9 Best Eyebrow Growth Serums, Tested and Reviewed by Cosmo Editors and Dermatologists

The O.G. Lash Enhancing Serum for Grande Cosmetics has won countless Cosmo beauty awards and always sits at the top of our list of best lash serums. And the brow version is just as effective. One swipe daily at night can help improve brow thickness and strength in six to eight weeks, leaving you with bushier brows that are less likely to break.

Just like the lash serum, this contains prostaglandin analogs, which are hormones that increase hair growth (it’s similar to what’s used in Latisse). It can be a controversial ingredient due to its side effects (it can possibly irritate skin, or more seriously and rarely, potentially darken your eyelids, change the color of your iris, or cause oribal fat loss). BUT! It’s also been a tried-and-true, dermatologist-recommended ingredient for decades, since it’s one of the only things that can actually make eyelash and brow hairs grow.

• Key ingredients: Isopropyl cloprostenate (prostaglandin analog), amino acids, hyaluronic acid, vitamin E
• Recommended use: Daily at night
• Size: 0.1 fl oz.

One Cosmo editor says: “I’ve been using this on and off for five years to help regrow tiny lil sections of my brows that tend to get sparse. In about two months, it always makes my eyebrows look fuller. And the amino acids in the formula keep them strong and healthy.”—BETH GILLETTE, BEAUTY EDITOR

Dermatologist Dhaval G. Bhanusali, MD, has raved about using minoxidil (yep, the same active ingredient in Rogaine) to boost eyebrow growth. The over-the-counter 5 percent formula is easy enough to snag on Amazon or at your local drugstore—no prescription required. But how does it actually work? Essentially, minoxidil extends the growth phase of the hair cycle, giving your brows more time to grow longer and denser before they shed.

Following Dr. Bhanusali’s advice, beauty editor Beth Gillette started brushing the solution through her brows once a day with a spoolie. And after just four weeks of consistent use, her arches were noticeably fuller. More on the results, below.

• Key ingredients: Minoxidil
• Recommended use: Once daily at night
• Size: Two 2.11 oz. cans

One Cosmo editor says: “My best friend recently noticed how full my brows looked on FaceTime when I had no makeup on (a sign that it’s def working, because my bare brows are usually thin AF). Because I’m only spreading it on my brows, so I’ll probably have this bottle for six to eight months at least, making it hella cost effective too.”—BG

This eyelash serum is made with moisturizing ingredients that create an optimal environment for both brow and lash growth. The lash and brow serum boasts countless rave reviews (more than 20,000 of ‘em o Amazon). Dr. Bhanusali explains that the formula’s mix of hyaluronic acid and biotin helps moisturize the skin around the brows, but the brows also get a nice coating of peptides to help build up the proteins in the skin and hair to help lead to stronger hair.

• Key ingredients: Peptides, hyaluronic acid, biotin
• Recommended use: Once daily at night
• Size: 0.1 fl oz.

One Cosmo editor says: “This eyelash and eyebrow hybrid serum helps my brows appear bushier and feel softer. I love that you can use it on both areas, making it a one-and-done product.”—BG

RapidBrow is a strengthening formula loaded with gold-star hair-health boosters—think peptides and keratin, plus moisturizing biotin and hyaluronic acid—alongside a soothing cocktail of allantoin and licorice root extract. It’s essentially a brow-loving formula that makes brushing your arches up a breeze while promoting healthier, fuller-looking growth over time.

• Key ingredients: Keratin, biotin, peptides, allantoin, licorice root extract
• Recommended use: Daily at night
• Size: 0.1 oz.

One Cosmo editor says: “After a tragic brow wax a few years ago, I’ve been on a journey to grow my hair out. After about three months of consistently using RapidBrow (I love the lash version too), my brows definitely look fuller. I swipe this eyebrow serum on every morning and night. The brush makes it easy to shape the brows, especially on the days when I’m trying to lay off the stiff brow gel.”—JASMINE HYMAN, ASSISTANT BEAUTY EDITOR

FYI: Latisse is currently the only eyelash serum approved by the FDA for lash growth, but derms, like Dr. Bhansuali, also recommend it to help grow your brow hairs. How does it work? Well, it’s formulated with an active ingredient called bimatoprost, which helps lengthen the growth phase of your hair so that they have more time to grow before falling out, leading to thicker, fluffier brows over time.

Just swipe it across your brows with the included applicator once a day, and you should start to notice some thickness in four to six weeks. But keep in mind that Latisse is strong, so there can be side effects, like skin irritation and eyelid-darkening. Make sure to discuss the potential risks with your doctor (whether you go in-person or try a telemed service like Ro or Nurx). Read Cosmo’s full review on Latisse here and keep scrolling for an editor’s results after using the serum on her lashes.

• Key ingredients: Bimatoprost (promotes hair growth)
• Recommended use: Daily at night for 16 weeks
• Size: 0.1 fl oz.

One Cosmo editor says: “My lashes are noticeably darker, thicker, and longer, and when I really started to think about it, my lashes have looked a lot better the last month or so. You can see the individual lashes fan out across my lid in a really girl-ish, beautiful way. I love the way they look.”—DANIELLE COHEN, CONTRIBUTING WRITER

If you want fluffy, filled-in brows without using a pencil and gel, look to this multitasking tinted brow serum from Grande Cosmetics that’s loved for its conditioning powers and brow-defining finish. The combo of oils (jojoba oil, castor oil, and sunflower seed oil) and antioxidant-rich vitamin E helps moisturize brow hairs while lightly filling them with pigments to make them look thicker, with and without the gel.

• Key ingredients: Jojoba oil, castor oil, sunflower seed oil, vitamin E
• Recommended use: Whenever you style your brows (generally in the morning)
• Size: 0.12 fl oz.

One Cosmo editor says: “I’m a religious user of brow gel (I love a fluffy, brushed-up brow look), but I never remember to use a specific brow serum even though I know they’re beneficial to use. Hence my obsession with this 2-in-1 option from GrandeLash. It combines the benefits of a tinted brow gel with a brow enhancing serum to define, tame, and help brows grow in a few quick swipes.” —LAUREN BALSAMO, BEAUTY DIRECTOR

Got dry skin? Dermatologist Dr. Garshick recommends The Ordinary’s eyebrow-growth serum that’s filled with peptides to moisturize not only your brow hairs, but the brow skin itself, while also strengthening your skin barrier over time (and we know, moisturized hair = better chance at healthy hair growth).

Plus, it’s got antioxidant-rich caffeine, which has some anti-inflammatory properties to help calm down irritation, which dermatologist Dr. Bhanusali, MD, notes won’t necessarily make your brow hairs grow, but can potentially reduce inflammatory-based hair fall.

• Key ingredients: Peptides, caffeine
• Recommended use: Twice daily (once in morning, once at night)
• Size: 0.16 fl oz.

What shoppers are saying: “I struggled with thinning in the tails of my eyebrows for a while, but did not want to use a prostaglandin serum due to the potential side effects. I read about this product and ordered it. I use it consistently on brows and lashes with great results. My brows have filled in well and my lashes are noticeably fuller and longer.”

Similar to Augustinus Bader’s signature strengthening and moisturizing ingredients found in its skincare line, this luxe formula is powered by a blend of amino acids, vitamins, and tried-and-true brow-boosters like biotin, hyaluronic acid, and castor oil.

The texture is lightweight and non-sticky—more like a silky essence than a traditional serum—and it comes with an angled brush for precise application to the lash line, and wider application for brows. They make your hair feel so much softer and fluffed-up with just a few applications.

• Key ingredients: Amino acids, hyaluronic acid, castor oil
• Recommended use: Daily at night
• Size: 0.27 fl oz.

One Cosmo editor says: “I’m all about filling my bathroom with fancy face creams and luxury face masks, so obviously I immediately tried Augustinus Bader’s eyelash and eyebrow serum when it launched. It has moisturized the heck out of my brows, which has left them looking a bit more fluffed-up, especially in the very-sparse areas around my arch.”—BG

Both dermatologists Marisa Garshick, MD, and Kavita Mariwalla, MD, like this simple eyebrow-growth serum as a moisturizing option that’s still lightweight (see: the ingredients list without heavy oils and butters). “This formulation incorporates peptides, lipids, panthenol, and biotin to condition brows, along with calendula, which serves as a humectant to draw moisture in,” says Dr. Garshick.

And not only is it derm-loved, but our readers and team Cosmo are huge fans of the nourishing formula, too. So much so that the lash version was crowned best lash serum in our 2023 Readers’ Choice Awards and in our Holy Grail Awards.

• Key ingredients: Peptides, panthenol, biotin, calendula
• Recommended use: Daily at night
• Size: 0.1 fl oz.

What shoppers are saying: “I can’t even begin to tell you the difference this has made in my eyebrows! Before this, they were sparse and fell out easily. Now they are fluffy and full! I feel 10 years younger!”

Whether or not eyebrow growth serums work depends on what you’re looking for. Eyebrow serums don’t actually help eyebrows grow any thicker or faster—they just have moisturizing and strengthening ingredients to boost your brow health. So if you’re looking for a way to keep your existing eyebrows healthy and also add a coat of thickness from the oils in the serum, you’ll be good with any brow serum on this list.

But will an eyebrow-growth transform your skimpy tadpole arches into thick, Lily Collins–level brows? Nope, not even a little, despite what that high-school friend says on Facebook. The only way to get true, visible growth is with a Latisse prescription from your dermatologist.

“Most of the latest nonprescription brow serums are designed to improve the thickness of each brow hair and, depending on the formula, can maybe even improve growth,” says board-certified dermatologist Kavita Mariwalla, MD. Basically, they can make your eyebrow area a healthier, happier place, which, in turn, can encourage even better eyebrow growth. Still, don’t expect overnight results: Dr. Mariwalla explains that you could be waiting anywhere from three to six months before you notice any visible changes.

How often you should use your eyebrow serum fully depends on the product you’re using. Read the directions for your specific serum (some require twice-daily use, while others can be brushed on once a day). Generally, though, Dr. Bhanusali recommends swiping on your eyebrow serum once a day at night before smoothing on your moisturizer.

How long it takes for eyebrow serum to “work” depends on the type of serum you’re using. A product with active, growth-inducing ingredients—like minoxidil, prescription-only bimatoprost, and over-the-counter prostaglandin analogs—can help potentially grow your eyebrow hairs in six to eight weeks when brushed on daily. But if you’re using a serum that’s filled with good-for-skin ingredients (think: hyaluronic acid, peptides, aloe, amino acids), you’ll possibly see some thickness (sadly, not growth) over three to four months with daily or twice-daily use.

You can potentially help increase eyebrow hair growth with two ingredients: (1) bimatoprost, the active ingredient in Latisse; and (2) minoxidil, the active ingredient in Rogaine, says dermatologist Marisa Garshick. In a small-scale study, patients noticed increased hair density after coating their brows with .01 percent bimatoprost lotion (similar to the .03 percent bimatoprost in Latisse) once a day for six months.

Similarly, in another small-scale study, patients saw thicker brows after applying 1 percent minoxidil lotion to their eyebrows twice a day for 16 weeks (just beware, as noted above, that this can be majorly irritating, so you’ll want to start slow, consult your derm, and load up on soothing moisturizer afterward like Vanicream). Still, more studies are needed before dermatologists can conclude whether or not these ingredients directly increase eyebrow-hair growth.

In the meantime, other topicals, like antioxidants, peptides, and moisturizers, can be helpful in your journey to thick, bushy brows. “Peptides, vitamins and antioxidants may help to strengthen and improve the overall texture and quality of the brows,” says Dr. Garshick, “which can improve the overall appearance, but may not specifically grow eyebrow hairs.”

Yes, dermatologists can prescribe active ingredients like Latisse and prescription minoxidil for eyebrow growth, particularly if you’ve experienced significant eyebrow hair loss. Make an appointment with your dermatologist (or schedule a virtual derm appointment on Ro or Apostrophe) to figure out the cause, such as a skin condition or over-plucking. Once you’ve narrowed down the true cause, your derm can point you in the right direction.

Brow serum can potentially cause itchiness, inflammation, eyelid discoloration, and irritation for people with sensitive skin. But in general, there’s always a risk of irritation when using a new product, board-certified dermatologist Mona Gohara, MD, has previously told Cosmo. Before you take any new serum near your eyes, patch-test the formula first by swiping a small amount on your arm or neck and waiting 24 hours to see if your skin reacts before you brush it over your brows. And if you do notice any uncomfortable effects after using your serum on your brows, stop using it asap and talk to your dermatologist.

Look for moisturizing ingredients

If you do wanna try your hand at nonprescription brow serums, look for moisturizing formulas that feature biotin, panthenol, hyaluronic acid, and peptides (all of which lead to more hydrated hair and skin that can make brows look more “plump”), as well as amino acids and proteins like keratin to help strengthen your brows and reduce hair fall.

Consider medicated formulas

If you’re serious about eyebrow growth, look for an eyebrow serum that contains medicated ingredients like over-the-counter minoxidil or prescription Latisse. Both of these actually can potentially increase hair growth by elongating your hair’s growth phase, unlike moisturizing and strengthening formulas that can only give the illusion of thicker, fuller brows. Basically, if you want to actually grow back lost brow hairs, consider a medicated option. Cara Delevigne brows, coming right up!

• Dhaval Bhanusali, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist at Hudson Dermatology and Laser Surgery in New York, NY. Dr. Bhanusali is also the founder of HairStim, a custom-compounded hair loss formula that’s created and prescribed by your own dermatologist.
• Marisa Garshick, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist at MCDS Dermatology in New York, NY. She is also a clinical assistant professor at Weill Cornell Medicine.
• Kavita Mariwalla, MD, is board-certified dermatologist and founder of Mariwalla Dermatology in West Islip, NY. Dr. Mariwalla specializes in skin cancer detection and treatment.
• Mona Gohara, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist in Hamden, CT. Dr. Gohara is an associate clinical professor at Yale School of Medicine and president of the Women’s Dermatologic Society. Her areas of expertise include medical and surgical dermatology and skin of color. Dr. Gohara has previously spoken to Cosmopolitan on the topic of castor oil for eyelash growth.