This strange gelatinous sponge piqued my interest when I first heard about it on Reddit and I had to get my hands on it. I bought a Missha Konjac Sponge from the eBay seller iamlove-shop for $5.12 (USD) with free shipping. There are many different brands that sell this sponge but the original comes from The Konjac Sponge Company. I’m still trying to get my hands on one of the originals for a comparison but $15+ (CAN) is a bit steep for me at the moment. If anyone finds one for less than this let me know! I might even have a little something for the person that can find me a decently priced original konjac sponge!

Anyways, back to the point! The most important thing to look for when shopping for one of these awesome exfoliating tools is for at least 90% konjac. This one is 100% and personally I prefer it over my 90% Ecotools sponge. You can get different additives in the sponge but from my research I have found that the additives do nothing and you shouldn’t pay extra to get a sponge that has them. This is just an opinion though, so if you like the additives, get them!

The Sponge:

The dry sponge:

When dry, the sponge is pretty hard and is roughly half the size as it is when it is wet.

The wet sponge:

When wet it feels heavy and soft, it’s got a weird jelly feeling. It’s just really cool! You have to feel it for yourself!

How to Use:

To start, you soak the sponge. It should feel squishy and, well, spongy! Then, you rub it in small circles on your face to exfoliate. You can use cleanser with it but you don’t have to. This sponge is gentle enough to use around the eyes too! After, you rinse it, squeeze out the extra water and let it dry. It is important to remember not to twist it to wring out the water as this will tear it. Just squeeze it like you’d squeeze your hand around a big wad of cash!

My Thoughts:

I love this thing! It leaves my face nice and smooth, it isn’t too rough and is easy to use, it’s easy to care for and pretty cost effective compared to some other exfoliating tools. It is a nice addition to my beauty routine and I use it with my normal cleanser, right before I use my BHA exfoliant. If you’re considering buying one but have been waffling back and forth, go for it! If you’ve never heard of it, try it! I will definitely buy more of these as needed.

Where to buy:

eopenmarket.com: $3.00 USD, shipping is $3.80 USD (to Canada and the United States).

Innisfree sponge at Cosmetic-love.com: $6.94 USD, free shipping. This sponge is 100% konjac as well.

The ebay page where I bought mine.

The Original Sponge

Retailers of the original sponge

Edit: Thank you to user Sharkus_Reincarnus for these links to Amazon sponges for those of you that are in the United States.

Winstonia Facial Sponge for $1.95 (USD) + $2.99 shipping. It comes in a 3 pack for $5.89 + $2.99 shipping!

Extra Info:

Konjac is alkaline and because of this it is supposed to help balance the pH of your skin while exfoliating and cleansing. If taken care of properly it should last 2-3 months before needing to be replaced, longer if you take really good care of it. You can increase the lifespan of your sponge by pressing/squeezing the excess water out of it and not wringing it out, rinsing it well after use, and by allowing it to dry out between uses. Allowing it to dry can be difficult as I find that the side against the surface it’s resting against doesn’t dry. I do hang mine and this helps though. You can also disinfect the sponge by boiling it for a few minutes but this should be done only when needed, as it breaks down the fibers faster.

When it does start to break down it can be composted as it is completely natural! Some people even us it in the bottom of potted plants to help retain moisture!

(All reviews and statements are my honest opinions, and all products are purchased by me unless otherwise explicitly stated.)