I needed eye surgery after trying a popular beauty hack: ‘Be more aware’

She didn’t see this coming.

A woman contracted an excruciating eye infection that required surgery after attempting to clean her skin with a home remedy she found on TikTok.

Identified only as Aranza, this 22-year-old had been using coconut oil and micellar water to cleanse her face for years.

When she developed what she believed was a sty on her eye, she “let it go,” thinking time was the best medicine.

“I studied [for] two degrees and did not have much time to pay medical attention, so I decided to look for a home remedy,” she told NeedToKnow.co.uk. “I saw on TikTok that with hot and cold water, [sties could be] removed, and I tried to do it but it didn’t work for me.”

She saw two ophthalmologists, and both physicians concluded the coconut oil was the culprit — and that her ailment required surgery.

Now, she’s taken to TikTok to warn others not to take medical advice from other users on the app.

“My message to people who follow advice on TikTok is that you have to get good information from professionals,” the Puebla, Mexico, resident said. “I used the oil for years and nothing happened to me, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t harmful.”

Despite viewers claiming coconut oil has never caused them harm, Aranza said they’re making a “mistake … not opening up and learning.”

“At the end of the day, we have to be more aware and use our own judgment,” she said.

The Post has reached out to Aranza for further comment.

Horrified users were shocked to hear her story, applauding her for her transparency and offering up solvent alternatives.

“Even snake venom is natural but that does not make it good. It is better to use appropriate products available on the market,” wrote one person, according to Jam Press.

“Please, we must be informed, thank you for telling your case, it serves as an example,” commented another.

“Use oils that emulsify with the water. Not cooking oils and so on,” someone else said.

“The same thing just happened to me!!! But for using an oil that makes your eyelashes grow,” one user chimed in.

“And you don’t know how it hurts,” someone else wrote. “Don’t ever put any kind of oil in your eye!!! And wash them every day with baby shampoo.”

“Why did you use cooking coconut oil?” scolded another. “There is cosmetic coconut oil, although micellar water is more recommended.”

On TikTok, creators regularly promote the use of coconut oil as a makeup remover, with the topic amassing more than 10 million views as users tout the so-called natural alternative.

New York dermatologist Dr. Whitney Bowe, who boasts over 1 million followers on TikTok, said that although coconut oil works wonders for dissolving stubborn makeup, it can be difficult to wash off “even if you wash [your face] repeatedly afterward.”

“It can sometimes leave a thin film,” the doc said in a clip from last year. “So, my acne-prone patients often find that using coconut oil — even if they remove it with a reusable cloth or with water — it can actually lead to breakouts over time.”