Take a prescription topical, grow your eyelashes…are you kidding me?

by Wendy Steele,  Keys CEO

I did a double-take when I read some hoopla about a drug company suing a cosmetic company over an ingredient that they both touted as a miraculous eyelash growth ingredient.  Then I saw a commercial where a celebrity was touting the growth of her eyelashes to taking this prescription topical (never mind all of potential side effects they mention)?  YIKES!

I thought about my teen years, as that was when my eyelashes started becoming the focus of my attention and quest for “beautiful long lashes”.  Being the only girl with two brothers, I was distressed and annoyed that both of my brothers had full, long and lush eyelashes and I did not!  It just didn’t seem to be fair!  Like so many women, I resorted to using so-called lengthening mascaras, lotions, potions and eyelash curlers, at considerable expense.

Then about three years ago I started to notice new lash growth and less eyelash loss.  I was determined to figure out why—and then it became more and more interesting….

In fact, three years ago I stopped using chemical-laden eye creams.  At an event in Santa Monica CA, we introduced a new Keys product developed for an industry event.  It was a totally chemical-free around the eye cream called Eye Butter.  At that time a group of 300 Hollywood make-up artists were learning about the emerging green movement in film and TV work and specifically about how to find, choose and use safe cosmetics.   At about that time I also began using mascara that went on in tubes rather than flakes– better yet the mascara could simply be removed with water.  A friend of mine, who is a stage actor shared with me that she was using our Tortuga Lotion to remove heavy eye makeup.  So on occasion, if I wore a heavier eye makeup, I also used Tortuga Lotion to remove it.  All the while I continued to wash with Island Rx Foaming Wash every day twice a day, which removed my daily mascara and then followed up with Eye Butter day and night.

I took note about exactly how I grew my long, lush and sturdy eyelashes:   I stopped the daily barrage of multiple products with dirty dozen chemicals all around my sensitive eye area.  Because my mascara came off with water, no more tugging and pulling and I noticed very little lash shedding.  The Eye Butter ingredients;  Shea butter, avocado, soothing distilled cucumber with Aloe Vera all seemed to reinforce new lash growth that I had not seen before.  Hmmm and I finally realized that my brothers, all of their lives, were not using cosmetic preparations around their eyes.  They were both into using a mild soap and water to wash their faces!

Now when I see that commercial I am so pleased that perhaps we can also help others to avoid one more prescription product that hopefully, like me, you will never need!