About Our Founder
All about our founder and the story behind Rbrow.
Discover the story behind Rbrow
My baby brows.
I was born with a set of full, bushy eyebrows. A gift from the gods. But as the great Joni Mitchell sang, “You don’t know what you’ve got ‘till it’s gone.” And, sadly for my brows, I came of age in the Nineties - a decade known in beauty circles as the skinny brow era.
Tweezers and a magnifying mirror were the two things I would have grabbed first if my house caught on fire and maintaining my pencil thin brows was pretty much a full time job.
The nineties: Skinny lattes and skinny brows.
Things turned around when I was hired as a beauty editor by W Magazine and began to mingle with makeup artists, aestheticians and beauty pros who literally performed a life saving brow intervention and persuaded me to stop plucking and grow my brows back to their original glory.
It was during this time as a beauty editor that also I came across a backstage beauty trick–and my lightbulb moment. In order to give the appearance of thicker brows and a stylized effect, makeup artists would brush Vaseline through the models eyebrows. While this handy hack certainly gave the appearance of fuller brows, the ingredients in Vaseline didn’t have any effect on actual hair health or growth.
And so the idea for Rbrow was born: a multitasking brow balm that styled, conditioned and stimulated brow growth in one sweep. Formulated and developed with one of the leading labs in France, every single ingredient in Rbrow specifically benefits both hair and skin and is packed with essential fatty acids, phytosterols and antioxidants such as Castor Oil, which is every brow expert’s go to; Coffee Bean Seed Oil, which stimulates hair growth; Camellia Oil, which has been used in Japan for centuries to impart shine; and Sage Oil, which also contains natural pigments for a bit of tint.
Photo credit Robin Black.
The delivery system, meanwhile, was born out of a personal pet peeve. I have never been a fan of run of the mill, brow gel mascara-wand style applicators where each time you pulled the wand out, apply product and push it back in, you also pushed air, hair and bacteria back in. Instead, I had a blueprint of my ideal applicator sketched out on a nakpin –an airtight tube that squeezed the product straight onto an easy to clean, antimicrobial silicone brush–and worked with Cosmopak, a leader in beauty packaging, to develop it.
Rbrow’s first-to-market applicator.
Rbrow is truly my dream brow product. This universal brow styling balm conditions, nourishes and stimulates hair growth, and, unlike brow gels, never leaves brows looking flat, stiff or flaky.
Best of all, Rbrow can be used anytime by anyone as it is free from fragrances, parabens, phtalates and other harmful ingredients. Apply it during the day on clean brows for a naturally glossy, groomed look, and reapply as part of your evening skincare routine, leaving it on overnight to stimulate hair growth.
While my best brows are still a work in progress, Rbrow has been a game-changer for me and I am never without it. I hope you love it as much as I do!
Rachel xo
Like A Virgin
Virgin brows. How to restore the brows you were born with, but better.
How to bring back the virgin brows you were born with….but better.
We’ve all heard of ‘virgin hair’– hair that is undamaged, unprocessed and untouched by perms, bleaches, color treatments and dyes. Well, ‘virgin brows’ are the full brows you were teenager–before you took the tweezers to them.
While there are plenty of products and treatments out there that attempt to create the illusion that your brows have never been touched, the first step to transforming pencil-thin arches is to let your brows grow out.
The good news is that hair does in fact grow faster in the summer - a study conducted by the National Institute of health shows that seasonal changes cause changes in hair growth with human hair growing about 10% faster during the summer compared to hair growth during the colder weather–meaning with Memorial Day on the horizon, there is no time like the present.
In addition to putting a pause on plucking and waxing, applying a nourishing, hair health boosting treatment twice as day is essential to stimulating and supporting regrowth.
Formulated with ingredients like Sage Oil, which contains Linalyl Acetate to improve hair strength and increase hair growth; Coffee Seed Bean Oil, which stimulates hair shaft elongation, resulting in longer, wider hair roots, and prolonged anagen duration, increasing the hair growth stage; and Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1, a form of biotin that stimulates hair regrowth, daily use of Rbrow will kickstart your brow rehabilitation.
Once you have allowed your brows a full 12 weeks of regrowth, only then can you tweeze any stray hairs. But the process doesn’t end there. To replicate the youthfulness that comes with virgin brows, use Rbrow to gently brush the brows upward to create a subtle lift and set the look, keepings any strays in place.
The result? Beautiful, natural looking virgin brows that will look as good as the day you were born.
All About Eyebrow Tinting
Everything you need to know about Brow Tinting: Our go-to treatment for instantly fuller brows.
Our Favorite Hack For Instantly Fuller Brows
Looking for fuller brows now? Yes, you can you can turn to your favorite eye pencil or a body-building brow gel but the most natural-looking and low maintenance option is brow tinting. This in salon service has become a staple in our brow enhancing arsenal, as in just 10 minutes, sparse, patchy eyebrows can be transformed into impactful, face framing arches.
What is Brow Tinting?
Just as with tinting or dyeing your hair, eyebrow tinting involves applying semi-permanent dye to the brow hair to darken and define. Because dye also brings out all of the finer and lighter hairs within the brow, it also makes brows appear fuller instantly. The dye also leaves a stain of color of the skin that gives the illusion of fuller brows by filling in thinner, patchy spaces within the brow.
We always recommend going to a brow professional for this service as they will be using safe, professional grade tints formulated specifically for the brows, and are experienced in matching hair color so you won’t end up with brows that are too dark or look unnatural. Above all, if something goes wrong, they know how to fix it.
To start, your brow expert will prep and clean the brow area and mix a custom shade specifically for you. The dye is applied with a spoolie brush and left on for several minutes. The exact time will depend on the result desired–longer for more intense, darker brows and shorter for a lighter, more subtle effect.
Who is Brow Tinting Best For?
Brow tinting is not just for the fair-haired or to cover up those color-draining greys, even the darkest of brunettes have finer, lighter hairs that can be amped up. What’s more a brow tint has staying power, keeping brows looking better for up to three to six weeks as the hair works through its natural growth cycle or it begins to fade.
While eyebrow tinting works on skin types, skin tones, and hair colors, grey and white hair (as we all know) is more resistant to color so seeing a brow specialist is always a better bet than trying it out at home with a DIY kit and guaranteed to produce better results.
How to Make The Most Of Your Eyebrow Tint
To keep your tinted brows in their best shape, you’ll want to avoid getting your brows wet for twelve hours after getting the treatment done. After that avoid using retinols, vitamin C serums and AHAs around the brows as this can lead to fading of the color.
To keep your brows looking their best, make sure to follow up with a brow serum like Rbrow to create a protective barrier on the brow and keep the hair healthy and hydrated.
Where To Get Your Brows Tinted
Here, some of our go-to brow pros…
California
Florida
New York
Michigan
Montana
Spruce and Honey Waxing Parlor
Pennsylvania
Philadelphia
The Castor Seed Oil Debate
Here’s what we know about Castor Seed Oil and how it benefits brows.
Here’s what we know about how this all-natural ingredient can benefit your brows.
Do a quick search on the internet for the best natural ingredients for hair growth, and one will keep popping up again and again. Derived from cold pressing the ripe seeds from the Ricinus Communis plant, which is common to the Eastern hemisphere, Castor Seed Oil has been used for centuries in skin and hair care for its combination of antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and moisturizing properties.
At Rbrow we have included Castor Seed Oil in our all-natural formulation in combination with a host of other plant-sourced ingredients. Here’s why: While no studies exist conclusively showing that Castor Seed Oil can increase hair growth by more than 1cm a month (the FDA standard of hair growth), anecdotally many people have noticed significant growth after using Castor Seed Oil and many brow experts agree that it does indirectly promote hair growth.
The reason for this indirect action is due to the fact that Castor Seed Oil is rich in Vitamin E, Omega-9 fatty acids and Omega-6 fatty acids which all benefit skin and hair. Additionally, more than 90% of Castor Seed Oil’s fatty acid content is Ricinoleic Acid which has been found to increase circulation and blood flow to the dermal papilla, or the root of the hair. Castor Seed Oil therefore promotes the health and vitality of the hair follicle, which means stronger strands, and less breakage.
Castor Seed Oil is also a humectant, which means it's an excellent vehicle for locking in moisture and shine, lubricating the hair shaft, increasing flexibility and decreasing the chance of breakage.
Finally, it’s a safe ingredient. Castor Seed Oil has been given the green light by the Environmental Working Group and a ‘Best’ rating by Paula’s Choice, it is also rarely associated with skin sensitivity and has been deemed safe by their Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel in products using up to 81% of Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil.
Used combination with other hair and skin health promoting ingredients, we therefore believe that Castor Seed Oil is truly beneficial for your brows. Over the coming weeks we’ll be talking about some of the other ingredients contained in our formula. Stay tuned!
Make 2023 the Year of Your Best Brows Ever
Our guide to surviving brow rehab and getting your best brows ever.
2022 was not a good year for eyebrows. Between the return of the skinny brow, the bleached brow trend and even shaved brows, our brows have taken a battering. If you jumped on one of these trends, chances are you are already having regrets. Fortunately, all is not lost as dry January and February’s short days and bitter weather offer the perfect opportunity to get into goblin mode and grow back those brows.
Known in the business as Brow Rehab, restoring your brows to their former glory is possible - the biggest myth is out there is that brows don’t grow back - but it requires patience and discipline as you down tools for a good two to three months to fully allow the hair to work through its natural growth cycle.
So how exactly does the brow growth cycle work? First up is the anagen or growth phase during which the hair is actively growing to its full length. This usually takes 30 to 45 days.
This is followed by the catagen or transition phase, which lasts about 21 days. During this time the hair follicle shrinks, the hair stops growing, and your eyebrow hair sits stable after reaching its full length.
In the final telogen or resting phase, the fully-grown hair sits inactive and resting for two to four months before it sheds and is replaced with a new brow hair starting in the anagen phase again.
The entire cycle takes between four and six months, and while this may sound like an impossibly long time to leave our brows untouched, there are products and hacks that can make the process easier.
Here, our guide to getting through brow rehab so that by the time spring rolls around you’ll be sporting a set of superlative brows.
1) The brow pencil.
A great brow pencil is an essential and we think the award winning Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting pencil is the best on the market. The formula combines the benefits of powder, pencil and wax to effortlessly fill brows; the triangular-shaped tip allows for a soft, natural looking application; and the double-ended component comes with a blending brush. Use this pencil to hide regrowth, make your brows look naturally fuller during the regrowth phase.
If you simply cannot resist plucking the occasional stray hair, outline the eventual desired shape of your brows – the beginning of the brow should line up with the middle of your nostrils and end diagonally from your nostril going past your eye's outer corner – and never touch a hair within that outline.
2) The concealer.
A good concealer will be your best friend, covering up unsightly stubble and defining your desired brow shape. This Elizabeth Arden Flawless Finish Skincaring Concealer delivers lightweight yet buildable coverage, glides on evenly and smoothly and is formulated with moisturizing Hyaluronic Acid and Vitamin C and E so it doesn’t look cake-y or settle into fine lines.
3) The exfoliator.
Just like your scalp benefits from a scalp scrub to slough away dead skin cells, prevent ingrown hairs and encourage hair growth, your brows can get a boost from regular - but gentle - exfoliation. We love to use this this SkinMedica AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser formulated with naturally derived alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA) combined with beta-hydroxy acid (BHA) in addition to jojoba spheres twice a week to wash our face and spend an extra 20 to 30 seconds massaging the exfoliator in gentle circular motions around and between the brow area (not the actual brows).
4. The Rbrow.
Each morning use your Rbrow brush to gently backcomb the brow hairs starting at the tail and moving forward to the beginning of the brow. This will stimulate circulation and the growth of the follicle while also helping to get rid of dead skin that can collect under the hair.
Every evening apply Rbrow balm to the brows in a gentle upward motion starting at the root, through to the tip. Formulated with Coffee Bean Seed Oil to stimulate hair growth and prolong the anagen phase for fuller brows; Castor, Camellia and Cotton Seed Oils which are rich in linoleic acid to enhance the health of the hair follicles, promote hair growth and prevent hair loss; Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1 which helps brows appear longer, fuller and stronger by promoting hair bulb keratinocyte proliferation and ensuring optimal hair anchorage; and Panthenol which helps strengthen hair, retain moisture, and improves the texture of damaged hair.
New Year, New Brows.
How to manifest better brows in 2022.
Time to set some resolutions.
Here are some tips from our community of experts (and Rbrow stockists) for manifesting great brows in 2022.
1) Rethink your skincare routine:
Products and treatments that may be great for your skin can be negatively affecting your brows.
“Overuse of retinoids, peels and acids can lead to both dehydrated skin and brows,” says Chaka West, owner of West Browcare in the Washington D.C. area. “When brow hairs are dehydrated they become brittle making them vulnerable to breakage and, as a result, the ability to retain brow growth becomes difficult as well.”
Be careful when applying acids to the skin, avoiding the brow area. When it comes to retinoids, dermatologists suggest trying less frequent applications and a reduction in the amount applied or switching to retinyl palmitate, the least irritating of all retinoids. Additionally, keeping brows moisturized will protect brow hair. “A product like Rbrow that contains castor seed oil, cotton seed oil and coconut fruit extract will keep brows hydrated and healthy and prevent that vicious cycle of grow and break,” says Chaka.
Another culprit: laser treatments. “Usually my older clients are doing more facial treatments with lasers,” says Sarah West, brow esthetician and owner of The Brow Bar in Ann Arbor. “The intense heat of the laser can damage the hair follicles and inhibit future hair growth so make sure lasers don't come too close to the brow area.”
2) Take your vitamins:
Your diet can affect hair health and nutritional deficiencies such as fatty acid and zinc deficiencies can lead to hair loss.
“I usually recommend my clients try a supplement like Super Hair by Moon Juice which is formulated with bioavailable vitamins that are great for hair growth and help fight stress which also affects brow growth too,” says Sarah. “Many people are also following a vegan or vegetarian diet so they need to add these vitamins they are lacking. From my own personal experience I found out my vitamin D level was low. After I started taking 4000 iu I noticed my brows grew thicker.”
3) Check your hormones:
Hormonal imbalances, and hypothyroidism in particular, are a common cause of abnormal eyebrow thinning, especially in women. Reproductive hormone changes can also play a part in hair loss, especially postpartum and during menopause.
“We definitely see clients’ brows getting thinner with age and this can be due to hormonal changes,” says Sarah. “I’ve also noticed that my pregnant clients will lose some brow hair (before their bump even shows) but regain it after pregnancy.” If your brows seem to be thinning rapidly, she suggests checking your thyroid. “This is a super simple and easy blood test. Some of my clients can tell when their Synthroid medication needs to be adjusted just by the hair loss in their brows.”
By far, the worst, and very common hormone responsible for hair loss, however, is cortisol — by way of stress. Stress can cause telogen effluvium, sending all hairs into the resting phase, followed by shedding. The good news is that the hair loss that occurs from TE doesn’t permanently damage the hair follicles and is fully reversible and managing your stress through exercise and meditation can restore a healthy rate of hair growth.
4) Try brow brushing:
Just as brushing your hair stimulates the capillaries, increasing blood circulation and the transport of oxygen and nutrients to the hair follicles encouraging hair growth, strengthening the roots and diminishing hair loss - so brushing your brows will lead to better brows.
"One of the best tricks I’ve ever used to keep my brows full and growing is to gently brush them every night, “ says Heather Bradley, owner of Bradley Beauty in Los Angeles. “Brushing also removes microscopic skin and dander buildup which leads to healthier brows. Follow up with a conditioning treatment like Rbrow to keep your brows full, growing, and lasting longer throughout your lifetime.”
All About Brow Transplants
Get the lowdown on brow transplants…
We cast our eye over the hottest new procedure in Hollywood.
Jen Atkin unveils her brow transplant. Photo courtesy of Instagram.
Jen Atkin did it, Chrissy Teigen did it. Eyebrow transplants are the new procedure everyone is talking about, so what exactly does it involve? Well, a brow transplant is actually not all that different from a traditional hair transplant. Grafts are taken from the patient’s own head - usually the middle of the back of the scalp where the hair is finer - and then both the hairs and the hair follicles are transplanted onto the brow area where, hopefully, they will continue to grow.
The procedure is performed by a dermatologic, cosmetic, or plastic surgeon in an outpatient surgical facility or a medical spa. Currently, prices for this procedure range from anywhere between $5000 and $8000, including fees related to the facility itself, the surgeon, and the anesthesiologist. Be aware that an eyebrow transplant is considered a non-medical procedure, so it is not typically covered by health insurance, and ideal candidates should not have had brow tattooing or microblading in the past as scarring can hinder the grafting process, or hair loss due to a medical condition.
Before getting a brow transplant, you not only need to find a surgeon who specializes in hair restoration (both Atkin and Teigen used Dr Jason Champagne based in Beverly Hills), but you also need to decide on a shape for your new brows. Experiment with thickness and length using a brow pencil so that you can show your surgeon what you are aiming for in your consultations.
Next you need to discuss the two methods used to harvest the hair for a brow transplant: the Follicular Unit Transfer (FUT) and Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE). Using the FUT method, a small donor strip is removed from the back of the scalp and the area is sutured closed leaving a fine line scar that is hidden beneath the hair. The donor strip is then dissected into single hair follicles for transfer to the eyebrows. The FUE technique involves shaving a small strip of hair and removing each hair follicle individually with a special drill. Your surgeon should be able to explain which one is right for you.
Once the hair grafts are removed, the individual follicles are trimmed down and placed in the eyebrow through small incisions. Around 200 hairs are used for each eyebrow. The entire procedure is performed under local anesthetic and can take around six hours.
After the procedure is done, the brows are left uncovered (no bandages) allowing a crust or scab to form around the newly transplanted follicles. This a normal part of the healing process and they fall off after a few days. There can also be bruising and swelling in the transplant area for up to five days. Once the brows have fully healed they can be treated just like natural eyebrows. You can tint them, trim them, use brow pencils and grooming products but you might want to retire your tweezers or you’ll end up right back where you started.
Within a month of the procedure most of the transplanted eyebrow hairs will shed but this will be followed by regrowth of new hairs after about 12 weeks. At six months about 60 percent of the new hairs should be growing in but the full results will not be seen until a year after the procedure. There is also a chance that some of the grafts won’t take (in other words the new follicles don’t produce new hairs) in which case patients can have a touch up nine months after the initial surgery (currently around 10 to 20 percent of patients return for touch up procedures).
So far Atkins loves her results - which is undoubtedly why her longtime client and friend Teigen decided to make the leap - but be aware, these new brows will need maintenance. Since this hair comes from the scalp, it will have the same texture as the hair on your head and will grow longer than typical eyebrow hair so you will need to regularly trim your new brows with brow scissors to keep them from looking unruly. You will also need a product like Rbrow to style them into shape. Packed with non-irritating, natural ingredients including Camellia Seed Oil and Cotton Seed Oil, which smooth the hair cuticle, and Pomegranate Seed Oil, which enhances softness, use the anti microbial silicone applicator brush to gently style the hairs into place.
For more information about surgeons specializing in hair restoration go to www.iahrs.org.
Brow Rehab: Seven Tips to Growing Back Better Brows.
How to Break the Bad Brow Cycle: A crash course in Brow Rehab
Hello from the other side. Kristie Streicher' client Adele’s transformed her brows.
If growing out bangs is a headache, then growing out over-plucked eyebrows surely qualifies as a full-on migraine. Eyebrow rehab—truly allowing the brows of your youth a chance to return—can take up to six months depending on your genetically predetermined hair growth cycle, and that awkward in-between phase, when recalcitrant hairs sprout out at odd angles, is when many of us fall off the wagon. While there’s no shortage of pencils and powders on the market to help fake fuller brows, here are seven tips to help you make it through the real deal.
1) Have patience. Hair follicles all over our bodies are constantly cycling through various phases characterized by periods of growth (anagen), transition (catagen), and rest (telogen). Eyebrow hair has a relatively short anagen phase (the phase where the hair is growing) of approximately 30 to 45 days.
Catagen is a short transition stage that occurs at the end of the anagen phase. During this stage the hair is cut off from its blood supply and the cells that produce new hairs, growth stops and the hair follicle shrinks. If a hair is plucked during this phase, it won't start growing back until the phase has run its course again (think another two to three weeks).
Finally, comes the telogen, or the resting phase. During this time(around two to four months) the hair does not grow and remains inactive. At the end of the telogen phase, the hair follicle re-enters the anagen phase and a new hair begins to form. Add all these stages together, it can take around four to six months for your brows to fully grow back.
2) Put down the tweezers says brow guru Kristie Streicher, who advocates no plucking, waxing or threading for those whole four months.
While initially you may see hair growth closer to your eyelid, rather than the brow line, Streicher promises regrowth will eventually start to move closer to the brow line. “It is also very common for one brow to grow faster than the other,” Streicher adds. “Eyebrows grow at different rates, so the first one may sprout more hair initially, but the growth will catch up on the other side.”
But whatever you do, she says, do not tweeze. “Every hair counts! Even plucking one stray hair sends a signal to the surrounding hairs not to grow and messes with your hair’s growth cycle.”
3) Exfoliate your brows. Every time you exfoliate your face, spend an extra 20 to 30 seconds massaging the exfoliator in circular motions around the brow area to slough away dead skin cells, prevent ingrown hairs and encourage hair growth. We like SkinMedica’s AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser.
4) Apply Rbrow every morning and evening. Formulated with castor oil (one of the most effect remedies for hair growth and a great source of omega-6 fatty acids, it enhanced the health of the hair follicles, promotes hair growth and prevents hair loss), coffee seed oil (research in the British Journal of Dermatology found it enhances hair shaft elongation, stimulates hair matrix keratinocyte proliferation and prolongs anagen duration), and Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1 (which helps brows appear longer, fuller and stronger by promoting hair bulb keratinocyte proliferation and ensuring optimal hair anchorage).
5) Use concealer to cover the initial outgrowth and hide any unsightly stubble. We like RMS Beauty “Un” Cover-Up, a creamy, flexible, buildable formula that uses auto-adjusting minerals to cover with pigment rather than weight and never dries out or settles in pores. Available in 16 shades, and free of harmful chemicals and preservatives.
6) Use a brow pencil to fill in the gaps and define the shape you are aiming for. We love the Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil. Available in nine shades, this mechanical brow pencil has a triangular-shaped tip that combines the benefits of powder, pencil, and wax to fill brows and is free of parabens, phthalates, and triclosan.
7)See a brow therapist. Once you hit the 16 week mark (and before picking up those tweezers again), treat yourself to a virtual appointment with a brow expert like Jimena Garcia who will give you an online lesson in brow care, maintaining shape, and tinting to keep your hard won, rehabbed brows in good shape going forward.
Raising Some Brows: Our POV on the world of brows, beauty and beyond.
Introducing Raising Some Brows: Our weekly insider guide to the world of brows, beauty and beyond….
You’ve been asking for a newsletter, so we thought this was the perfect opportunity to create something that not only shared some more information about Rbrow - and your brows - but also shone a spotlight on the people and products we love in the world of beauty, wellness and beyond.
Before creating Rbrow, I worked in the beauty and wellness industry for over 20 years as an editor: first in London for Tatler Magazine, then New York City for W Magazine and, finally Los Angeles for Vogue, The Hollywood Reporter, Allure and many other publications.
Over years I have covered emerging and heritage brands, red carpet beauty, backstage beauty prep at Fashion Week, spas, skincare gurus, wellness warriors and so much more. So much more in fact, that there were never enough column inches to feature everything and everyone I wanted to talk about so that’s just what we will do with ‘Raising Some Brows’.
From insider beauty tips and rising beauty stars to must try products and under-the-radar aestheticians, each week we’re going to be talking about what caught our eye, so stay tuned!