Rhiannon Ingle
There's nothing better than doing your make-up after an 'everything shower' followed by your extensive skincare routine as your hair sets before a night out.
However, you may want to think twice about using a certain popular make-up applicator after one woman made a pretty grim discovery.
Beauty and style influencer Kaitlyn, who goes by the handle @mycorneroftheuniverse, took to TikTok to share with her 5.1k followers an extremely urgent warning to check their beauty blenders after finding mould in hers. Have a look:
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The overlay text read: "Cutting open my new beauty blender to see if there's mould," and she captioned the short clip: "Lessee wats inside."
In the clip, Kaitlyn filmed herself cutting up her pink beauty blender with a pair of scissors only to reveal several clusters of mould encased inside.
Yikes.
The video has since gone viral after clocking up more than 15.2 million views on the platform with hundreds upon hundreds of comments from people eager to share their reactions to the reveal.
Understandably, everyone was beyond grossed out by Kaitlyn's grim discovery with one viewer hitting out: "THAT'S POSSIBLE??"
"I'm gonna cry nooo," penned a second.
A third chimed in: "WHAT omg you need to get a refund!"
"UR TELLING ME THAT'S MOULD ON MY BEAUTY BLENDER," quipped a fourth while a fifth admitted: "I had no idea this was a thing!"
A final TikTok user added: "Time to go check my beauty blender."
I think it's best that we all do that.
So - to answer the question we're probably all wondering: how likely are you to have mould inside YOUR beauty blender?
Well, Saffron Hughes, a make-up artist at FalseEyelashes.co.uk, revealed: "You'll be surprised to hear that mould growth in beauty blenders and other makeup sponges is quite common.
"Mould growth can be attributed to several factors. Firstly, the porous structure of beauty blenders and makeup sponges allows them to absorb dirt, oils, and leftover makeup residue, creating an environment where mould is likely to grow if the beauty blender isn't regularly or adequately cleaned.
"The porous material also makes beauty blenders more susceptible to moisture and humidity, so if it's stored in a poorly ventilated room - such as the bathroom - this can also encourage mould to grow."
The MUA explained that mould, when combined with dirt and grime, can clog pores and bring on an array of other skin problems, including breakouts, skin irritations, redness and more.
So, be sure to look out for black spots or specks on the sponge's surface.
"Sometimes, there's also this musty or weird smell that comes along with mould," Saffron warns. "If you see small or large dark spots or catch an odd whiff, chances are it's mould, and it's a good idea to toss the blender to avoid spreading any nasty germs and bacteria onto your skin."
To prevent a mould beauty blender, Saffron says you should clean it after every use, make sure it’s thoroughly dried, make sure to store it properly and, last but not least, to buy a new one every three months.