The Ordinary sells one of the most popular lash and brow serums, and the brand claims that this product can give lashes and eyebrows “a thicker, fuller and healthier look.” 

But can lash and brow serums actually increase hair thickness or are these just marketing claims? Does this product contain any research-backed ingredients? Does it contain any potentially harmful ingredients? And how do real users rate and describe its effects?

In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more, as we review the ingredients in The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Lash and Brow Serum based on clinical studies to give our take on whether or not this product is likely to support lash growth.

We'll also feature unsponsored customer reviews, feature a product demo video and provide a cost comparison to show which retailer sells this product for the best price.

Ingredient Analysis

The ingredients in this lash serum are shown above.

The Ordinary's serum contains a number of peptides from which it gets its name.

Myristoyl pentapeptide-17 was shown in a clinical trial published in the Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology to have the potential to stimulate eyelash growth.

Trifolium pratense flower extract was shown in a 2020 medical review to potentially mitigate hair loss.

Arginine was shown to protect hair from damage in a 2004 clinical trial.

Camellia sinensis leaf extract was shown to “stimulate hair roots and extend the hair growth phase” when applied topically, as documented in a meta-study published in the Molecules journal.

While this serum contains a number of research-backed ingredients, it also contains several questionable inactive ingredients.

Phenoxyethanol is a synthetic preservative that was shown to be toxic to human cells in a clinical trial, as we documented in our Better Not Younger reviews article on another cosmetics brand that uses this ingredient.

Chlorphenesin is another preservative that’s even harsher in our opinion, and has been shown in clinical research to be toxic to human cells, to irritate the eye and to be toxic to cells in the eye.

This formulation contains four other preservatives: sodium metabisulfite, sodium benzoate, benzoic acid and ethylhexylglycerin. 

Preservatives may be necessary in some cosmetic formulations to ensure the quality of the ingredients, but we have never reviewed a lash or brow product containing six different preservatives, and would be curious to hear from the brand about why so many are needed.

Overall, we consider this serum likely to increase lash and brow thickness and to improve lash quality generally due to its research-backed active ingredients.

We do not currently recommend this product due to the inactive ingredients discussed above.

Real People Try Multi-Peptide Serum

A YouTube creator named “Sincerely Miss Ash” reviewed The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Lash and Brow Serum and included before-and-after images:

A TikTok creator named "emilyy8024" reviewed the serum and included a day-by-day update for 30 days:

@emilyy8024 editing skills who??#fyp #lashserumresults #lashserum #viral #theordinaryskincare #theordinary #eyelashes #time #eyes ♬ dark beach - ☆

Where to Get the Best Price

The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Lash and Brow Serum is sold at a variety of online retailers.

Here's a price breakdown for a one-time purchase at the time of updating this article:

Walmart: $30.50 (plus shipping, third-party seller, link)

Brand website: $14.99 (plus shipping, link)

Target: $14.90 (plus shipping, link)

Ulta: $14.90 (plus shipping, link)

This lash serum is currently around 50% cheaper at Target and Ulta than Walmart.

Product Demo Video

A YouTube creator named "Gothamista" has a video with a product demo of this lash serum:

Our Clean Lash Boost Pick

Organic Eyelash and Eyebrow Growth Serum by Live Fraiche is our top lash serum pick.

This product has one single ingredient: organic castor oil, and is entirely free of preservatives.

A medical review published in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology described castor oil as having the potential to improve hair quality.

While we don't believe the clinical evidence on castor oil for hair growth is particularly convincing, we definitely consider this to be a healthier option than commercial eyelash and eyebrow serums, and may be worth trying.

Multi-Peptide Serum Pros and Cons

Here are the pros and cons of The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Lash and Brow Serum in our opinion:

Pros:

• May support lash growth
• May mitigate lash hair loss
• May improve lash quality and apperance
• Affordable

Cons:

• Contains six preservatives

Conclusion

We believe that The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Lash and Brow Serum is likely to be effective for improving eyelash and eyebrow thickness, as well as improving hair quality generally.

The serum contains several ingredients (like peptides) shown in clinical studies to promote hair growth and prevent hair loss, and is priced quite affordably.

We do not currently recommend this product due to the inclusion of six different preservatives. 

We would recommend that consumers be especially cautious of using cosmetics with questionable ingredients around the eyes, which is one of the most sensitive areas of the body and prone to irritation and damage.

Unfortunately, for whatever reason, the lash serum industry seems to produce products with more questionable inactive ingredients than the average cosmetic product.

We hope this changes in the future, and this seems counterintuitive because the eyes are more sensitive than skin.

At the time of updating this article, Ulta and Target have the best prices on this lash serum.