So...I Tried the Soap Brow Trend You Keep Seeing on TikTok
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Name a makeup hack, and I've tried it. It is kinda my job to try these things, but who can resist a cool trick that helps you save money and time? Sadly, in my experience, the weirder the trick, the less likely it actually works (except for Monistat as as makeup primer; that ish works like a charm.) So when the latest TikTok makeup hack called “soap brows” starting flooding my FYP, I gave it a try, even though I was pretty skeptical. But you know what? Using soap in place of brow gel actually does give you that brushed, slicked-up look, reminiscent of laminated brows, and I can honestly say I love it.
I made lots of mistakes the first few tries, but I have finally perfected the process, thanks to a few pro tips from dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, MD, director of cosmetic and clinical research at Mount Sinai, and Joey Healy, eyebrow expert and founder of Joey Healy Brow Collection. Don't worry, I won't gatekeep! I'll tell ya everything I know, below. If you've got lots of questions about soap brows, including how to do it, the right soap to use (yes, it really does require soap), and whether or not it's actually worth trying, keep reading for all the answers to these and more.
Why do people put soap in their eyebrows?
Soap is a genius alternative to brow gels and pomades because, as Dr. Zeichner explains it, soap contains a fat known as glycerin that coats the surface of the hairs to keep them in place. Although it won't tint your brow hairs like actual brow-styling products can, it works like a charm for shaping them and setting them all day long—and for a fraction of the cost.
If you struggle with most brow formulas because they're not strong enough, but you also hate the shiny, plastered look of hairspray on your brows (you clearly haven't struggled with wild eyebrows if you haven't succumbed to trying hairspray at least once), then this is a good trick to try.
Is soap bad for your eyebrows?
There's one major caveat to this whole thing: Soap can get hella irritating just hanging out on your skin. According to Dr. Zeichner, traditional soaps are made with a combination of an alkaline solution known as lye, along with fats and oils. "Because traditional soaps have an alkaline pH, they can cause skin barrier disruption and irritation, especially if you are sensitive," he says. That irritation and inflammation can translate to red, scaly, itchy skin under your eyebrows, and that's especially the case if you're not using the right formula and it's left on your skin all day without washing it off. Woof.
Can you use any bar of soap for soap brows?
I'll do anything in the name of good brows, but I draw the line at self-inflicted flaky, itchy skin, so I asked Dr. Zeichner for advice on what formula would be the safest. In short, don't grab that slimy pebble that's been sitting in your shower holder since before you were born. Instead of a traditional soap bar (as in the highly fragranced ones that suck the life and moisture out of your hands), Dr. Zeichner recommends using something called a syndet bar, which is a soap alternative that's made with different cleansing ingredients than traditional soap bars, and is also pH-balanced to the skin, making it much less irritating.
Dr. Zeichner's top picks? A Dove Beauty Bar, which contains the same types of emollient ingredients found in moisturizers, including a fat called stearic acid that protects the outer skin layer, much like glycerin does. If you're worried about leaving a cloudy coat of white residue on your brows, Healy says to swap an opaque ivory soap bar for a clear bar instead.
For something a little more undetectable, Dr. Zeichner also recommends the Neutrogena Transparent Facial Bar, which contains glycerin similar to traditional soaps but uses a pH-balanced cleansing surfactant to mitigate irritation. Or, you can try a product specifically formulated for your brows/the trend, like Jason Wu Beauty's The Bush Brow Shaper Soap or West Barn Co.'s Soap Brow Kit, which comes with a spoolie, spray, and cute little soap.
How do you do soap brows?
Now that you've got your bar of soap, grab a spoolie brush (the one on the end of your brow brush will work), and follow these four easy steps:
1. Use your brow pencil or whatever brow styling products you prefer to fill in sparse areas. But make sure your makeup is waterproof because, according to Healy, soap can smear the product underneath. “I would recommend applying a little bit of powder or pencil first, blend it until it looks natural, then go ahead with very little water and the soap,” Healy says. Also, be careful applying your foundation close to your brows before applying your soap. I found that my complexion products flaked and separated when I got too close with the wet spoolie.
2. Spray your spoolie brush with a facial mist to dampen the bristles. I did maybe four or five sprays? I liked a thicker residue, so I used very little moisture to make my brow soap. “If you use too much water it can suds up,” Healy says. “What you're really using the water for is just to get the glycerin soap on the brush so you can transfer it to the brow.” It takes a little bit of trial and error to figure out just how damp the brush needs to be, but start with a little and add more if you need.
3. Rub the bristles of your brush against the bar of soap to create the gel-like residue. If you don't want your brows to look waxy, start with a little bit of product and build it up if you need. If you have brows that—to quote the great Miley Cyrus—can't be tamed, don't be shy—load on some more. “Multiple coats of the soap brow will make it last longer,” Healy says. “You just want to be mindful of texture and that you're not building up so much to the point that it looks foggy or white.”
4. Comb the soapy spoolie through the hairs and shape your eyebrows how you want them to set. It doesn't dry that quickly, so you have time to work with it until you find an arch you like. If you want to add more layers for a stronger hold, Healy says to wait until each coat dries before applying the next. If you used waterproof formulas, you shouldn't have a problem with smudging, but you can always use a wet precision Q-tip to clean it up at the end if you need.
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My soap brows review:
Much like the hair on my head and my eyelashes, my eyebrows naturally fall straight down, meaning my whole adult life has been devoted to somehow making them all defy gravity. I've finally found the right volumizing shampoo for my fine hair and the lengthening mascara that holds my lashes in place, but my brows? Still working on that. I currently use eyelash glue as a brow gel, but it's not exactly foolproof (once it sets—and it does so VERY quickly—you're kinda stuck like that all day). So I was very much excited to try soap as an alternative.
For the experiment, I used a Dove Beauty Bar (Dr. Zeichner's recommendation). And despite the soap being light pink and opaque (it's all I had!), my dark hairs were surprisingly left with zero waxy, white residue. I wet my spoolie with a tiny amount of water, rubbed it against the soap, brushed through my brows, and boom—my brows were nicely, softly styled, and they actually stayed that way until I washed my face at the end of the day.
Originally, I would fill my brows in last because I was afraid the soap would wash off the product underneath, but after getting a pro tip from Healy, I learned it works much better to do it first. “When you put soap on top of your brows and then it dries, it's going to grab whatever product you're applying,” Healy explains, adding that it would be difficult to blend brow powder if you apply it on top of your soap brows. “It will just stick and adhere to the soap and then not be able to be softened, which looks less natural to me.”
I thought that soap brows would feel heavy or uncomfortable, but my brows actually felt totally normal—though, based on the TikToks and IG pics, I think I used a little less than most do. I mean, I was going for natural, not laminated. Overall, I was surprisingly pleased with the results, and I can definitely say I preferred this method over straight-up lash glue.
The final takeaway
I still haven't tried soap brows in the middle of a heatwave, so I can't speak to whether or not a face full of sweat will make the soap run and burn your eyes. But keeping that in mind, I would say soap brows (when done with the right formula) is a great option every now and then—though it'll be hard to stop myself from using it every single day when the results are this good. Just make sure to patch test with your soap before slicking it through your brows—no trend is worth an allergic reaction.
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