Greetings! 

So today we’re going to talk about an extra facial care, somewhat of a cleansing tool. Not really that necessary but it has been responsible for the result of my smooth as baby’s bottoms facial skin, I swear. It came in a form of a facial sponge, not just an ordinary facial sponge but this one are made from the root of a natural plant fibers called Konjac Potato or Konnyaku, and yes, this is the famous Konjac Sponge that everyone loved and raved. They are harvested from the cleanest, purest, pollutant free area in Jeju Island, South Korea. Apparently one of my most favorite clean beauty brand, Nicole’s Naturals, has created their own Konjac Sponge (I paid for around IDR 65.000,00, which is way more cheaper than the other well-known brand).

Konjac plant itself contained 97% water which makes them rich in mineral goodness. Naturally alkaline, Konjac sponge is pH neutral leaving the skin perfectly balanced. Think it is as if it was a more sustainable version of the Clarisonic (and yet way more affordable), a gentle daily exfoliator. Usually, Konjac sponge are infused by different types of clay or even bamboo charcoal for different purposes, some for moisturizing purposes, blackheads/whiteheads removal, they even made a special sponge for sensitive skin.

They came in 3 different types of sponge for different purposes:

● Bamboo Charcoal: Exfoliating, massaging, and moisturizing, removing blackheads, oil balancing → normal, oily, acne-prone skin

● Pure: Soft cleanse & gentle exfoliating, naturally moisturizing, encourages new skin cell growth, helps reduce blemishes → normal, sensitive skin

● Red Clay: Improving blood circulation, brightening, hydrating, reducing wrinkle appearance and broken capillaries  → normal, dry, mature skin

They also came in tear drop and half ball shape, but there’s no significant advantages from the different shape available. Nicole’s Naturals also provide a bigger Konjac sponge for body cleansing purposes.

There are things that you should be aware of which is they will come in a very hard and inappropriate kinda form to be use directly onto your face, based on that fact you should moisten your sponge before each application to make sure that your sponge are soft, squishy and are ready to cleanse the dirt out of you

Wetting my sponge under running water are usually what I do on my daily basis before each use, but for the very first time after I bought my sponge I usually soak my sponge in a bowl of clean water for couple minutes for a better sponge expansion (picture above).

(before: sponge covered my ring finger / after: sponge covered my middle and ring finger)

(left: red clay / right: bamboo charcoal (rotten, yuck!)

Also you need to know that this sponge got a shelf life. There’s no exact time period on when we should really replace our sponge but based on my personal experience it’ll usually took around a good 2 to 3 months before I replace it with the new one or before it starts making holes, got discoloration and you’ll feel somewhat hollowness at the center of the sponge, and that’s my friend, when I usually replace my old one with a new one.

Usually I covered my face first with my facial cleanser, massage it for a while with my clean fingers, and then massage my clean (well-expanded) Konjac sponge in a small circular motion all over my face. After each use I usually cleanse my sponge under running water and gently squishing it so the sponge are well cleansed from the remaining cleanser that might still trapped inside. I store the sponge in a open air inside my bathroom, beside my shower, in a little hook. You might think that it isn't travel friendly, however, just squish out the excess water inside, put it inside a small ziplock bag and your little friend Konjac are ready to travel the world with you!

Overall, I freakin’ love this sponge! This is literally my HG (holy grail) beauty product, literally. Especially after I switch mine to the red clay one, oh it’s just brighten up my whole day! Up until now I can’t find any reason to not repurchase another one after mine got quiet rotten every 2 to 3 months and definitely recommend this oh-so-sustainable beauty cleansing tool to all of you. It looks like Nicole’s Naturals official store in PVJ are permanently closed, so I bought them on their little pop up store at Cascade Factory Outlet in jalan Riau, Bandung (you could locate other Nicole’s Naturals little pop up store list on here).

*This review is not sponsored. Truly based on my personal experiences. What works on me, may not work for others. So, feel free and do not be afraid (but be smart) to try out different product in order to find the best fit for your own personal needs!

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