The full review
12-week user trial · INCI read line by line
What is in it
Panthenol, biotin, sodium hyaluronate and hydrolysed glycosaminoglycans handle the conditioning. The active is Black Sea Rod Oil, extracted from the Caribbean gorgonian coral Plexaura homomalla — an organism that carries prostaglandin A2 at roughly 3% of its wet weight, around a million times the concentration found in most animals. RefectoCil describes it as a hormone-free alternative to prostaglandin, and it is true that there is no synthetic analogue here. It is not true that there is no prostaglandin. This is a natural prostaglandin source, and it is why the product works.
Full ingredient list
Aqua, Phenoxyethanol, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Caprylyl Glycol, Panthenol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Biotin, Sodium Hydroxide, Alcohol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Black Sea Rod Oil, Phenethyl Caffeate, Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans.
How it performed
Better than a pure conditioner and well short of an analogue serum. Lashes looked glossier and broke less by week eight, and a minority of testers showed a small measurable gain in density by week twelve — which is more than panthenol and biotin alone would produce. Nobody reported irritation, and it is safe alongside lash extensions.
Who it is for
Anyone recovering from extensions or stepping down from a synthetic analogue, and anyone who wants a mascara base that earns its place. It is a reasonable middle option. It is not the right choice if your goal was to avoid prostaglandins altogether — for that, The Ordinary or Sweed are the only two serums in this ranking that qualify.