Ever heard of soap brows? I’m sure you have. But what is it really? And is it worth all the hype? Let’s talk about the soap that’s literally raising brows.
Soap brows are one of the most recent makeup trends. Nope, don’t let the term “soap” fool you. This is not a skincare hack.
In this article:
- What Are Soap Brows?
- How Do I Do Soap Brows?
- What Ingredients Should I Look for?
- Is It Safe?
- Soap Brow vs Eyebrow Gel
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What Are Soap Brows?
Soap brows are a new makeup technique that’s meant to help you achieve fluffy, feathery brows.
It’s an eyebrow grooming technique and despite the name suggests, is not a skincare step. No, you don’t wash your brows with soaps.
The gist is that you use soap as a brow gel alternative.
The result is a pair of neatly brushed up brows. Think brow lamination but for only a day or until you wash your face. And sans the glossy appearance fresh after a session. You can do it to achieve uniform and neat, but fluffy and natural brows.
And unlike brow lamination, you can do it as frequently as you want. You also don’t need professional help for this one. Even better, you may already have the things you need at home to cop soap brows.
If you have thick, unruly brow strands that point toward multiple directions, then this is for you. If you’re the natural makeup look kind of babe and want Instagram brows in no time at all, then look no further than this innovative technique.
You should know, however, that this is a stand alone type of brow technique. You may find that it might remove brow pencil or gel you applied to your brow before applying this technique. For this reason, I mainly recommend it to beauties that already have full and thick brows.
But if you have a brow pencil that can stand up to soap, then you can use it before finishing off with soap brows.
How Do I Do Soap Brows?
Grab your soap, a spoolie, makeup setting spray, and that’s really all you need.
If your brows are a tad overgrown, you may want to trim them before doing this. But if that’s part of your aesthetic, then this technique will up the ante.
- Experts recommend to dampen your eyebrow spoolie with a makeup setting spray. This, combined with the soap, will help keep your eyebrows in place throughout the day.
- Lightly run your spoolie through the brow soap, picking up just a little bit of product. It’s better to start off with a bit of product since it’s much easier to add more later on as needed.
- Brush your brows up from end to end, gently brushing the upper edge of your brows from the inner to the outer corner. This will help you define your natural eyebrow shapes and reign in a bit of your overgrown brows. But if you like the extra fluffy and natural look you can just keep brushing upward, careful to follow the direction your strands naturally follow.
- Press your brow strands with the brush or with your fingers to set and lock them in place once you’re satisfied with how they look.
Also keep in mind that you’re working with a damp spoolie, so using too much soap might actually leave a white tint on your brows. You can resolve easily resolve this problem by reaching for a clear soap instead. (More on this later.)
Be careful with how much product you pick up since we’re working with a damp spoolie, and a heavy hand and heavy product may cause the soap to lather.
What Ingredients Should I Look for?
Not all soaps are made equal, so I wouldn’t recommend you use body soap.
Choose a glycerin soap instead of your normal body soap. Glycerin is a fat that’s derived from plant oils, so they’re vegan and widely safer for sensitive skin.
The soap also typically has a lower pH level, so it’s less likely to sensitize or irritate your skin. And these are great considerations for sensitive skin.
Thankfully you can find many glycerin soaps in the market that are clear, so you’re getting the best ingredients sans the dreaded white cast.
With the boom in popularity of brow soaps, you’ll find many soap brow kits in retailers. These are soaps often packaged in small tin cans that are made to be used specifically for your brows.
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Is It Safe?
Should I patch test?
If you’re worried about having sensitive skin, then I would recommend doing a patch test beforehand.
Make sure that whatever soap and makeup setting spray you’ll be using is suitable to use on your own skin. Bear in mind that everyone’s skin is different so you may react differently even to products widely recommended by your peers. A skin-saving patch test is the best workaround to this.
Use a bit of soap on a small corner of your face. I recommend somewhere along the jawline. If within 24 hours your skin doesn’t reactive negatively, then you may be able to deem this as safe to use.
If your skin reacts negatively and rashes appear or you experience acne breakout, move along! Give your skin time to rest and heal before trying another product.
Is this makeup hack waterproof?
Sorry to say that if you’re using soap on your brows, you can’t expect this to be waterproof. Be careful when you sweat or are exposed to water as it might melt the soap on your brows and get to your eyes.
Soap Brow vs Eyebrow Gel
Many brow gels are water-based, so they may not be able to withstand excessive sweat or exposure to water. However brow soaps could prove to be more sturdy and resistant because of the thick consistency of the soap, more effectively locking your brows in place.
Then again we go back to the fact that the combination of soap, water, and your eyes could be a dangerous combination. While I love this technique, it’s not weather-proof. But on most days, it’s good enough for me.
Choose a brow soap kit designed to be used for the brows as it may contain more skin-loving ingredients with possibly waterproof formulation. But if you’re down with the grass roots of this makeup technique, then go with clear glycerin soap at the very least.
Overall soap brows are quick, practical, and highly affordable. It may take some trial and error looking for tinting eyebrow makeup that will pair well with your soap brows, but the results should be divine. And if you’re blessed with thick and luscious brows, then this one is a no-brainer!
In today’s makeup world where people are finding more and more ways to wear makeup, soap brows are one welcome innovation!
Are you as excited about soap brows as we are? Is the soap brow trend making you think of revamping your entire makeup look? Share your stories with us in the comments section below! We’d love to hear from you.
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