Revitalash Disclosure of Adverse Side Effects?

Question

I wonder if Revitalash, being a cosmetic product, is subject to the same amount of disclosure of adverse reactions as Latisse? Since they are essentially similar products, would Revitalash also have side effects of iris color change, except that they are not bound to disclose it due to the lesser regulation of the product?

Jeffrey J. Roth, MD, FACS · Answer

These are two different things.Revitalash is an eyelash conditioner that claims to make your lashes appear fuller, (think conditioner for your hair). It is not a medicine. It does not have FDA approval. As of this writing, there are no clinical, scientific trials published in a peer reviewed medical journal.Latisse consists of an established medicine that has been used for years to treat glacoma. They found some glaucoma patients had significant eyelash growth. Allergan configured it to be a topical medicine for eyelash growth. They went through the rigors of FDA approval. The science says that it keeps the lashes in growth phase. Clinical trials showed that it can lengthen eyelashes 25% and thicken them 106%, later with more use, and will darken them.  As of this writing there have been no reports of eye color change with Latisse.  When the glacoma medicine was placed in the eye, rarely someone with hazel eyes and brown spots would find their brown spots more brown.

Lorrie Klein, MD · Answer

Since only Bimatoprost (the active ingredient in Latisse) and other prescription prostaglandins (of which Bimatoprost is a type of) have been scientfically proven to to grow eyelashes, theoretically any eyelash product that actually works to grow eyelashes will have this prescription product in it. Revitalash, and previously Jan Marini's lash product had these prescription products in them, so they would have the same potential side effects as Latisse. But since they were selling their products as cosmetics, not revealing that their active ingredient as a prescription product, they were not disclosing these potential side effects. 
If Revitalash has removed all prostaglandins from their formulation, it will not have the same potential side effects as the prescription product Latisse, but it also will probably not work. Conversely, if it still stimulates eyelash growth, it probably still has one of these prostaglandins in it!
By the way, serious side effects for Latisse are rare and can usually be avoided.

Harold J. Kaplan, MD · Answer

Since Revitalash is not FDA approved, it is not subject to the same disclosure for side effects as Latisse is. 
With that said, we do not believe you will have the same type of side effects with Revitalash as with Latisse because the active ingredient in Latisse is no longer an ingredient in Revitalash. It was removed by the makers of Revitalash after a lawsuit with Allergan, the makers of Latisse. The two products are not similar.

Elizabeth Slass Lee, MD · Answer

You ask a great question. Revitalash is not regulated by the FDA as a medication and therefore not required to warn about side effects the way Latisse is. That does not mean that Revitalash is any safer to use, just that the consumer is not told of potential side effects. Since we have Latisse available, I no longer recommend Revitalash but stick with the FDA approved product.

Sandy Feldman, MD · Answer

Revitalash is a nonprescription product which is also used to enhance eyelashes. As the ingredient in Revitalash is unknown and its safety and efficacy has not been extensively studied, we cannot answer this question well.
Nonetheless, it is entirely possible that Revitalash does contain an active ingredient from a different source that can cause eyelash growth.

Revitalash Disclosure of Adverse Side Effects?

Answers (7)