As someone with sensitive skin, I'm always looking for gentle skin care products. The Korean beauty industry has a lot of awesome products geared toward sensitive skin, so K beauty blogs are my first stop when searching for the latest and greatest. While browsing and looking for news, I came across a crash course on konjac sponges, and I knew I had to try them out.
There's a lot to learn about konjac sponges. They are the tool for gentle daily exfoliation, promising more-radiant skin from the simple act of washing your face. The sponges are made from konjac root, a porous vegetable grown in Asia. The sponges come in different colors, which indicates the specific and different active ingredients in each. In fact, they are so gentle, they were originally used for giving babies baths!
In addition, the porousness of the konjac sponge results in having to use less cleanser, and it's also great for removing makeup. The combination of exfoliating and moisturizing qualities of a konjac sponge sets up your skin to be a smooth, radiant canvas for any makeup you're interested in applying. Now that you know some basics, let's get to the how-to of konjac sponge use and how it rocked my world.
A Few Things You Need to Know to Get Started
Before using a konjac sponge, you have to soak it for 10 to 20 minutes. After the first use, it'll take only a minute or two for the sponge, which will harden again, to get saturated enough for you to use.
Gently squeeze out the excess water. The sponge is very fragile, so don't twist or wring it. You can add a cleanser to the konjac sponge if you'd like, but you can also use it as is.
Gently rub the konjac sponge on your face in upward, circular motions.
Rinse the konjac sponge in cool water. Squeeze out the excess gently.
Hang it to dry in a place where it won't be subjected to excessive light or humidity. Ensure enough airflow to allow it to reharden.
Here's Why It Was SO Awesome
I've recently found myself gravitating toward natural products when it comes to skin care. As someone with super-sensitive skin, I've found too many other methods have had negative effects. Konjac sponges are made from a root vegetable, contain no added chemicals, and are 100% biodegradable. The combination of those factors makes incorporating them into my skin care something I can feel good about.
It's hard for me to exfoliate without my skin immediately showing irritation and major redness. I've even bled from some exfoliating products. The fact that this exfoliates without the scrubby, harsh feeling an electronic face-cleansing brush might leave me with gets me really excited about my future exfoliating adventures.
Having a shelf life of one and a half to two months also makes these sponges a highly hygienic option. If you try to use them more than that, they'll supposedly start to disintegrate. The days of keeping the same washcloth in your shower for six months and forgetting to wash it until you're about to use it are now far behind us, folks!
If you're a beauty buff, beware. You can totally get sucked into konjac sponge culture and spend a pretty penny on these when purchasing from various companies that offer combos and sets. If you're looking to be budget-effective, you can get a basic set of five face-sized sponges for under $20 on Amazon. Body sponges will run you $10 to $15 a pair.
My Skin Adored This Gentle Exfoliation!
I experience dry patches on my skin and the sides of my face, while my T-zone runs more oily. Using the konjac sponge helped on both ends, while most products only cater to one.
As the days went on, my concerns about redness and tiny specs of blood littering my skin faded away. I could wash my face before leaving the house, and it wouldn't look like I'd just rubbed my face with a cactus!
Guess What? The Internet Is Completely on Board, Too
Once I was sure of my love for the konjac sponges, I was intrigued to see what the general perception of them was. It turns out, lots of people out there swear by these slick sponges.
We're not saying to expect miracles, but they have been known to happen (and yes, I'm resisting the urge to break out into song, Princess Diaries-style).
Just look at the smiles a konjac sponge can bring!
I've been a shower puff user all my life, so I thought saying goodbye would be harder than it was. These slimy little suckers are the perfect replacement. They are exfoliating but not abrasive. When properly stored, you don't have to worry about mold or the mildewy smell that some washcloths and other sponges have.
What really impressed me was how easily they removed makeup. A full face came off without scrubbing. I didn't need oily makeup remover, although some tips suggest using a dab of coconut oil on stubborn spots. I'm confident that sticking with these will improve the quality of my skin. I'm excited to see what the rest of the active ingredients in my variety pack will do for my skin. If they live up to their life span, I'll be in konjac sponge heaven well into 2019!
