Choosing and using a lash serum

A lash serum or lash conditioner goes on right beside your eyes. In Great Britain, the company responsible for one must name itself on the pack and list what is in it. The label is the place to start when you choose.

Read the ingredients list

The list starts with the word "Ingredients". Each ingredient goes under a standard name, known as its INCI name (International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients).

The ingredients come in order of weight, largest first. The regulation's own words are: "The list of ingredients shall be established in descending order of weight of the ingredients at the time they are added to the cosmetic product." Anything making up less than 1% can follow in any order.

On a small bottle, the list may be on the outer box only, or on a leaflet inside.

If you know an ingredient that upsets your skin, the list is where you will find it. The NHS advises people with contact dermatitis to "check the ingredients on make-up or soap to make sure it does not contain any irritants or allergens".

Find the name and address on the pack

Every cosmetic sold in Great Britain has a "Responsible Person". This is the business or person who makes sure the product is safe. Their name and address must be on the label.

The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) says the address must be in the UK, and a PO box or mail forwarding address does not count. A qualified safety assessor must check the product's safety before it goes on sale.

If you ask, OPSS says the Responsible Person must give you the list of ingredients and their "data on undesirable effects".

Ingredients that are also used in medicines

Some lash serums sold in the UK list prostaglandin analogues among their ingredients. A research report published by OPSS in December 2024 says: "These ingredients have pharmacological properties and prostaglandin analogues are used as active ingredients in medicinal products requiring a doctor’s prescription in the UK."

In the report's survey, 23 of the 110 lash serums found on UK websites listed a prostaglandin ingredient.

The names the report found declared on those packs were isopropyl cloprostenate, ethyl tafluprostamide, norbimatoprost and methylamido dihydro noralfaprostal. It also found black sea rod oil, which it says "contains a naturally occurring prostaglandin produced by the sea coral".

It also quotes the European Commission's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS): "In view of the potential for causing effects at very low concentrations, and the intended use in the proximity of the eye, the SCCS has noted concerns over the safety of prostaglandin analogues when used in cosmetic products."

With these names to hand, you can spot them on any lash product's label.

Using a serum near your eyes

The label must carry any precautions for use. Read them before the first use, and follow them each time. If the pack asks you to try the product on a small patch of skin first, do it the way the pack describes.

If some gets in your eye, the NHS says to "follow the advice on the packaging if any cosmetics or household products get in your eyes". It also says to "wash your eye with clean water if there's something in it".

The skin around your eyes may turn red, dry or itchy after using a product. The NHS says contact dermatitis "usually improves or clears up completely if the substance causing the problem is identified and avoided". You can use the ingredients list to find it.

Reporting a reaction

For a cosmetic, OPSS says: "If you think a product is unsafe and could harm people, you should report your concerns." In England and Wales, that means the Citizens Advice consumer helpline, which passes reports to Trading Standards. In Scotland, OPSS names the Advice Direct Scotland consumer helpline, and in Northern Ireland your local district council.

You can tell the Responsible Person named on the pack as well.

A medicine, such as a product a doctor has prescribed, goes to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) instead. Its Yellow Card scheme says: "Anyone can report an issue with a medicine".

When to get help

The NHS says to see a GP or optician if "you have red patches in your eye or a problem with your eyelids or eyelashes for more than a few days".

For a serious allergic reaction, the NHS says to call 999 if "your lips, mouth, throat or tongue suddenly become swollen", or if you are struggling to breathe.

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