Preparation Ache

As I've mentioned previously, I have sensitive skin. And when I say "sensitive," I mean my skin is allergic to damn near everything. After many trials, many errors and many, many rashes, I finally have a skin care regime that works. It involves a lot of Neutrogena products and copious amounts of aloe vera gel.

Sometimes, though, I forget that I'm not like normal people in the epidermis department. In college, for example, I'd find myself in Bath & Body Works with my old roommate and former best friend, smelling something that carried the chemical-laden scent of fruit, and wanting to purchase it so I could wash my body with it and also smell like chemical-laden fruit.

"No," she'd say sternly, taking the bottle of shower gel, or lotion, out of my hand. "You know you're allergic to that. It will make you all itchy."

She was right, of course. Sometimes I listened. Sometimes I didn't, but I'd always wish I had.

I didn't sleep very well Thursday night. When I woke Friday morning, my eyes were red and puffy. I remembered that tip I'd read a thousand times -- Preparation H applied under the eyes to reduce swelling and dark circles. I headed out to the drugstore and procured myself some of the vile-smelling ointment. And it worked!

Sometimes, when I go out late, I commit the most cardinal of beauty sins -- not washing my makeup off before bed. I woke Saturday morning with burning eyes. I looked in the mirror. I had two swollen, red welts that looked like the beginning of two black eyes. I interrogated The Young Man, and he assured me that no, he did not in fact punch me in both eyes while I slumbered.

It hurt too much to cover up with makeup, so I walked around all weekend with red, stinging undereyes. And it's STILL red. And it STILL hurts like a motherfucker.

It did work, though. If you don't have sensitive skin, you might want to give it a try. To be on the safe side, though, I'd say don't keep it on for a full 24 hours.