Inquiring minds want to know, does Preparation H reduce puffy eyes?  This is a great question, and a MUA trick that is as old as the hills.  We’ve already established that just, because things are done this doesn’t always mean that they are always safe. So I turned to chemist extraordinaire Desiree Mattox of Envie Labs to burst this myth wide open.

With that being said the short answer is yes, sort of.  You see, Preparation H  contains fixings that can restrict blood flow, where ever it’s applied, and swelling goes buh-bye once blood flow is brought to a screeching halt.

Now we are getting to the sort of.  This bootleg trick is not 100% fool proof, because the puffy mess under our eyes is not always caused by increased blood flow.  Since a quick-fast poofy eye diagnosis does not exist. Your lovely MUA is figuratively stabbing in the dark, and the hemorrhoid potion may or may not work.  So not a good look.

The main ingredients are phenylephrine and/or hydrocortisone.  Hydrocortisone is a topical steroid. Your MD is definitely not going to recommend that you use topical roids for an extended  period of time.  They have a tendency to thin the skin, and make it sensitive. Who needs sensitive, red, puffy eyes? Yeah, Not me!

Since skin is already thin under the eyes, and this “quick fix” can complicate  things.  I am rolling with the must avoid on this one. What do you use to reduce puffy eyes?

This blog post is dedicated to: Amanda J.  thanks for the topic.