Multi-Herbal Extracellular Vesicle and Growth Factor Serum for Eyelash Care: A Pilot Randomized, Double Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Study

Beyond their cosmetic significance, eyelashes are critical for retaining ocular moisture and protection against mechanical debris, environmental stressors, and excessive light. While recombinant growth factors support hair growth through activating key follicular signaling pathways, plant-derived EVs modulate local inflammatory and oxidative stress pathways to optimize the follicular microenvironment. Here we conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study to investigate the synergistic effects of a serum containing recombinant Fc-fusion growth factors (rIGF-1, rFGF-7) and extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from Zingiber officinale (ginger) and Curcuma longa (turmeric). Thirty healthy female participants were recruited and allocated to Group A (active serum) or Group B (placebo) at a ratio of 1:1. Participants applied the intervention twice daily for 8 weeks. The VISIA Skin Analysis System was used during clinical visits to objectively measure eyelash density and average length at baseline, Week 4, and Week 8. Group A exhibited a mean density increase of 3.3% at Week 4 and 4.4% at Week 8 relative to baseline. Eyelash length in Group A exhibited significant increases, reaching 8.1% at Week 4 and 11.0% by Week 8. In contrast, Group B showed slight reductions in length (-1.7% and -3.7% at Weeks 4 and 8, respectively) and a negligible change in density (+0.8% and -1.0% at Week 4 and 8, respectively). Notably, no periocular skin hyperpigmentation, a frequent adverse event associated with pharmacologic agents such as bimatoprost, was observed. These findings demonstrated the potential of combining long-acting recombinant growth factors with plant-derived EVs as an effective, highly tolerable, non-pharmaceutical cosmetic strategy for eyelash enhancement.