Latisse vs bimatoprost vs non-prescription eyelash serums: A comparison

Trying to figure out the difference between Latisse, bimatoprost, and all the other eyelash serums out there? You’re not alone. 

The beauty industry is notorious for claims about “miracle” treatments, from wrinkle-erasing creams to magical hair regrowth potions. And when it comes to eyelashes, there are countless companies offering some sort of growth serum that promises to lengthen your lashes. 

If you’ve done your research (and you must have if you’re reading this!), you will likely have come across Latisse, and perhaps even bimatoprost (the active ingredient in Latisse). To make sure we’re all on the same page, this article will  explain the differences and similarities between these treatments, from how well they work to where they can be purchased.

Latisse vs. bimatoprost — is there a difference?

The short answer is that the liquid in a bottle of Latisse and that in a bottle of generic bimatoprost are virtually exactly the same—including everything down to the water that the active ingredient is mixed into. 

The difference between the two is simply that Latisse is the brand name version of generic bimatoprost (which means that bimatoprost is the active ingredient in Latisse as well as its generic cousin). What this means practically is that Latisse is much more expensive than generic bimatoprost, despite being the same stuff at the end of the day. 

There are also differences in availability of the two products. Latisse is only distributed in the United States, so you’ll probably struggle to find it here in the UK. Lucky for you, generic bimatoprost can be prescribed for eyelash growth in the UK, which is where Flutter comes in!

Is generic bimatoprost as good as Latisse?

If you read the last section, you’ll already know the answer to this—but yes, generic bimatoprost is just as effective as Latisse, and comes at a much more affordable price. 

Clinical research has shown that 0.3% bimatoprost (which is the concentration in both Latisse as well as the treatment we prescribe at Flutter) leads to significant improvements in lash thickness and length in 80% of people—and more than 90% of people were satisfied with the bimatoprost treatment. These are the same results you can expect whether you use Latisse (if you’re in the US) or generic 0.3% bimatoprost (for those of you here in the UK).

Non-prescription eyelash serums vs bimatoprost

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While Latisse and generic bimatoprost are virtually the same, non-prescription eyelash serums are very different. There are a couple of categories of alternative treatments, so we’ll go through them one by one. 

The first is other prostaglandin analogs, including lower-strength bimatoprost. Prostaglandin analogs are simply a class of pharmaceuticals, and given the success of Latisse, a number of companies have started offering other non-prescription treatments in this class. Some companies also offer non-prescription-strength bimatoprost (so lower than the 0.3% in Latisse and in the Flutter treatment). 

Beyond these quasi-pharmaceuticals, there are a seemingly countless number of eyelash serums available over the counter, often as just one product in a range of hundreds of beauty products that a brand offers. These range from the all natural to the chemical-packed. 

It’s certainly possible that some of these treatments work, but the issue with comparing them is that none of them has been studied quite so rigorously as 0.3% bimatoprost. Most brands will report results based on internal analysis of a small sample size (something like “98% of our users report a huge difference!”), but this hasn’t been validated by a 3rd party, nor has that “difference” really been quantified (How big is huge? Which users were surveyed?). 

0.3% bimatoprost, on the other hand, has been studied in multiple countries across hundreds of subjects. It’s also been prescribed in the US for years (as of 2012, 8.7 million Latisse eyelash kits were sold!), so it’s got a long track record of both safety and effectiveness. 

We’re obviously biased, but if you’re in the market for the best eyelash growth treatment out there… there’s only one place to look 👀