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Can Preparation H de-puff your under-eye bags?

Makeup artists swear by it. Mario Devidanovic uses it on Kim K all the time. “It tightens the skin. That’s a really old, old trick. It smells really bad but it works,” he told people who turned up at one his masterclasses.

The bad scent is the least of your problems if you use this stuff on your skin, ladies. Just because it works, it doesn’t mean it’s a good idea. Here’s why:

What Is Preparation H?

Preparation H is a hemorrhoid cream. You’d think that’d put anyone off from using it on their face. Apparently not. Ah, the things we do in the name of beauty…

Its active ingredients include Mineral Oil, Petrolatum and Phenylephrine, a vasoconstrictor commonly used in decongestant nasal sprays.

A lot of Preparation H formulas also contain Hydrocortisone to reduce swelling, itching and irritation.

Related: 5 Mineral Oil Myths You Need To Stop Believing Right Now

Can Preparation H De-Puff Under-Eye Bags?

In theory, yes. Preparation H can de-puff under-eye bags.

Remember when I told you Phenylephrine is a vasoconstrictor? It shrinks blood vessels, so that your skin looks tighter.

Hydrocortisone also plays a part. It can reduce swelling, including under-eye puffiness.

Needless to say, the effects are only temporary. But that’s not the reason why you shouldn’t apply Preparation H on your face…

Is It Safe To Use Preparation H On Your Under-Eye Area?

No. It is NOT safe to use Preparation H on your under-eye area. This stuff is a haemorrhoid cream and it contains stuff that’s not suitable for your delicate under-eye area.

For starters, you don’t want to get this stuff anywhere near your eyes. If it accidentally gets into your eyes, it can be dangerous. If this happens, puffy eyes will be the least of your problems, trust me.

Then, there’s the Hydrocortisone. Its prolonged use can cause all sorts of side effects, like skin thinning, steroid acne and problems with your adrenal gland (the gland that produces steroids in your body).

Prolonged use of Phenylephrine will backfire, too. Overtime, it becomes less effective. Stop using it completely and you’ll have to deal with rebound swelling.

Bottom line: don’t use Preparation H under your eyes. It’s NOT safe.

What Should You Use To Get Rid Of Puffy Eyes Instead Of Preparation H?

Preparation H is only a temporary fix for puffy eyes – and a dangerous one at that. If you want a permanent solution, you need to address their root cause.

This is the point where a lot of experts will tell you to use skincare products with caffeine and other safe vasoconstrictors. I don’t think that works. I’ve tried many of these serums myself and they all failed miserably.

So, what really works to get rid of puffy eyes? The answer may surprise you:

• Sleep: Beauty sleep is real, ladies. If you want your eyes to look fresh and awake, you need to give your body the rest it craves. Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep every night.
• Stay hydrated: Drink enough water and cut back on salty foods that lead to water retention.
• Anti-allergy medication: If you suspect allergies are to blame for your under-eye puffiness, consult a doctor for a proper diagnosis and treatment.

Stop wasting your time with dangerous DYI treatment or useless skincare products. The best treatment for puffy eyes is a good night’s sleep and plenty of water. For real.

Related: Why Beauty Sleep Is NOT A Myth (And How To Get Your 8 Hours’ Rest Every Night)

The Bottom Line

Don’t use Preparation H to de-puff your under-eye bags. It works, but it’s dangerous. Instead, stay hydrated and get a good night’s sleep. It’ll do wonders for your skin.

Have you ever used Preparation H on your face? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Take The Guesswork Out Of Skincare Shopping

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The law is clear: beauty products must declare their ingredients on the packaging.

It’s to keep you safe. If you know something’s in there’s bad for you, you won’t buy it. Crisis averted. Except…

How the heck are you supposed to make sense of that incomprehensible long list of chemicals? It’s not like anyone ever bothered to explain to you what butylene glycol or DMDM hydantoin are and if they should or shouldn’t be there. And why are they making shea butter sound like sperm? Can’ they just say “shea butter” instead of “Butyrospermum Parkii”? Guess that would be too easy.

If you can’t make sense of it, you won’t pay any attention to it. You’ll ignore the list and shell out the bucks for a cream that gives you a bad rash. Damn it! Why is life never easy?

While we’re all waiting for regulators to realise we’re not all cosmetic scientists or politicians to give us a better education (wouldn’t it be fun to learn cosmetic science in school?), here are a few tips and tricks to help you make sense of those hieroglyphics called ingredient lists:

Why should you bother reading the ingredient lists?

A few reasons:

1. Sensitivities and allergies: if you’re allergic or sensitive to an ingredient, a close look at the ingredient list will make sure you leave anything that contains the culprits on the shelves.
2. Personal choice: some of you may dislike the feel of silicones or the harshness of surfactants, for example. If you can read the ingredient list, you can opt for alternatives that better suit your tastes, needs and values.
3. Effectiveness: does a serum really contains enough vitamin C to boost collagen or is there just a drop in it for marketing purposes? The ingredient list will tell you.
4. Dupes: if you can figure out what ingredients make a product work they way it does, you can look for cheaper alternatives (or you can check out my dupes list, instead).

Where Do You Find The Ingredient List?

This pesky thing can hide in a few places:

1. Back of the packaging (most common)
2. On the box
3. In the leaflet
4. Underneath the product label or barcode (follow the arrow – it will point you directly to it)

How To Read An Ingredient List

Now that you know where to find the ingredient list, let’s figure out how to read it. Here are a few rules to keep in mind:

1. Names of ingredients

Ever wondered why those names are so complicated? It’s because they follow the International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients (INCI) system (because if every country had its own system, it’d be even more confusing!)

According to the INCI system, ingredients must be named using their scientific and, for plants, Latin names. Typical, isn’t it?

P.S. The English names are often put in parenthesis to allow you to decipher them a little more easily.

2. Order of ingredients

As a rule, you need a generous dollop of an ingredient for it to work its magic. If you put only a drop of two, they won’t do much for you (retinol is a notable exception).

But how can you tell if the brand has skimped on your precious vitamin C or green tea? Pay attention to the order of ingredients

The Federal Trade Commission dictates that ingredients have to be listed in order of concentration, from the highest to the lowest.

Exceptions:

• Ingredients that are present at a concentration below 1% can be listed in any order.
• Colour additives, no matter what their concentrations are, can be listed in any order, after all the other non-color additive ingredients (usually, you find these at the very bottom).
• In the case of drugs (like sunscreens), the active ingredients must be listed before the other ingredients.

Related: What’s The Difference Between A Cosmetic And A Drug?

If an ingredient doesn’t make the top 5, chances are it’s not gonna do anything for your skin.Click to Tweet

3. Spotting Low concentrations

You now know that anything that is present at concentrations of 1% or less can be listed in any order. But, how do you know where the concentrations start to be this low?

There isn’t a precise rule, but there are several guidelines:

• The rule of 5: usually, it’s the first 5 ingredients that make up the bulk of the formula. From 6th onwards, concentrations start to be low.
• Preservatives: these are used in 1% of less, so anything that comes after them will be present in trace amounts, too.
• Fragrance: ditto. Anything that comes after perfume is at 1% at the most.
• Natural fluff: if you see a list of chemicals at the top followed by a bunch of natural extracts, you know the latter is there just for show. All that natural goodness won’t do too much for you.

4. “And other ingredients”

Have you ever noticed that some labels use the phrase “and other ingredients”? It means that certain ingredients are considered “trade secrets” and don’t need to be revealed on the ingredient list.

Perfume is the perfect example. Any fragrance is made up of 100 ingredients or more. Most of them are harmless, but some are known allergens. Yet, if everyone knew what’s in Chanel n.5, for example, it’d be only a matter of time before someone copied it. Secrecy’s needed to protect the formula.

Exception:

If a perfume contains known allergens (and almost all of them do), these must be disclosed on the packaging. Usually, they’re at the end. You’ve probably seen them often. Examples include limonene and linalool.

I hope this post has helped you decipher those confusing ingredient lists. Do you ever pay attention to them when you shop for something new? Let me know in the comments below.

Take The Guesswork Out Of Skincare Shopping

Get access to the “Pro Skincare Library” for exclusive skincare routine “cheat sheets” and tricks to help you navigate the beauty aisles jungle like a pro and immediately know what to pick off the shelves to achieve the gorgeous skin of your dreams – even when you’re drowning in an endless sea of skincare products.

Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription and get access to the skin library.

Drink your 8 glasses of water a day and your dry skin’s cured. Healed. Banished. You won’t have to deal with it ever again.

That’s how the myth goes. But, if it were that easy to get rid of dry skin, then why are people still suffering from it? Are they not drinking enough water?

Not really…

Skin Needs Water

Skin needs water – no doubt about that. Water makes up about 60% of your body, and just like all your other organs, skin needs its fair share to function well. And, we need at least 2 liters a day, according to the experts.

Can’t bear the thought of drinking that much water? You don’t have to. Food contains water too, so you can get part of your needed daily intake from it. Cool, huh?

Of course, if you want to drink your 8 glasses of water every day, go ahead and do it. Water is my fave drink (boring, I know!), and I always keep a bottle on my desk and one in my bag. I drink at least 1.5 liters every day, BUT I drink it when I’m thirsty, not to improve the condition of my skin.

Here’s the deal: when your skin has all the waiter it needs, it’s natural softer, plumper and brighter. But when you drink more water than your body needs, you’re not helping cure your dry skin. You’ll just spend more time in the bathroom.

If getting rid of dry skin were as easy as drinking 8 glasses of water a day, no one would still be suffering from itClick to Tweet

The Missing Piece

Dry skin desperately needs hydration. Water hydrates, so the more you drink, the more hydrated your skin is, right?

Wrong. The REAL reason dry skin is dry is because it can’t retain moisture well.

You see, your skin has a natural protective barrier than keeps moisture in. If this is damaged (and when you have dry skin it IS damaged) moisture evaporates.

It doesn’t matter how many glasses of water you drink everyday, adding water to the skin without fixing its protective barrier first is useless. The moisture you put it will simply go out again.

Related: The Best Skincare Routine For Dry Skin

SHOP BEST PRODUCTS FOR DRY SKIN

The Bottom Line

Drinking 8 glasses of water a day may be good for your health, but it won’t cure dry skin. If that’s what you’re after, you’re better off using occlusive moisturisers to repair your skin’s damaged protective barrier.

What are your thoughts on the myth that drinking more water cures dry skin? Share them in the comments below.

Take The Guesswork Out Of Skincare Shopping

Get access to the “Pro Skincare Library” for exclusive skincare routine “cheat sheets” and tricks to help you navigate the beauty aisles jungle like a pro and immediately know what to pick off the shelves to achieve the gorgeous skin of your dreams – even when you’re drowning in an endless sea of skincare products.

Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription and get access to the skin library.

Ecooking Sunscreen SPF 30 and I got off to a rough start. It literally made me cry for 3 days in a row.

Turns out, my under-eye area can’t stand it. But the rest of my body digs it. A LOT. Here’s why:

Key Ingredients In Ecooking Sunscreen SPF 30

Chemical UV Filters For Broad Spectrum Sun Protection

Ecooking Sunscreen SPF 30 uses a bunch of chemical filters to provide broad spectrum protection sans the white cast:

Fun fact: After 20 minutes in the water, this sunscreen still has up to SPF 16. Good to know you’re not entirely unprotected, is it?

Related: Is Avobenzone In Skincare Safe?

Aloe Vera Extract To Soothe Skin

Sunscreen goes a long way in protecting your skin from UV harm. But let’s face it: after a day in the sun, your skin’s gonna be a little dry and sensitive.

That’s where Aloe vera comes in. This plant has two superpower that come in handy at the beach (and everywhere else):

• Hydrating: It draws moisture from the air into the skin, keeping it soft and supple for hours.
• Soothing: It has anti-inflammatory properties that calm down irritations, reduce redness and soothe sunburns.

Aloe vera is the base of Ecooking Sunscreen Factor SPF 30, so there’s plenty of it here to do the job well.

Related: 4 Natural Ways To Treat A Sunburn

Let’s Put It To The Test: Personal Use & Opinion

Ecooking Sunscreen SPF 30 has a lightweight texture that sinks in quickly on my dry body skin, drying down to a soft matte finish.

But I can’t use it on my face. *sighs* My t-zone is a little oilier, especially in the hotter summer months. All that extra heat seems to send my sebaceous glands into overdrive and pump out way more oil than usual.

The sunscreen works fine on my cheeks, but it doesn’t settle on my oilier t-zone. Worse, it has the tendency to travel into my eyes. Ouch! This stuff stings like crazy, it made me cry 3 days in a row.

For me, Ecooking Sunscreen SPF 30 is strictly a body sunscreen – and it does a good job at that. It’s not the most hydrating, but it leaves my skin soft and safe from sunburns.

In case you’re wondering, there’s no white cast. It’s white in colour, but it just melts into your skin. It doesn’t clog pores, either.

The best part? It’s waterproof, so you can splash around in the ocean or go for a swim without fear your sun protection will melt away. But do reapply it afterwards!

One more thing: the sunscreen has a lovely white floral texture. You know it, I prefer my skincare fragrance-free (scents have the potential to irritate sensitive skin), but I have to admit this one smells really nice. It hangs around for a while, too.

Available at: £28.00 at Cult Beauty, Feel Unique and Look Fantastic

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Have you tried Ecooking Sunscreen SPF 30? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Ingredients: Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract *, Coco-Caprylate / Caprate **, Octocrylene, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Glycerin *, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Alcohol **, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Propanediol **, Aqua **, Phenoxyethanol, Cetyl Alcohol, Polyurethane-62, Trideceth -6, Pseudoalteromonas Ferment Extract, Xanthan Gum **, Sodium Hydroxide, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract **, Perfume **, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Phytate **, Citric Acid **, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Salicylate * = organic · ** = natural

Take The Guesswork Out Of Skincare Shopping

Get access to the “Pro Skincare Library” for exclusive skincare routine “cheat sheets” and tricks to help you navigate the beauty aisles jungle like a pro and immediately know what to pick off the shelves to achieve the gorgeous skin of your dreams – even when you’re drowning in an endless sea of skincare products.

Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription and get access to the skin library.

What are the best Dr Jart+ products?

The Korean brand has taken the beauty world by storm thanks to its innovative rubber masks, eye-catching packaging and fun approach to skincare.

But what catches your eye isn’t necessarily what works best for skin. The hardest-working ingredients are rarely sexy.

I don’t want you to fall for the hype. Here’s a quick guide to the best Dr Jart+ products so you can skip the fancy duds and go straight to the underrated highlights:

Best For Anti-Aging: Dr Jart+ Peptidin Firming Serum With Energy Peptides ($48.00)

Dr Jart+ Peptidin Firming Serum With Energy Peptides is loaded with peptides, little molecules that tell skin cells to act and behave younger. For example, they trigger them to produce more collagen, hydrate skin etc… Problem is, most of the studies on peptides come from the manufacturer, so we don’t know how well peptides work yet. So why did I include this serum in this list? It’s packed with other goodies: niacinamide to reduce wrinkles and dark spots, algae and other plant extracts to fight premature wrinkles and glycerin to hydrate skin. Unfortunately, it also contains lavender and bergamot oils, which can be irritating for sensitive skin.

Available at: Look Fantastic and Sephora

Related: The Truth About Peptides In Skincare: Do They Really Work?

Best Moisturiser: Dr Jart+ Ceramidin Cream ($48.00)

Dr Jart+ Ceramidin Cream takes its name from ceramides, oily waxes that make up part of your skin’s protective barrier. Ceramides waterproof skin: they trap moisture into your skin, keeping it hydrated and helping it withstand the assaults of the elements. Plus, the cream has shea butter to moisturise skin and its fair share of antioxidants to prevent wrinkles. I just wish it didn’t have bergamot oil (it can be irritating for sensitive skin). But hey, you can’t have everything, right?

Available at: Look Fantastic, Selfridges, Sephora and Yes Style

Related: Are Ceramides The Key To Healthy Skin?

Best Mask For Oily Skin: Dr Jart+ Dermask Micro Jet Clearing Solution ($9.00)

Dr Jart+ Dermask Micro Jet Clearing Solution can’t make pimples disappear overnight. So how does it help oily, acne-prone skin? It has niacinamide, a form of Vitamin B3 that soothes inflammation (the root cause of acne), reduces redness and fades away dark spots pimples leave behind. Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate is a form of Vitamin C that targets both wrinkles and acne. It fights free radicals and reduces sebum oxidation (a main cause of acne and inflammation). Plus silica to absorb excess oil and hyaluronic acid to hydrate skin. It’s the perfect cocktail for your skin type.

Available at: Asos, Selfridges, Sephora and Yes Style

Related: Is Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate The Best Form Of Vitamin C For Oily Skin?

Best Mask For Dry Skin: Dr Jart+ Water Replenishment Mask ($6.00)

One of the few Dr Jart+ masks without alcohol or essential oils, Water Replenishment Mask is a godsend for dry skin. It’s loaded with humectants, ie. ingredients that draw moisture from the air into the skin – and keep it there. Hyaluronic Acid is the best at this: it holds up to 1000 times its weight in water! All that extra moisture plumps up your skin so your fine lines look smaller, softens its texture and gives you a radiant glow. Plus, the mask has chamomile to soothe irritations.

Available at: Sephora

Related: What The Heck Are Humectants And Why Do You Need Them In Your Skincare Routine?

Best BB Cream: Dr Jart+ Black Label Detox BB Beauty Balm SPF 25 ($36.00)

First things first: Dr Jart+ Black Label Detox BB Beauty Balm SPF 25 can’t detoxy skin. No skincare product can. That’s a job for your liver and kidneys. But it’s still one of the best BB creams out there for fair skin (it can look a bit ashen on darker skin tones). The silky texture glides smoothly on the skin, providing a light, soft matte coverage that hides minor flaws without looking dull or flat. It’s loaded with antioxidants to fight wrinkles, arbutin to fade away dark spots and titanium dioxide + zinc oxide to provide broad spectrum sun protection. All bases covered.

P.S. If you want to use this BB Cream in place of sunscreen, you have to use it like a sunscreen. That means applying 1/3 of a teaspoon for face and neck.

Available at: Sephora and Walmart

Related: Do Cosmetics With SPF Provide Adequate Sun Protection?

What do you think are the best Dr Jart+ products? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Take The Guesswork Out Of Skincare Shopping

Get access to the “Pro Skincare Library” for exclusive skincare routine “cheat sheets” and tricks to help you navigate the beauty aisles jungle like a pro and immediately know what to pick off the shelves to achieve the gorgeous skin of your dreams – even when you’re drowning in an endless sea of skincare products.

Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription and get access to the skin library.