My Chance Encounter with Konjac / Konnyaku Sponge Ball
I chanced upon the konjac / konnyaku sponge ball when I was setting up stall selling Skinlycious products in a bazaar.
The lady beside me was selling these sponges and doing demonstration on some ladies. She was scrubbing the hands of the ladies and telling them how much smoother and fairer it was after scrubbing with the Konjac sponge. So, I tried it on my hand as well. Honestly, I can’t tell if my hand got fairer and I think the part which she scrubbed and claimed that was smoother looked smoother because it was wet with water.
Below is a picture of the konjac / konnyaku sponge ball. Yes, it’s the same ingredient as the Konnyaku jelly that we eat. It’s suppose to be natural, eco-friendly and the Japanese have been using this for decades.
Benefits of Konjac / Konnyaku Sponge
Here’s a link on some of the claimed benefits of the Konjac sponge.
– Gentle exfoliation. Brings natural shine to your skin.
– Deep cleansing.
– Gentle pH balancing of your skin.
– Excellent smooth texture ideal for even dry and sensitive skin.
– Naturally moisturises your skin when you wash.
This company also did a small trial to show that their konjac sponge do not damage the skin barrier. This is extremely important as over scrubbing/exfoliation with harsh chemicals or cloth will do your skin more harm than good.
In my previous pharmaceutical training, we learnt that our normal healthy skin is actually acidic in pH, about 5.5. Many times, when we have skin problems, such as acne and eczema, it is due to a shift in pH towards being more alkaline.
The benefits of the konjac sponge seems pretty promising. She claimed that she imported these konjac sponges directly from Japan but when I asked if she could prove that, she said I just got to trust her. I am afraid of dubious sources as they might be using bleach or whatever harmful chemicals. Furthermore, such sponges are not regulated by HSA. Even though I am a bit suspicious of the source and I have my doubts whether the slightly alkalinity of the sponge is good for acne skin since acne skin should be using something more acidic instead of alkaline to balance the already alkaline skin, I bought one at $18 and tried it anyway. She had many flavours like strawberry/lavender but I decided to go for original as again I was afraid of the chemicals/additives being added.
My Experience
Because of my pregnancy, I am having a little outbreak, so I am using the Skinlycious Calming Cleanser. It has helped to prevent any further big outbreaks. The lactic acid and lactoserum in the anti-acne wash probably helps to prevent outbreaks as they help to balance the pH of the alkalinity of the acne skin. Anyway, I added a dime size of Calming Cleanser onto the sponge directly and rubbed my face with it. I do feel that my face is smoother after scrubbing with it. It did not feel harsh to the skin as well. I was quite pleased with it.
However, after two days of day and night usage, I realised my skin became significantly oilier. *faintz* I woke up with oily face, especially my nose area and by mid-day, my T-zone became very shiny. I stopped using after the third day when I was sure that the oiliness was getting worse and it was due to the Konjac sponge.
Conclusion
Anyway, my conclusion on the Konjac / konnyaku sponge ball is that it probably does help in exfoliation as I do feel that my skin is smoother. However, it disrupted the balance of my skin, making it oilier.
Maybe, it is just this particular brand of Konjac sponge that I bought. Maybe, it’s because of my sensitive skin. I am not sure until further experimentation. Now, I just have to go back to adding Skinlycious routine. Hopefully, the skin balance will be regained soon.
Update : I tried another reputable brand of konjac /konnyaku sponge. Read more here.