I hope that got some attention because it’s a literal translation of today’s review — 氷こんにゃくこんにゃくスポンジ ( which says ice konjac sponge) but the “ice” part is just a metaphor as the sponge is rock solid when it is dry but it is indeed made of konjac, a Japanese potato that is often made into jelly for desserts or noodles that are seen as a low-calorie diet-friendly food product.

Known for its fibrous content, it’s no wonder that it can be woven into a sponge. Here is how it looks semi-dry…

I don’t have a picture of the sponge in its rock-hard solid state but it looks like a very rough hard sponge not unlike those for scrubbing tough stains on pots and pans. I’ve to say Nic Nic from bangbangsheshoots got me thinking about a more serious cleansing routine in her post on the foam net, muslin cloth, and a basic wash sponge.

Honestly, I just wanted to get something similar to the orange sponge she featured on her post because she said it was travel-friendly and does the job. I went to my local Tomods down the hill from my apartment and found a white sponge that looked like it had the same texture, but I really had no idea I bought a konjac sponge — what a lovely surprise!

The packet says bright/glowing ball which is the brand of this konjac sponge and says this is gentle enough for babies and for washing the face, and that it is 100% plant-based.

The instructions are really simple — dip the sponge into warm water, wait for 3 minutes (actually it takes only less than a minute for me), and it’s ready to be used. For the care directions, it is advised to hang the sponge outside after use so it can dry naturally and it should return to its original rock hard state.

I’m just guessing that being so dry and hard would prevent mould and bacteria from festering — I could be wrong but the “caution” part of the instructions says that if the sponge is not completely dry, “black spots” will grow.

Now time for the effectiveness of this konjac sponge: I love it. I only use it in the morning and is more gentle than the Clarisonic (which I only use once a day at night). It solves my problem of getting rid of excess oil and other crap that accumulates on my skin overnight in a gentle way. The angular shape of this sponge allows it to get into crevices the Clarisonic cannot reach, e.g. the curves between my brows.

I use an extremely light hand and the Hada Labo es Foaming Facial Wash provides enough cushion for this extremely soft exfoliating ritual. I then just follow up with a generous douse of the Hada Labo es Milk which I also use on my eye area.

This routine has helped more clogged pores from happening and my skin feels really smooth. Overall, my skin is alright considering the fact that it’s the time of the month.

My skin is at a strange place right now — it’s very sensitive from the horrible breakout I suffered on my wedding day and all the Naruko, Clinique, Kiehl’s, Jurlique, Eucerin, CerVe products I had been using on my skin leave a burning sensation. It’s really horrible so I decided to stick to very basic skincare products from Hada Labo es range (except the cleansing liquid: I’m using Mutenka Cleansing Oil now) which is formulated for sensitive skin.

My skin has calmed down a lot but with the lack of hydrating grunt from my “stronger” products in this autumn weather, my “oily-dry” skin has been acting up — more clogged pores; oilier complexion, so I decided to focus on cleansing to ride this yucky period out. I think a month of this should do the trick and I’ll slowly introduce my beloved brightening and anti-aging serums back into my regime.

As a last note, I found a website in English that explains the benefits of konjac sponges here if you would like to read more about konjac sponges.

-

“Like” us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter or subscribe to our RSS feed or Youtube to get the very latest updates, giveaways, and promotions.

No related posts.