Can A Good Cry Really Have Beauty Benefits For Your Lashes?

As author Nikki Rosen beautifully put it, "To deny the cry in my soul is to deny the beating in my heart." Tears are not a sign of weakness but rather a language that communicates our emotions in a way that words cannot. A good cry can convey unbearable grief, compassion, or excruciating physical pain. Nobody enjoys crying, but if there's any comfort, there are numerous benefits that come with puffy eyes and a runny nose.

According to Harvard Health Publishing, crying helps the body release oxytocin and endorphins, which are feel-good hormones that soothe physical pain and emotional distress. Crying is a counter to repressive coping, which describes a person's inclination to repress their unpleasant feelings to their own detriment. In other words, crying can benefit both your physical and mental well-being. Another alleged benefit of a good cry that stands out recently, and that might come as a surprise to many, is that it makes your eyelashes longer. If that's true, a good cry per day might keep the mascara away. If you need an affordable eyelash boost right now, let's take a look at this beauty fix to see if it's all worth it.

First things first, what are tears? Lipids, water, and mucus are the three components that compose tears. The oily layer outside of the tear film is what keeps your tears from drying up too quickly. The tear film's watery layer, which is located in the middle, cleans the eyes of foreign substances. To keep the eye's surface moist, the mucus layer, the inner layer of the tear film, distributes the watery layer throughout the whole eye's surface. Tears essentially maintain your eyes comfortable and healthy.

Sorry to burst your bubbles, but so far there is no evidence that suggests that tears can stimulate eyelash growth. Dermatologist Marisa Garshick tells Byrdie, "Crying does not make the eyelashes grow but the eyelashes may appear darker or straighter as tears lubricate the lashes." Meanwhile, certified coach and beauty expert Mariyam from The Beauty Holic points out that crying releases stress hormones that affect the hair follicles and encourage growth up to a point. However, crying is unlikely to make eyelashes grow longer. When you have a good cry, tears are constantly being drawn to your eyelashes, but there's no evidence to support the claim that tears cause eyelashes to grow, she says. While you cannot capitalize on your tears to make your lashes longer and fuller, you can use other remedies to lengthen your lashes naturally.

The first step to more luscious eyelashes is to refrain from using mascara to give your lashes time to go through their natural four- to eight-week cycle growth cycle. "If you take a break from mascara, you'll notice significant changes in the density and strength of your lashes as well as hair growth," says lash pro Dionne Phillips, the founder of D'Lashes (via Bustle). She also suggests taking a five-to-seven-day mascara break every two weeks to keep your lashes in tip-top shape. Concurrently, treat your lashes before night with castor oil or petroleum jelly and wash the mixture off first thing in the morning. These formulas work well to moisturize your lashes and make them appear more luscious. 

Another affordable powerhouse ingredient you can use on your lashes is vitamin E oil, a conditioner that Khloé Kardashian swears by as a trick to keep her camera-ready. "Use olive oil or vitamin E in place of pricey lash-lengthening treatments," Khloé Kardashian tells lifestyle website Poosh. These ingredients can act as a conditioner to help your lashes "grow strong and healthy," she says.

However, if you'd like a decisively proven method to grow your eyelashes, you might need medical intervention or cosmetic procedures, such as eyelash transplant surgery or Latisse. Meanwhile, follow a proper eyelash care routine, such as removing eye makeup properly after each usage or grooming your lashes with an eyelash brush.