There is no doubt that under-eye bags are annoying and difficult to combat without spending a fortune. But the product featured on the Dr. Oz Show today called the Pseudoephedrine Swirl can be made at home inexpensively and it works great! (Click for video of this segment)
As reported by Dr. Susan Evans on the show, the Pseudoephedrine Swirl provides an instant eye-lift right in the comfort and privacy of your own home. This simple concoction can visibly reduce under eye bags and wrinkles in a matter of minutes and has the added advantage of being very affordable! It contains Pseudoephedrine dissolved into an eye cream, and for maximum results the eye cream should also contain gamma-Aminobutyric acid (GABA).
Ingredient #1: Pseudoephedrine
Pseudoephedrine is a product that is widely available and can typically be purchased in any pharmacy. However, users do need to be aware of the fact that this product is controlled under the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act of 2006 (CMEA). While Pseudoephedrine is an over-the-counter product and is used in many allergy medications and decongestants, you will need to request it directly from the pharmacist. Pseudoephedrine is an ingredient used in making methamphetamine, so laws have been enacted to limit sales to reasonable quantities designed for personal use. Because of this, you will be asked to show identification and sign a form; quantities are restricted on a daily and monthly basis.
To make the Pseudoephedrine Swirl you need to be sure that you get the pills without a red coating; otherwise you will have to wash this coating off. The pharmacist may look at you a little oddly when you request Pseudoephedrine without the red coating, but some people are allergic to red dye so it’s a valid request. The Wal-Mart “Equate” brand of Pseudoephedrine HCI in the 120mg Extended Release tablets does not have a red coating. That is what I used as I happened to have some in the house.
If you can’t find any Pseudoephedrine without a red coating, then you can simply rinse them under water until most of it is gone. The pills will still be slightly pink, but that’s ok. It’s actually slightly advantageous to have the tablets slightly damp too, as it helps the medication dissolve better.
Once you have your Pseudoephedrine, simply crush one tablet into a powder. If you have a mortar and pestle in your kitchen you can use that, but you’ll need to be sure you wash it thoroughly before using for food again. As an alternative, pill crushers are cheap and easily purchased at the pharmacy. You can also buy them online at pet stores, since crushing pills for animals is one of the main uses for them.
Ingredient #2: Eye Cream
For best results, you will want to use an eye or wrinkle cream that has gamma-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) as an active ingredient; however, this is not absolutely necessary. It just produces better results. Some brands to consider are:
You can also buy GABA as a supplement
and add some of that to your regular eye cream. I have not tried this yet, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work.
There has been some confusion over whether wrinkle creams that contain dimethylethanolamine (DMAE) are the same as those containing GABA. Scientifically, these are not the same ingredients at all, and according to Wikipedia, DMAE is only recently been studied in humans. I personally would not buy a wrinkle cream that uses it as an active ingredient, no matter how much cheaper the product is. Dimethylethanolamine is primarily used in industrial processes, such as curing polyurethanes and inhibiting corrosion.
Combining the Two Ingredients
Simply mix your ground up Pseudoephedrine with about 1/4 teaspoon of eye cream. Be sure that the Pseudoephedrine powder is completely dissolved in the cream or you will end up with a dry residue under your eyes. I found that getting the crushed powder to dissolve was the hardest part of making this Swirl, and I ended up adding a little drop of water to assist.
Gently apply this Pseudoephedrine Swirl under each eye and in about five minutes you will see visible results. The amount of cream you need will depend on how much you typically use, but about 1/4 teaspoon should be sufficient.
The results you get will generally last about twelve hours, so you want to repeat the process every morning as part of your regular beauty routine.
To make the application faster, you can make a batch of Pseudoephedrine Swirl in advance. I used one 120mg tablet to about a half-ounce of cream. If you’re using the smaller dose red tablets (with red coating washed off), then 6 tablets per ounce of cream is about the right ratio. Just keep it sealed tightly in between uses. I used a small sample-size jar from Clinique to store my Swirl in, and I found that it finished dissolving completely after sitting overnight. I have to stir it with a q-tip in the morning, but given how difficult it was to dissolve the Pseudoephedrine, I think making it in advance is definitely the way to go. I used all of mine up in about two weeks, and it worked just the same on the last day as it did on the first.
I could not afford the expensive eye creams that contain GABA, so I just mixed it with my usual face cream. When dabbed under my eyes in the morning I noticed a significant reduction in puffiness. When I squint a little, the wrinkles were not nearly as noticeable.
A youthful appearance is important for many people and finding effective and affordable products can help keep one looking and feeling their best. It is certainly good to know that a simple Pseudoephedrine Swirl can be prepared for a fraction of other anti-aging products and it delivers decent results in a matter of minutes.
