a prime cause of hair loss, leading to slower hair and eyebrow growth. But cold-pressed castor oil is rich in vitamin E and ricinoleic acid, which help protect the skin and hair from oxidative damage⁵.
• Antipathogenic properties. Castor oil has antibacterial and fungicidal properties that promote healthy skin flora, helping to prevent infections such as blepharitis⁶. It can also help control Demodex lash and brow mites⁷. While harmless, these mites can contribute to hair fall if allowed to overproliferate.

This is only scratching the surface of castor oil’s benefits for growing and thickening eyebrows. For a more in-depth explanation, see this post:

More homemade beauty recipes with castor oil:

2. Lavender essential oil

Lavender is frequently used in hair growth products, and for good reason. When measured against the alopecia drug minoxidil, lavender essential oil was found to increase growth without any toxic effects⁸.

It increases circulation to the hair follicles, which stimulates eyebrow growth. And like castor oil, lavender oil is also purported to help control the Demodex mites which live on our lashes and brows⁹.

Lavender essential oil also directly affects the hair growth phase, which strongly contributes to its brow growing effects. Specifically, lavender oil was found to lengthen anagen, the active growth phase.

The reason eyebrows don’t grow as long as the hair on our head boils down to the hair growth phase.

Each hair on our head spends a long time in active growth – about 3-10 years depending on genetics. Whereas the lashes and brows spend a meager 1-3 months in anagen before moving on to the next phase, when growth stops completely.

To that end, manipulating anagen is one way to make eyebrows grow thicker and longer, and using a brow serum with lavender oil can help.

3. Rosemary oil

Rosemary oil is one of the most effective essential oils for eyebrow growth. But it’s also one of the best natural remedies for hair growth in general.

Rosemary boasts the same efficacy as minoxidil (alopecia drug) but without the toxicity or side effects, making it even more effective than lavender oil for regrowing brows¹.

Applying rosemary oil improves microcirculation to the hair follicles, encouraging growth. But aside from stimulating existing hairs, rosemary also triggers new hairs to grow, increasing hair density and thickness¹⁰.

So if you’re trying to grow thicker, more bushy brows, rosemary essential oil may be ideal for you.

As well, rosemary’s anti-inflammatory activity is well documented. It contains potent antioxidants that support skin and hair follicle health.

One caveat: rosemary essential oil is more likely to irritate skin than lavender essential oil. It may also be particularly irritating around the eyes, which is why I left it out of my homemade eyelash serum.

If your skin can handle it without irritation, you’re in luck. And if you can handle using in on your eyelids, you may be able to use rosemary oil to help grow your lashes too.

4. Cedarwood oil

Cedarwood essential oil has been used anecdotally for years to treat hair loss.

However, it’s unknown exactly how well cedarwood works compared to other essential oils. When studied alongside rosemary oil, cedarwood was not nearly as effective¹⁰.

It’s also unclear how it measures up to lavender oil – another study combined cedarwood with thyme, lavender, and rosemary essential oils, making it hard to discern exactly which oils had the most powerful growth-enhancing effects¹¹.

In any case, cedarwood does stimulate growth, and many have used it successfully alongside castor oil to grow their brows.

However, if your skin is sensitive, cedarwood oil may be a better choice over rosemary for your brow growth serum. You can also pair cedarwood with lavender oil to take advantage of any synergistic effects.

Note: sandalwood essential oil is another option, though its high price tag may be a deterrent. But it was found to promote hair growth and maintain the anagen phase¹², allowing eyebrows to remain in active growth for longer.

5. Vitamin E oil

Vitamin E is another oil that belongs in your brow growth routine. It’s one of the most important antioxidants in our bodies, and it also plays a significant role in hair growth and thickness.

As previously mentioned, oxidative stress is connected to hair loss and slower growth¹³. But antioxidants like vitamin E help quell oxidative damage, creating more favourable conditions for growing brows (and hair in general).

Not only does vitamin E support healthy growth, but it’s actually been found to accelerate the hair growth phase when used topically¹⁴. So, applying vitamin E oil may help eyebrows grow faster.

As a bonus, adding vitamin E to your eyebrow growth oil also helps nourish and protect the surrounding brow skin. And when used in a lash serum, it helps protect the delicate under-eyes from signs of aging.

6. Green tea oil

Finally, another one of the best oils for brow growth is green tea infused oil.

Green tea and its extracts have shown impressive results in their ability to support hair growth and reduce hair loss. When applied to the scalp, green tea extract was found to stimulate hair follicles and dampen hair loss hormones¹⁵.

Plus, in a study specifically on eyelashes, green tea markedly improved growth – which is why it’s also a useful ingredient for lashes¹⁶.

You’ll need to make a batch of green tea infused castor oil for this eyebrow growth serum. While an infused oil may not carry exactly the same benefits as green tea extract, it’s still extremely rich in antioxidants, which are vital for growing healthy hair.

As a bonus, green tea antioxidants also support healthy skin aging.

DIY eyebrow growth serum ingredients

As mentioned above, you’ll need the following ingredients to make brow serum:

• Castor oil (see substitutions)
• Loose leaf green tea to infuse oil
• Vitamin E oil
• Lavender essential oil
• Rosemary essential oil (see substitutions)
• Dried rosemary and lavender flowers (optional, see below)

Castor oil

Cold-pressed castor oil packaged in a dark bottle is ideal for homemade skincare products. Heated or processed castor oil may be damaged, which will affect its efficacy for brow growth.

Is there a substitute for castor oil? As far as I know, castor oil is the only carrier oil with the ability to boost hair growth on its own (except for emu oil, which is animal-derived¹⁷).

But because castor oil is so rich in monounsaturated fatty acids, which tend to be very thick, it isn’t suitable for all skin types.

If you’re acne-prone, or if castor oil makes you break out, you can also also use a carrier oil of your choice, preferably one that’s low in PUFAs. You will still get an eyebrow growth boost from the essential oils, even without castor oil.

Options include jojoba oil or MCT oil. Squalane oil or hemisqualane are also good choices, as their watery textures tend to be tolerated well by most skin types.

Note: please avoid PUFA-rich oils such as sweet almond oil in your growth serum. These unstable oils won’t help brows grow and may also oxidize on your skin – see this article for more information.

Green tea and dried herbs

You will also need organic green tea leaves for this recipe, which you’ll use to infuse your eyebrow growth oil with green tea’s antioxidants and growth-stimulating benefits.

If you’re making the brow serum recipe without essential oils, you can also infuse your oil with dried rosemary and lavender.

Organic green tea leaves usually come in bulk, but there are plenty of ways to use the leftover. More natural skincare recipes with green tea:

• DIY Cleansing Oil with Green Tea
• Green Tea Bath Soak
• Homemade Green Tea Lip Balm

Vitamin E

When it comes to vitamin E, dark-colored mixed tocopherols are best for your DIY beauty products.

They’re more potent and contain a wider spectrum of antioxidant benefits than a light-colored oil, which helps support growth.

Essential oils for eyebrow growth

As mentioned, lavender and rosemary oil are two of the best essential oils for brow growth, with cedarwood and sandalwood as other potential options.

This brow serum recipe includes a combination of lavender and rosemary oil. To dilute rosemary oil for eyebrows, I recommend using only a couple drops per batch (~0.25%) to minimize the risk of skin irritation.

But if you have sensitive skin, you may want to skip the rosemary oil altogether and use only lavender oil, which is less irritating.

You can also use cedarwood or sandalwood oil in place of rosemary. When studied, cedarwood and rosemary weren’t found to have any synergistic effect, so I don’t think there’s any point to using them together.

Finally, you can also come up with your own unique essential oil recipe for eyebrow growth, but please be sure to use only oils that are safe for the face.

For instance, peppermint, thyme and clove essential oils have also been found to stimulate hair growth. But these oils are too irritating to use on the delicate facial skin, so I don’t recommend using them on your brows.

Brow growth serum recipe notes

Before you make your growth serum, here are some tips, tricks, and notes about the formula. As well, information on packaging, substitutions, and shelf life.

Packaging and storage

Please store your eyebrow growth serum in a cool, dark place. Castor oil has a long shelf life, so your serum should last up to 2 years with proper storage. (You’ll use it well before then.)

When it comes to packaging brow serum, I love these eco-friendly glass tubes with bamboo wood lids (pictured).

They come with a mascara wand or eyeliner brush applicator, depending on your preference. And they also have a cute eye decal on the lid that completes the look.

If you’d like keep it simple, you can also keep your serum in a small glass dropper bottle or a roller bottle, which is great for massaging directly into the brows.

Eyebrow serum formula

This homemade brow growth serum contains 98.5% castor oil, 1% vitamin E, and ~0.5-1% essential oils, but this may vary slightly if measuring by volume.

In total, the recipe makes approximately 1 tbsp of brow serum. Measuring by weight is more precise, but as long as you follow the directions, you’re not in danger of exceeding safe amounts.

If you’re looking for an eyelash and eyebrow growth serum in one, you can save time by doubling my lash recipe and adding more essential oil to one batch. And to save even more time, triple the recipe and use the leftover for cuticle oil!

Tips for making brow growth oil

Before you begin, please thoroughly clean, sanitize and dry all materials, including your brow serum bottle or tube.

The infused oil recipe contains more castor oil than you’ll need to make the serum. This is to make up for any oil lost during the infusion process (the herbs will absorb it).

Finally, to avoid damaging the castor oil, we’ll be infusing the brow growth oil at room temperature, not with heat.

But if you’re making your serum with a stable carrier oil such as MCT oil or squalane, you can use heat infusion as a quicker method. Follow the instructions for green tea infused oil here.

Essential oil brow serum safety

Please do not use a brow serum with essential oils if you have very sensitive skin – consider a biotin product instead. Discontinue use if you experience any redness, stinging, or skin irritation.

Essential oils are very concentrated. They can disrupt the skin barrier and cause contact dermatitis, especially if used excessively. So it’s important to use the lowest effective concentration, which is why I kept the EO in this recipe to a conservative amount.

Finally, please be sure to strain you infused oil very thoroughly, as green tea leaves can be very sharp.

DIY Eyebrow Growth Serum Recipe

1 tbsp / 16.7g castor oil or squalane oil (plus 1 extra tbsp for infusion)
1 tbsp organic green tea leaves
2 drops / 0.16g vitamin E oil
2 drops / 0.04g lavender essential oil
2 drops / 0.04g rosemary essential oil or cedarwood essential oil

Optional

Dried rosemary leaves and lavender flowers for infused oil

Equipment

Bottle or jar to infuse oil
Small sieve or cheesecloth
Tiny funnel to fill tube
Small whisk or mixing utensil
Measuring spoons or mini cosmetic scale
Brow serum tube, roller bottle, or dropper bottle for storage

How to make brow serum

1. Make herbal oil. To make eyebrow growth serum, first you’ll need to infuse the herbal oil. Place 1 tbsp herbs and 2 tbsp castor oil in a small container with a lid. Use green tea leaves for the standard recipe. Or, use a combination of green tea, dried rosemary, and dried lavender buds if you’d like to skip the essential oils in your brow serum. Stir to combine the herbs with the oil.
   
   Tip: the reason the recipe calls for extra castor oil is because the dried herbs will absorb some of it.
   
   
   
2. Infuse brow growth oil. Replace your container’s lid and leave the herbal oil to infuse for 1-3 weeks in a cool, dark place (or even longer – the more time, the better). Shake it every day for best results. After infusing, the castor oil will turn a pale green from the green tea.
3. Strain the herbs. Using cheesecloth or a small sieve, strain out the herbs from the castor oil. The herbs will absorb some of the oil, but you can try squeezing out as much as possible using cheesecloth. You may wish to repeat this process a couple times to ensure you’ve removed any residual debris from your DIY brow serum, as sharp green tea pieces can cause eye injury.
   
   
4. Measure castor oil. Measure 1 tbsp of your herbal infused oil. You should have enough oil to make the growth serum, but if you lost too much oil after straining, you can top it up with extra castor oil.
5. Add brow growth oils. Add vitamin E, lavender essential oil, and rosemary essential oil to your serum and stir gently to incorporate.
   
   
6. Fill eyebrow serum tube. Using a small funnel, fill your tube, roller bottle, or dropper bottle with your eyebrow growth oil.
   
   

How to use eyebrow growth oil

Using clean fingertips or your tube’s applicator, apply your brow growth serum generously to your eyebrows and the skin beneath them.

Gently massage the serum into your skin to stimulate the brow follicles and to ensure you reach the root of each hair.

You can apply the serum to your existing brows hairs to lengthen them. But you should also apply it to any sparse or missing areas where you would like to encourage hair to grow, such as above the brows or beyond the tails.

Use your brow serum as the last step of your bedtime skincare routine. For daytime, a water-based growth serum works better as to not interfere with your makeup or SPF.

Depending on your unique growth cycle, it can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months to see results from using castor oil for brow growth. So remember to be consistent, and in time you’ll see thicker, fuller brows.

More essential oil beauty recipes

More natural remedies and homemade beauty recipes with essential oils:

• Essential Oil Lash Growth Serum
• Homemade Hair Growth Oil
• Cuticle Oil with Essential Oils
• Blue Tansy Essential Oil Face Mask

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