Konjac Sponges seem to have become very popular with beauty bloggers (both green and otherwise!) so I was really looking forward to finally trying it out when when I got one in abeautifulworld’s Autumn/Winter beauty box a couple of months ago (see here).
If you haven’t heard of Konjac Sponges before, they’re interesting little things made from the Konjac vegetable fibre. It’s 100% natural and is found natively in Asia, particularly cultivated in Japan and Korea for food but it also grows wild at high altitudes. The Konjac plant fibre is naturally alkaline, so the sponge it’s perfect for cleansing with to balance the acidity of skin impurities and oils.
The Konjac Sponge Company has a whole range of sponges with different clays added to give different properties; Red Clay for dry and sensitive skin, Pink Clay for tired and devitalised skin and Green Clay for normal to oily skin. The sponge I have is with Green Clay which helps to absorb bacteria and oils from the skin.
Just like some of the standard sponges you might be used to, the Konjac Sponge hardens when it dries. You need to re-hydrate it with warm water until it’s fully saturated, then simply use it to cleanse the skin in circular motions. After I’ve cleansed my face with it I rinse the sponge, gently press out excess water between the palms of my hands (never wring it out as it can be easily damaged!) and hang up to dry.
Having to hang it up to air dry after use is probably the one and only downside of this product for me. My bathroom gets quite damp so I don’t like to keep it in there – I end up hanging it in various random places around the house instead! I’ve been using my sponge for 2 months now and it still seems in good condition. They can last anywhere between 1-3 months depending on how well it’s treated so I must be taking good care of it! The sponge is biodegradable, so you’ll know it’s time to get rid of it when it starts breaking down.
Personally I prefer to use the sponge on it’s own in the morning, but it can also be used with cleanser to remove makeup later on in the day. I really like this particular Konjac Sponge, but my skin is more on the dry side at the moment with the colder weather so I’m intrigued to try the sponges with pink or red clay to see if I can notice a difference in terms of how it helps my skin. I also like how they’re affordably priced at £6.99 (available with free worldwide delivery from LoveLula) and they can last up to 3 months if you take care of it well!
Have you ever tried a Konjac Sponge? What do you think of them?