Beauty Review: The Konjac Sponge

I love Japan and I love natural and organic beauty products, so it was no surprise when I found out about Konjac Sponges had to try them! The Japanese are admired worldwide for their meticulous, ritualistic beauty regimes and for a country which is famously hi-tech it may be a little surprising to discover that many of their most beloved beauty products have been around for centuries. Cue the Konjac Sponge...


So what is a Konjac Sponge? The lovely folks from the Konjac Sponge Company describe it as follows:
“A face and body sponge like no other! Made with 100% natural konjac fibre; from the root of the Amorphohallus konjac plant. A naturally moisture rich plant, which is by nature, alkaline. Its natural alkalinity balances the acidity of the skin and its oils. The unique net like structure of the sponge gently massages the skin and stimulates blood flow and new growth of skin cells, leaving the skin extremely soft, clean and refreshed.”The Japanese have been using Konjac for over 1500 years and it’s no wonder with all the claimed benefits of Konjac. The Japanese have been using Konjac for over 1500 years and it’s no wonder with all the claimed benefits of Konjac.
I was very kindly sent the Konjac Sponge with added bamboo charcoal for oily or spot prone skin to try. I was surprised at how big it actually was! I was expecting something the size of a cotton pad you would use to remove your nail polish or make-up but it’s much bigger!
The sponge was packaged in a little plastic pouch which helps to keep the sponge nice and naturally moist. It has a little string loop attached which is great for hanging it up to air dry after use (note though that the sponge never dries out fully and it’s not supposed to!). I've tried using my sponge in a number of different ways and I’ve found that what works best for me is to fully drench the sponge in water, gentle squeeze out the excess water and then add a splodge of cleanser directly to the sponge. The sponge does work great on it’s own without cleanser, especially on no make-up days but I find the use of cleanser helps to shift stubborn mascara and longer wear eye-liner a bit easier! My sponge smelt of clay and I found that it softly and gently exfoliated my face with none of the grittiness of an exfoliating products or scratchiness of a muslin cloth, making this a great buy for anyone with sensitive skin.
After using my sponge my skin felt smooth, plump, clean and hydrated and not remotely dry or tight, which is come after using products designed for oily skin. I feel like this sponge helps to balance my skin rather than stripping it completely. My sponge retails for £6.50 and there are other sponges for other skin types available for the same price e.g the Konjac French Red Clay Sponge is perfect for dry skin. A sponge should last anywhere between 1 month and 3 months depending on how you use it and how well you look after it!
It’s a little weird, it’s a little wacky but the Japanese are renowned for their beautiful skin and 1500 years of using a product which doesn’t work would be a little bit bonkers wouldn’t it? This product was gifted to me but I will definitely be spending money on more of these sponges once my sample sponge is past its best.
If you currently cleanse your face using just your hands you’ll notice a big difference with a Konjac Sponge. Your cleansing will be deeper yet still gentle.  
*I was sent a Konjac Sponge for free to trial but my opinions are 100% my own and it would take more than a £6.50 sponge to get me to give a false positive review of a product!*