Interesting article I found when I Google the ingredients.
When I got my hands on RevitaLash I couldn't wait to use it. I had caught wind of rumors that Revitalash was widely effective at making eyelashes longer and fuller and thought that this could be the answer to my prayers for Bambi-like lashes. Then Marta had to burst my bubble, ominously warning that RevitaLash might stain my eyelid skin or even turn my baby blues brown! Refusing to cave to the naysayers, I persevered with my RevitaLash experiment, all for the sake of Truth in Aging and a genetically-endowed set of stubby lashes.
I am glad I did because, as you may have heard, RevitaLash works. Around the five-week mark, I started to notice a difference. There is now a slight curl to the lashes on the outer edge, and one lash in particular seems to have nearly doubled in length. What my lashes continue to lack in thickness, they are beginning to make up for in length. Once ashamed to admit that my boyfriend's eyelashes were more luscious than mine, I am now proud that my set can hold their own- with the requisite dose of mascara, of course.
Though some users claim that RevitaLash darkens the actual hair, I was not so lucky. With my light coloring, I still need to glob on mascara to achieve that enviable eye-popping effect. But on the upside, both my eyelids and eyes have retained their natural color. I was a little worried by a slight stinging sensation that occurred when I lined the liquid too heavily and felt it seep into my eye after closing it. Aside from producing a bloodshot effect, the stinging subsides after a few seconds and is not so much painful as disconcerting, since it makes you wonder what exactly is reacting with your eyeball.
Fortunately, what makes up RevitaLash no longer includes bimatoprost, an ingredient in glaucoma drugs to lower the fluid pressure in the eye, which can not only deactivate the drug, but can also lead to damage to the optic nerve and even blindness for sufferers of the condition. The FDA has identified side effects in normal users of bimatoprost as swelling of the retina, inflammation, and reduced vision. Athena Cosmetics, the manufacturer of RevitaLash, reformulated its eyelash product and relaunched it as an "eyelash conditioner" in January of this year. Instead of bimatoprost, RevitaLash now contains another so-called prostaglandin found in glaucoma drugs.
The list of ingredients in RevitaLash is surprisingly short. There is some sodium chloride, a common medication to reduce the swelling of the cornea in certain eye conditions. Chlorphenesin, used in cosmetics as an antimicrobal preservative, can also be taken orally as a muscle relaxant, which effectively blocks nerve impulses sent to the brain. Not commercially available in the U.S., chlorphenesin is linked to a number of unwanted side effects, such as drowsiness and dizziness, as well as interactions with other drugs. In addition to phenoxyethanol, chlorphenesin was part of the reason behind the mass recall of Mommy's Bliss Nipple Cream. The FDA issued a warning that these two ingredients may cause "respiratory distress, vomiting, and diarrhea in infants." Studies have shown that both phenoxyethanol and chlorphenesin can depress the central nervous system and cause facial dermatitis.
Though Revitalash's reformulated ingredients have been marketed as "100% safe", the conspicuous presence of two precarious preservatives makes you wonder- Just how safe was the original formula? According to some users, RevitaLash has the potential to increase ocular pressure, and therefore, it is advised to see an opthamologist while using the product. I wear contacts and didn't notice any change in vision, but I'm a little wary of long-term effects on eyesight if the solution continually comes into contact with the eyes. Minus the nominal discomfort, I experienced no iris discoloration nor any other visible drawbacks after six weeks of use.
An article on eyelash lengthening products in the Wall Street Journal last week included a quote by the opthamologist who founded Athena. He claimed that the ingredients in RevitaLash are "of a concentration that is reduced from anything that would be in any kind of medication" and that he has been "scupulously careful not to make any claims outside the realm of beautification." Desperate to comply with FDA regulations, RevitaLash ensures that its ingredients will not be classified as drugs. But in no way does that mean they are safe.
Ingredients:
Water, Sodium Chloride, Panthenol (Provitamin B-5), Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Disodium Phosphate, Trifluoromethyl Dechloro Ethylprostenolamide, Cellulose Gum
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