If you’ve seen these little pink egg-like sponges everywhere, it’s for good reason.
Beautyblender sponges are amazing for foundation application. People (including me!) love them because they are easy to use, kind of fun, and actually do a great job with blending everything in. And it’s reusable, so that’s less waste.
But unless you’re okay with breakouts, that means taking good care of them and cleaning them regularly. Aim for at least once a week, but truth be told, I do mine after each application. Yes, it’s a lot to ask, but I break out otherwise.
Blendercleanser
I bought the Beautyblender starter kit that came along with a Blendercleanser, a gentle soy-based formula that won’t ruin the sponge, but that does remove pigments, oil, and dirt. It has a light lavender scent that does not linger on the sponge after it dries. It is also low-sudsing, which is important because rinsing the soap out of the sponge is quite a job. I have used it to clean my other makeup brushes too, and it works quite well. But, my friends, it comes with a hefty price tag. So when it runs out, I’ve got another plan.
DIY Makeup Cleanser
You don’t actually need more than a gentle dish soap or shampoo to clean your Beautyblender (you can even use my makeup brush cleanser), but avoid bar soap, bleach, or harsh cleaning agents. I’ve heard that facial cleanser works well, but if you use an expensive one, you may not want to waste it that way. In any case, the key is getting it completely rinsed. Get every last sud out of the sponge before letting it dry.
Steps to Cleaning your Beautyblender:
1. Dampen the sponge slightly. You don’t want it soaking, but you do want it moist enough to take in the soap.
2. Dab a dime-sized amount of Blendercleanser or solution onto the stained areas.
3. Massage the soap into the areas, pressing and kneading it well. Use your fingertips to really work it in there.
4. Add water and start to rinse. Squeeze the sponge rapidly and work the stains out. Keep going until the water runs clear with no suds. In my experience, this takes a long time, and with dish soap or a sudsy shampoo this will take even longer.
5. Gently roll the Beautyblender in a clean towel to remove moisture, then lay it flat to dry. (If you kept the pedestal it came with, you can set it there to dry.) That’s it!
What are your Beautyblender cleaning tips?
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Dish soap or liquid hand soap work well but you have to rinse, rinse, rinse.
Organic coconut oil pulls it all out of the blender for me then I follow with Dawn ultra and it works perfect !!
Tried using shampoo. It sorta worked. There’s still some foundation in it so I’ll try wash it again tomorrow. Just noticed a tiny rip in my beauty blender while washing it
I use watered down Dawn Ultra the blue one & it works amazing for me!!! Just make sure you wash in hot & rinse really good in cold.
Thanks for sharing 🙂
Oh yeah most important part—Squeeze BB dry by squeezing really hard with microfiber rag/towel.
Hi, so I washed my beauty blender with shampoo, and now it doesn’t want to get back to the shape it was, if I squeeze it it stays like that and does not get back to its normal shape
Help me please, tell me what to do
U must still have soap in it.
Mine acted like that and puffed up to a larger shape but after I let it dry, it returned to its usual size.
yeah i agree you might just still have soap in it.
I use a bar of Dr. Bronner’s castile soap to clean mine. Seems to work fine, lasts forever and much cheaper than the BB brand cleanser.
I went to Blue Mountain Village in Collingwood, ON and used the complimentary soap to clean my sponge. Not only did it clean it, it got rid of all the previous makeup that I couldn’t get out with other cleansers!!! I had tried shampoos, baby bath soap, hand soaps of all kinds but nothing worked as well as this little round complimentary soap. I scooped up all the opened soaps and a brand new one. When I got home, I used it on my make up brushes. When I used to clean them, I’d have to do it a few times to get them really clean. With this soap, two passes and they are clean. The soap is “nourish a spa line renewing body bar”. Looks like a brand mainly sold to hotels.
Could you use some vinegar to cut the soap if you use too much?
The bad thing about it is that the sponge tends to rip open like a sponge would do…
Will you do a packing video for packing a beauty bag (quart-size baggie) for a carry-on and your tips in staying healthy on an airplane for a long flight haul?
I washed mine with face wash thinking it would work and it grew almost 2 times its original size which means there is still liquid in it but i can not get any more out it is drying right now but i’m afraid, what should i do?
Wrap it in a hand towel then stand on the towel. Your body weight will help the towel absorb it. Stomp it out! Lol
Hi Melissa,
I don’t know what’s up with my beauty blender. I got a white one, and after a couple uses there is a huge green spot all over the bottom which I don’t know how it got there because I haven’t used anything green on it. And there are black spots on it as well, and I haven’t used anything black on it. Please help.
That definitely sounds like mildew or mold. I would throw it away ASAP and get another one! Please don’t put that on your face! The reason this probably happened was you cleaned your sponge and it was still damp. You probably stored it in a closed / non-ventilated area, and it trapped in the moisture and caused that. My sponge came in a little plastic cylindrical container, so what I do is after I wash it thoroughly, I also dry it a little more with a towel, and then place it on TOP of it’s little container. After a few hours, I turn it back over on the opposite end to dry that end too. Or you could simply just leave it sitting out flat to dry to make it easier. 🙂 I have pets and roommates, so I never leave mine unattended. Good luck to you!
That means that it’s growing mold!! Please throw it away! Maybe you didn’t squeeze out all the water after cleaning it?
That’s mold
That is probably mold on your beauty blender
That’s mold. You need to throw it away, and make sure that when you get a new one to leave it out on a towel to dry so that it doesn’t catch mold if you leave it to dry in a closed container.
Hey, it sounds like your beauty blender has gone moldy. The first BB I bought grew black/green spots after a few weeks use as I didn’t let it fully air dry before putting it into container. When you’re drying your BB, squeeze ALL moisture out and leave it somewhere to dry for a few hours before putting it in its container/makeup bag…hope this helps 🙂
I hate to say it but u will need to throw the sponge away, it has mold n can not be removed . Next time when u wash ur future beauty blender make sure u leave it out in a well ventilated area to fully dry .
That’s means a mold or fungus is growing.
That is mold
Great info Melissa! I use all of your suggestions to clean my sponges and I also use Clean Apothecary brush cleaner and it works like a charm! Keep up the great work!
Great, to the point and understandable
just tried with my face cleaner, works ~~~~ thank u sooooooo much
We use baby shampoo! 🙂
Very helpful
hi!i want to ask if i can use fresh,pure aloe vera(from the leaf) in the hand gel.sorry for posting this comment here,but i couldn’t post it on the actual article(don’t know why..:() thank you!
Hi Melissa-
I just came across your site a few nights ago and it is great. I’ve looked through your videos, but maybe I missed the answer to my cleaning problem. Here it is: I bought an older house (built in 1930s) and it is great. One problem is that there is old, ground-in dirt stored up in the corners. I’ve tried vinegar on q-tips, knives on rags, this dirt just doesn’t want to leave. Do you have any tips for me?
Try sprinkling some baking soda in the corners then spray with vinegar. Its a natural bubbling/scrubbing agent????