No one knows who started this silly rumor but it is mentioned in model Diane Iron's popular book 'The World's Best Kept Beauty Secrets.' Irons claims that many middle-aged celebrities use Preparation H to maintain their youthful looks. Supermodels reportedly swear by it, saying that this hemorrhoid cream gives them an instant lift when they are bothered by eye bags.

Apparently, the people who use Preparation H believe that if it can shrink hemorrhoids, it will also work for bulging eye bags. Promoters claim this is due to two ingredients: shark oil and a live yeast cell derivative called Bio-Dyne Skin Respiratory Factor. But the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) didn't buy that story and ordered the manufacturer Whitehall-Robbins Inc. to reformulate the product.

At present, US versions of Preparation H no longer carry these ingredients but you'll still find them in the Canadian and European versions. Instead, the American version has phenylephrine HCI 0.25 % - a vasoconstrictor that some dermatologists said will constrict capillaries and temporarily reduce dark circles and puffy eyes.

Dr. Debra Jaliman, a clinical instructor in dermatology at New York's Mount Sinai School of Medicine said phenylephrine 'tightens facial skin by temporarily constricting blood vessels and shrinking under-eye tissue - the same way it constricts and shrinks rectal blood vessels and tissue.' However, a Whitehall representative said Preparation H is not meant for the eyes and shouldn't be applied there.

Since the skin around the eyes is thinner, it's more sensitive and prone to adverse reactions that can occur from the ingredients found in Preparation H. There have been reports of irritation, burning, and itching among others.

'I would not recommend using Preparation H for puffy eyes. Every time I tried it, it burned and I had to rush to the sink and wash it off with cold water. The skin around the eye is very thin and sensitive, unlike the other area Preparation H is used for,' said one user in eHow.com.

'Instead of seeing miracles, all I saw was that my face was turning redder and redder and the pouches under my eyes were getting bigger instead of smaller! Finally, when my face started burning and itching all over, I washed off the darn stuff as fast as I could. For two days, my face was swollen and raw... hardly the results I had expected! Believe me, I was so disappointed by the failure of Preparation H to do what Irons claimed it would do that I vowed never again to use it. Not on my face and certainly not on any other part of my body!' said another disappointed user at MyDoctor2.com.

If you are tormented by eye bags, dark circles, swollen eyes or fine lines and wrinkles, don't rely on hearsay or your next door neighbor for advice. One product worth looking into is Eyevive, the safe and natural way to reverse the signs of aging. Eyevive moisturizes and strengthens the skin around your eyes to help reduce eye bags, wrinkles, and other skin problems. For details, check out