Soap Eyebrows: Everything You Need to Know

A lot of beauty trends come and go, but it’s clear by now that when it comes to eyebrows, the full, groomed look is here to stay. One of the quickest and most affordable ways to achieve this statement style? Soap brows.

What Are Soap Eyebrows?

Soap eyebrows use a glycerin-based bar soap and a spoolie instead of your traditional brow wax or gel. This gives your brows a fuller, fluffier look, even if you naturally have sparse brows.

“When the soap brow trend first came out, I thought it was magic. It styles so beautifully,” says expert Robin Evans. “People love soap brows because of the fullness, but they also add pliability and flexibility — whereas many other brow products can’t really be brushed through."

Meet Our Expert

• Robin Evans is a brow expert, licensed aesthetician, and founder of Robin Evans Brows.

• Sania Vucetaj is a brow expert and founder of Sania’s Brow Bar.

Here, we dive deeper into the technique, how to make it look natural, and the best type of soap to pull off the look.

Related: The 6 Eyebrow Trends You’ll See Everywhere in 2023

How to Create Soap Brows

The best part about the trend is that it utilizes common household items, but you can’t exactly use just any soap you have on hand. “Make sure to use a translucent or clear soap like Pears for the most seamless experience," says Evans. "Otherwise, if you use regular soap, it might leave a bit of a white cast on your brows." A glycerin-based soap gives your brows a strong hold and a slightly glossy look. Apart from that, you only need a spoolie to apply the soap.

Related: The Most Popular Eyebrow Trends Throughout the Decades

Soap brow application is luckily straightforward, but it might take a little practice, especially when you’re trying it for the first time. “It is a bit of an effort going back and forth between dampening the spoolie and applying the soap to your brows, but the results are worth it. The soap sticks each brow hair exactly where you want it to go, but your brows won’t be so stiff that you can’t brush through or reset them,” says Evans.

Tips

Any skin type can use the soap brow method, but since soap has the potential to drip into your eyes with moisture, avoid using it on days you might be sweating or getting into the water.

Step 1

Start with clean, dry brows. If you have sparse areas you’d like to fill in, go ahead and do that first. You’ll want to use a waterproof formula so that the water from the spoolie doesn’t ruin your look.

Step 2

Dampen your clean spoolie brush under water. “Shake it out so it’s not sopping wet,” says Evans. Too much water could make the soap start to bubble. If you’re not in front of your sink, “you can also use a toning mist to moisten your spoolie,” she adds.

Step 3

Graze your spoolie onto your soap. Use a little bit of soap to start so you can get a feel for the texture and what it’s doing. “You want to collect just enough soap on the spoolie so you see the product on the tool,” says Evans. Of course, you could always build and layer as needed.

Step 4

Start at the inner corner of your brow and work the soap in. “For a natural-looking, but fluffy effect, brush it up and out through the tail. You’ll immediately start to notice the stiffness. The more product and layers you use, the stronger the hold,” says Evans.

Step 5

Lock in the look by backcombing the brows. “Applying the soap to the front and back of the hairs gives it a better hold,” says Evans. You’ll probably run the spoolie through your brow hairs about two or three times.

How to Remove Soap Brows

Soap is designed to be used on your skin safely, and while glycerin is a gentle ingredient, when you’re leaving soap on your brows all day, proper removal is key to avoiding irritation. “With soap sitting on the brow hairs and skin, it’s important to allow your brow follicles to breathe,” says Vucetaj.

Depending on your soap, the amount of product you use, and how often you use it, the soap brow method may lead to clogged pores. “Completely remove all product from your brows at the end of the day with a brow-specific cleanser like Sania’s Brow Bar The Brow Shampoo,” she says. "Your brow hairs are fragile — treat them as gently as you would your scalp." A micellar water would also work here.

How to Get Soap Brows — Without Soap

Though soap brows are a cheap and easy hack to giving you the fluffy brow look, they could cause irritation with soap’s higher pH levels. It could also get a little awkward and messy carrying around a bar of soap when you’re on the go.

Instead, try a version designed for your brows. “West Barn Co. Soap Brows Original comes in a super portable tin and gives you that same feathered look that’ll last all day,” says Evans. 

Related: Everything You Need to Know About the Ombré Brows Trend

For more InStyle news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on InStyle.