Sandra Bullock Swears By This Beauty Hack Using Preparation H
We recently told you about how Victoria Beckham swears by a facial made with nightingale droppings (yes, bird poo) to help keep her skin healthy, blemish-free, and glowing, so it's clear that celebrities are no strangers to out-of-the-box beauty hacks. If Posh Spice herself is willing to get a face full of bird poo for the sake of beauty, what other seemingly-crazy or unexpected tricks might we learn from our favorite Hollywood A-Listers?
Enter Miss Congeniality herself, Sandra Bullock. At 57 years old, she is just as lovely as she ever was (via Legit). She always looks flawless, yet seems to be aging gracefully at the same time. Many of us would love to know her secrets to staying so gorgeous, but when we tell you one of them, you might be momentarily grossed out. When asked about her best beauty secrets, Bullock once stated, candidly, "Putting butt cream (Preparation H) under my eyes is one of my best beauty secrets, and stops me from getting lines," (via Style Bistro).
If your initial reaction is "Oh my goodness, why?!" We are here to tell you there are actually a few reasons this might work as well as she claims it does. That said, there are also a few really good reasons you may want to skip it.
Preparation H as an eye cream?
Okay, so first let's consider what Preparation H actually is; technically, it is a steroid cream that's used to reduce the swelling, discomfort, and redness that can be associated with hemorrhoids. In order to achieve this, the cream works to constrict blood vessels (via Byrdie). The steroid in the cream that does this is hydrocortisone, which acts as an anti-inflammatory. It's this ability to reduce swelling and inflammation, as well as redness, that causes stars like Sandra Bullock and Kim Kardashian to swear by Preparation H as an under eye cream. But is it safe to use so close to your eyes?
A dermatologist, Dr. Hadley King, weighed in on this and explained to Byrdie that, "Preparation H can hypothetically be helpful for under-eye bags because it constricts blood vessels, which can reduce puffiness." However, and this is a big however: "Preparation H has a number of ingredients that can cause injury if you accidentally get some in your eye, including an increased risk of cataracts and glaucoma," said King. So, this might be something you let the stars experiment with. Instead, consider an eye cream that contains caffeine, which also helps to constrict blood vessels and reduce puffiness.