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August 23, 2022

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Whether you fell victim to the plucking craze of the ’90s and early aughts or you just naturally have gappy brows (due to aging or genetics), a good brow growth serum is a worthy addition to your arsenal. Honestly, even if you have a feathery, full set of arches (very jealous), you might want to consider copping a nutrient-rich formula. Think about it: If you fill in your eyebrows with powders, pomades, and pencils and give them a proper cleanse each night, why wouldn’t you coat them with moisture after the fact? Dry, brittle hair can thin over time, and brow serums feed those wisps with hair-healthy nutrients. 

Regardless, we’ve rounded up the best picks for eyebrows in desperate need of TLC. Here’s exactly how to beef up your brows, whether you have hairs thinning with age or you’ve gone a little too tweezer-happy.

Brow serums are quite similar to hair growth serums in general: They don’t necessarily spur regrowth at the follicles, but they do keep the tiny wisps you have healthy and moisturized, which can keep them fluffy and full.

Many brow serums contain castor oil or peptides, which feed the delicate brow hairs with nutrients; this, in turn, can help combat free radical damage and inflammation (and both are linked to hair aging and hair loss). However, you can find other fatty-acid- and antioxidant-rich oils, too, like jojoba or squalane, which are frequently touted to “help nourish and soften the brows,” celebrity brow artist René de la Garza previously told mbg. Essentially, coating the brow hairs in moisture and protecting them with antioxidants can help them stay healthy—and healthy, thriving strands grow faster. 

Just one caveat: If you have any scarred follicles (from, say, over-plucking, piercings, or burns), there’s a solid chance those hairs won’t grow back. “Plucking, tweezing, threading, and waxing all pull the hair from the root, and there’s only so much trauma each root can take,” notes board-certified dermatologist Whitney Bowe, M.D., about brow serums. “Repeating these insults to our hair root over time increases the likelihood that some hairs will never regrow, as too much damage has been done to the base of the root where the stem cells live.” No brow serum can bring a dead follicle back to life. 

However, assuming your follicles aren’t dealing with any long-term trauma, they should be able to grow back naturally. And if they need a little encouragement in doing so, reach for a brow serum: These nourishing formulas can do a lot of the heavy lifting. 

Now that you have a list of options to choose from, how do you decide which brow serum to snag? Given that it can take around six to eight weeks to see results, you’ll want to do your research beforehand and make sure you invest in the right formula.

Of course, your budget plays a role, but it’s also important to seek out ingredients that meet your specific brow goals. Read: Someone with aging brows might want a different formula from someone with over-plucked brows looking to soothe the area. 

Here are some of the most common players you’ll find: 

• Castor oil: This fatty-acid- and antioxidant-rich oil is a longtime beauty staple in many households. While there’s no clinical research to back up the growth claim, we can’t ignore its moisturizing and anti-inflammatory properties for optimal brow health. As board-certified dermatologist Ava Shamban, M.D., founder of SKINFIVE, tells mbg about the renowned oil: “There is no denying its anecdotal powers and prowess.” 
• Peptides: Amino acid peptides contain good-for-skin and hair ingredients, and several types of peptides have been shown to enhance collagen production. They do this by acting as messengers in the skin, signaling your cells to produce more collagen, elastin, and keratin—and hair is made up of the protein keratin. 
• Antioxidants: Antioxidants can help combat free radicals from UV rays or pollution, both of which can lead to accelerated hair aging—and as hair ages, it typically thins. Tending to the area with vitamins and antioxidant-rich botanicals is always a good idea. 
• Panthenol: Technically, panthenol is an antioxidant (vitamin B5, to be exact), but it has specific moisturizing and anti-inflammatory properties that make it a brow care hero. The ingredient restores and protects the skin barrier and can also help the wound-healing process, so it’s great for those with over-plucked, inflamed brows looking for some relief.

At mbg, high standards are earned and there are no shortcuts. Our beauty editors stay up to date on the latest ingredient research and innovation. It’s a dynamic, continuously evolving space, and it’s important we look into the science so we can make informed choices about which formulas earn our stamp of approval (figuratively speaking).

Our high standards also come from testing products—many, many products. Our editors and writers rigorously test and research the products featured in our roundups to offer you the best, most informed recommendations. When we write reviews, you can trust we spend quality time with the formulas: We don’t simply rave about products we’ve slathered on the back of our hand. We endorse products we’ve tried and loved. 

Learn more about our testing process and clean beauty standards here.