How to Exfoliate Your Eyebrows

Co-authored by Joanna Kula

Last Updated: September 16, 2021 References

Exfoliating your face is probably a regular part of your skincare routine, but have you ever taken the time to exfoliate your brows? Dead skin can easily build up beneath the hair there, which can leave the area looking dry and flaky. Exfoliating your brows is also important if you're trying to grow them out because it helps stimulate and improve circulation to the hair follicles. Fortunately, brow exfoliation isn't difficult—you just need to know the right products to use.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Using a Scrub to Exfoliate

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Wash your face.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Joanna Kula
Skincare Specialist
Expert Interview. 9 July 2019.} Your brows should be clean of any dirt, makeup, or other debris before exfoliating. Wet your face, and use your favorite facial cleanser to gently clean your face, including the brow area. Rinse your face with warm water, and pat it dry with a towel.^{[2]
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- If you’ve used a particularly long-wearing brow pencil, pomade, or other product, you may need to use a makeup remover on your brow area before cleansing your face to ensure that all of the makeup comes off.
2
Apply a scrub to your brows. Once your brow area is clean, take a small amount of facial scrub and smooth it over your brows. You don’t want to apply too much, but there should be enough for a thin layer across the entire brow.^{[3]
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- Facial scrubs are sometimes too soft to effectively remove the dead skin cells and stimulate the hair follicles. However, body scrubs are usually too rough. You may want to purchase a scrub designed specifically for the brow area.
- If you prefer all-natural skincare products, you may can make your own scrub for your brows. Mix 2 parts olive oil with 1 part sea salt in a bowl, and apply it to your brows. You can add a drop or 2 of your favorite essential oil to add a pleasant scent to the scrub if you like.^{[4]
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3
Massage the scrub over your skin. With the scrub spread over your brows, gently massage it into the skin. Use a circular motion and moderate pressure to work the product through the brow hair down to the roots. Scrub each brow for 1 minute to ensure that you remove all of the dead skin and increase blood flow to the area.^{[5]
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- If your brows start to feel tender as you’re scrubbing, stop immediately even if the minute isn’t up. Your skin may be too sensitive to scrub for that long.
4
Rinse your brows with warm water. When you’ve massaged the scrub over your brows for approximately a minute, rinse it away with warm water. Gently pat the area dry with a clean towel, and finish up with the rest of your skincare routine.^{[6]
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Moisturize your skin after exfoliating.^{[7]
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Expert Source

Joanna Kula
Skincare Specialist
Expert Interview. 9 July 2019.} It’s especially important to moisturize if you have a problem with dry, flaky skin under your brows. The moisturizer will absorb into the skin more easily, so the area will be effectively hydrated. You can use your daily face moisturizer.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Exfoliating with a Toothbrush

1
Sanitize the toothbrush in alcohol. It helps to repurpose a used toothbrush for exfoliating your brows because regular use softens the bristles so they aren’t too rough on your skin. However, you should sanitize the brush before using it on your brows. Pour some rubbing alcohol in a cup or bowl, and dip the bristles in for a moment. Rinse the brush with warm water.^{[8]
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- After your initial sanitization, dip your exfoliating toothbrush in the rubbing alcohol every 3 to 4 weeks to keep it free of germs and bacteria.
- If you want to use a new toothbrush for exfoliating your brows, make sure to choose one with extra soft or soft bristles to ensure that it won’t be too rough.
2
Apply a cleanser to your toothbrush. You’ll need some lubrication on your brow area to keep the toothbrush from scratching the skin too harshly. Add a small amount of your favorite cream or liquid cleanser to the bristles to allow them to move more easily over the brow area.^{[9]
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- Rinse your face with warm water and pat the excess moisture away with a soft towel to help the cleanser glide smoothly over your skin.
- If you have very dry, resistant skin, you may want to use a fine grain facial scrub on the toothbrush instead of a cleanser.
- You can use an oil or an oil and salt mixture on the toothbrush to exfoliate your brow area as well. This works well if you have very dry skin.
3
Rub the brush over your brows in circular motions. With the cleanser on the bristles of the toothbrush, gently run it over your brows for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Work in a circular motion to help remove the dead skin and improve circulation in the area to help encourage hair growth.^{[10]
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- If the toothbrush feels too rough or your skin starts to sting as you’re exfoliating, you should switch to a softer brush.
4
Rinse the brow area with warm water. When you’ve run the toothbrush over your eyebrows for approximately a minute, carefully rinse the cleanser residue and dead skin away with warm water. Blot your brows dry with a clean towel, and apply the rest of your skincare products.^{[11]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Growing Out Your Brows

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Exfoliate your brows nightly. If you’re exfoliating your brows to help grow them out, it’s important to do it regularly. Use a scrub or toothbrush on your brows every night for 2 to 4 weeks. That will help improve circulation in the area to promote hair growth.^{[12]
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- If you find that your skin is too sensitive for daily exfoliation, try scrubbing your brows every other night or every couple of nights. Signs that your skin may be too sensitive include increased dryness and redness.
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Apply a brow serum after exfoliating. Right after you exfoliate your brows, massage a brow growth serum over the area. These products contains peptides, while help promote growth at the hair follicle. In most cases, you should apply the serum daily, but consult the instructions on your product for proper usage.^{[13]
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- It can take up to 6 weeks to see results from a brow growth serum. Be sure to apply yours regularly to get the results that you want.
3
Tame unruly brow hairs with gel. While you’re in the process of growing your brows, you’ll likely go through an awkward phase with stray hairs or hairs that are too long. Resist the urge to pluck your brows, though. Instead, use a brow gel to carefully groom your brows into place and keep them there all day so they look neat and tidy.^{[14]
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- You can find clear and tinted brow gel formulas. The clear gel is a good option if you don’t have many gaps in your brows. However, the tinted gel may be a better choice if you need to fill in holes in your brows because it can save the step of using a pencil, powder, or pomade first.
4
Have your brows professionally shaped. When you finally start to see some growth in your brows, you can wind up undoing all of the work you’ve done if you pick up a pair of tweezers and try to shape them yourself. Instead, visit a professional brow specialist to have your brows shaped exactly as you want them to ensure that they stay full and lush.^{[15]
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- If you don’t like the idea of having to go to a brow specialist every few months to get your brows shaped, don’t worry. Once you’ve had them shaped professionally, you can use the specialist’s work as a guide and tweeze away the stray hairs yourself.

Expert Q&A

Question

What makes your eyebrows grow?

Laura Martin
Licensed Cosmetologist
Laura Martin is a Licensed Cosmetologist in Georgia. She has been a hair stylist since 2007 and a cosmetology teacher since 2013.

Laura Martin

Licensed Cosmetologist

Expert Answer

Eyebrows grow at a steady rate as long as you are in good health. This rate increases slightly in the summer and may decrease due to clogged follicles, poor diet, cold weather, or other factors.
Question

How long do you have to grow your eyebrows before threading?

Laura Martin
Licensed Cosmetologist
Laura Martin is a Licensed Cosmetologist in Georgia. She has been a hair stylist since 2007 and a cosmetology teacher since 2013.

Laura Martin

Licensed Cosmetologist

Expert Answer

Your brow hair only needs to be about 1/16 of an inch long for the thread to grab it. Threading usually requires touch-ups every 2-3 weeks.
Question

Can you grow back eyelashes?

Laura Martin
Licensed Cosmetologist
Laura Martin is a Licensed Cosmetologist in Georgia. She has been a hair stylist since 2007 and a cosmetology teacher since 2013.

Laura Martin

Licensed Cosmetologist

Expert Answer

As long as the follicles aren't damaged, eyelashes will regrow. It will probably take about 6 weeks for a significant regrowth.