Grande Cosmetics founder addresses lash serum TikTok controversy
By Bryan Ke
June 10, 2022
The founder of New York-based cosmetic company Grande Cosmetics has addressed the controversy surrounding her company’s trending eyelash growth serum and its adverse side effects, including the loss of monolids.
Several Asian women have shared their experiences on TikTok, saying they had suffered side effects after using GrandeLASH-MD eyelash growth serum for months.
In an email to NextShark, Alicia Grande, the founder and CEO of Grande Cosmetics, said there is “no scientific evidence that ties eyelid fat loss to GrandeLASH-MD or Isopropyl Cloprostenate (ICP),” as some of the TikTok users claimed.
“The claims circulating around social media about GrandeLASH-MD are anecdotal and have not been based on scientific studies or peer-reviewed literature,” Grande said, adding that her company hired ToxServices LLC, a renowned toxicology firm, to perform extensive toxicology studies on the eyelash growth serum.
“We performed a comprehensive toxicological evaluation of the GrandeLASH-MD formulation and have determined that the product is safe for its intended use,” the toxicology firm’s findings claimed, as shared by Grande.
She also addressed the “false comparison” that “led consumers to believe that isopropyl cloprostenate (ICP), the cosmetic ingredient in GrandeLASH-MD, is just like bimatoprost, the drug ingredient in prescription lash serum Latisse.”
“The basis for the comparison is that both isopropyl cloprostenate and bimatoprost are prostaglandin analogue,” Grande explained. “That is about the only thing that these chemicals have in common.”
She also said ICP and bimatoprost are significantly dissimilar, for ICP has a different chemical structure and activity documented in peer-reviewed literature.
“Isopropyl cloprostenate is used in GrandeLASH-MD at a concentration that is significantly less than that of bimatoprost, the drug ingredient used in the drug lash serums,” Grande explained. “For these reasons, these two ingredients cannot be compared to each other in terms of side effects, or otherwise. There is no scientific basis that supports that isopropyl cloprostenate has any of the side effects associated with the active drug ingredient bimatoprost.”
Dr. Prem Tripathi, a California-based plastic surgeon who debunks medical misinformation and explains complicated medical issues on TikTok, posted a video in January advising his followers about the side effects of eyelash growth serum, including fat loss on the eyelids, deepened creases, dark circles and iris color changes.
In a statement to BuzzFeed News, an FDA spokesperson warned consumers about using eyelash growth products that have not been tested or approved by the agency.
“Because these over-the-counter products have not been FDA tested, their safety and effects are not known,” the spokesperson said. “Lastisse is the only eyelash growth product currently approved by the FDA.”
In response to the FDA statement, Grande cited a page on the agency’s website stating that it “does not have the legal authority to approve cosmetics before they go on the market.”
“It is the brand’s responsibility to ensure their product’s safety, which I’ve done through ample standard cosmetic safety testing, a robust toxicology review by Tox Services LLC and over ten years of product sales with overwhelmingly positive customer experiences,” Grande told NextShark.
“Separately, the FDA has reviewed the regulatory status of isopropyl cloprostenate and has permitted products incorporating this ingredient to be marketed as cosmetic products in the U.S.,” she said.
Featured Image via @grandecosmetics
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