Skin science article
Embryolisse Lashes & Brows Booster Serum Versus Essence Grow Like A Boss Lash & Brow Growth Serum
Embryolisse Lashes & Brows Booster Serum Versus Essence Grow Like A Boss Lash & Brow Growth Serum What's inside Key Ingredients Benefits Concerns Ingredients Side-by-side Water Alcohol Denat. Glycerin Pvp Butylene Glycol 1,2-Hexanediol Carbomer Sodium Hydroxid
Embryolisse Lashes & Brows Booster Serum Versus Essence Grow Like A Boss Lash & Brow Growth Serum
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Alcohol Denat.
Glycerin
Pvp
Butylene Glycol
1,2-Hexanediol
Carbomer
Sodium Hydroxide
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
O-Cymen-5-Ol
Centella Asiatica Extract
Panthenol
Arginine
Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1
Water, Alcohol Denat., Glycerin, Pvp, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Carbomer, Sodium Hydroxide, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Centella Asiatica Extract, Panthenol, Arginine, Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1
Isopentyldiol
Propanediol
Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose
Nephelium Lappaceum Seed Extract
Camellia Japonica Seed Oil
Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil
Camellia Japonica Flower Extract
Camellia Japonica Seed Extract
Sodium Polyacrylate Starch
Hydroxyacetophenone
Schisandra Chinensis Fruit Extract
Caprylyl Glycol
Maltodextrin
Water, Isopentyldiol, Propanediol, Glycerin, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Panthenol, Nephelium Lappaceum Seed Extract, Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil, Camellia Japonica Flower Extract, Camellia Japonica Seed Extract, Sodium Polyacrylate Starch, Hydroxyacetophenone, Schisandra Chinensis Fruit Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Maltodextrin, Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1
Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
Emollient, helping to soften skin
Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1 is a lab-made molecule that combines two parts: biotin (vitamin B7) and Tripeptide-1. Together, they form a peptide that’s often used in hair and eyelash products.
In-vitro studies show this ingredient helps hair bulb cells grow faster and product more structual proteins. This helps keep hair securely anchored in the follicle.
A small human study using a mascara with 2% Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1 reported lashes that were about 17% longer and 19% thicker after one month.
One study from 2025 compared topical spray vs. a combined tropical/oral treatment. The combination group saw greater increases in total hair count.
While these early results are encouraging, most of the data comes from in-vitro experiments (in test tubes) or small, short-term trials.
Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1 looks promising for supporting hair strength and growth but there’s not yet strong clinical evidence to confirm how well it works.
Glycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.
Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.
This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.
Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Panthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
This ingredient is also known as castor oil. It is a skin conditioning ingredient.
The star component of castor oil is ricinoleic acid, an unusual fatty acid that makes up ~80-92% of its composition.
In skincare, it is an emollient that dries down to a solid film with water-binding properties. This helps keep skin hydrated and helps reduce transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
A 2026 dermatology review pulls together its broader uses:
Human clinical testing found this ingredient to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Because castor oil contains fatty acids in the C11-24 range, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
At this time, the literature does not support castor oil in regrowing hair. A 2022 systematic review found no strong evidence that it supports hair growth and only weak evidence that it improves hair shine.
Castor oil itself carries "perfuming" and "masking" function tags according to the official CosIng database. This is because of its mild odor and odor-dampening properties.
Water. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.
So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.
You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!