What is a konjac sponge?
A. It’s a sponge made from konjac root, a natural plant fiber. Are you familiar with shirataki noodles? They’re made from the same konnyaku root/yam!
How do you use a konjac sponge?
A: It’s so easy. You just wet it. With water, it becomes soft, and well, spongy. Rub it on your face in gentle circular motions and rinse. If you use a cleanser, make sure to rinse it out of the sponge very well. Hang up and let it dry.
How long does this sponge last?
A: It’s suggested to replace these every 3 months OR earlier if you notice that the sponge is broken or worn out.
3 months?! That’s gross. How do I sanitize this thing?
A: You can boil it in water (in a microwave or stove top) for 1 minute (wet sponge) or 2 minutes (dry sponge). I’ve read from other companies to replace every 4 to 6 weeks. Since I’m grimy, I’m thinking it’ll be best for me to replace every 4-5 weeks or at least demote my face sponge to a body sponge.
Dew Puff is a line of dry konjac sponges (which have a longer shelf life than pre-moistened varieties). They’re slightly larger than my palm (3.5 by 4.5 inches when dry). They’re available in three varieties:
Original – for all skin types
This is straight-up konjac sponge with no additives. It almost looks like Styrofoam when it’s not wet.
Asian Clay – for dry, flaky skin types
This one is enriched with clay to remove impurities.
Bamboo Charcoal – for oily, blemished skin types.
This one is enriched with bamboo charcoal.
As you can see from the pics, each sponge has a string attached so you can hang it up to air dry after use. A lot of people use the Asian Clay and Charcoal varieties without a cleanser (which is probably great if you care about having a low pH cleansing routine).
My thoughts: I am so surprised by how much I love these things. When wet, they have these very pleasing squishy, rubbery, bouncy feel. They are incredibly gentle. I do use it with my cleanser. Because this is a sponge, I use so little of my cleanser when I use this. But, I still feel clean and slightly “buffed”. I also feel like it does a great job of removing sunscreen from my face. My skin just feels cleaner without feeling drier. I was worried that even gentle manual exfoliation would be too much for me daily, but so far I’ve been using this for a few a weeks and my skin seems really happy.
In comparison to other konjac sponges I’ve bought in the past (granted, they were cheaper), Dew Puff’s are much better. They’re thicker and feel more durable. Plus, they have more of a squish and seem to dry out faster after using (which is a good thing).
If you’re into natural skincare, these are most definitely worth checking out. It’s like a cleanser and gentle exfoliator in one (No skin-ripping walnut shells! No microbeads to gag fishies!). If you’re not into natural skincare, that’s fine too. I still recommend these, especially if your skin is sensitive and you suffer from dry skin flakes. I also think if you have oilier skin with blackheads, this could be a great thing to add to your routine. I actually think all skin types could benefit from this.
Each variety retails for $8 and is available on Amazon. And here’s a store locator.
Additional info: These are made in Korea.
Want more reviews? Try…
*Disclaimer – Product provided by the brand. I am not financially compensated for my reviews. My opinions are my own. Pics are mine. Post contains an affiliate link. Thanks!
Oooh, thank you for this timely review! I need to revamp my skincare routine, and one thing I’ve been wanting is a good face sponge. I’d love to give these a try.
Thank you for your sunscreen posts as well–I know I need to be better about wearing sunscreen/wear more (I wear a face sunscreen pretty religiously in the summer, at least)–but I l o a t h e the way almost all sunscreen feels on my skin. I have a list of the ones you recommended and I’m going to give them a try.
I’m loving these right now. My skin has felt so grimy but I can’t handle harsh cleansers. This gives me a “deep clean” without irritation or messing with my skin’s pH.
The most important thing with sunscreen is to find one you love and wear it. It usually takes a few unsuccessful tries 🙂
[…] and higher SPF. My favorites weren’t exciting but were useful. Oh, I did start using a konjac sponge and love […]