Konjac sponge

Konjac is a porous root vegetable – Amorphophallus Konjac – native to Asia. The plant has been known since the 6th century and has been used in medicine, food and skincare for almost 1500 years in Japan, Korea and China. It is a perennial plant, growing from a large corm up to 25 cm (10 in) in diameter. 

The dried corm of the konjac plant contains around 40% glucomnannan gum – a polysaccharide making konjac highly viscous and possibly responsible for its putative health benefits connected with Traditional Chinese Medicine, detoxification, treatment of skin disorders. The dietary fiber from the corm of konjac is also used as a component of weight loss supplements.

In skincare, the sponges were invented by the Japanese farmers, who used to wash delicate babies’ skin.

It is well known that konjac is beneficial for weight loss. Konjac is made mostly of water, it is low in calories, containing only about 7kcal per 100g. Since glucomannan – a polysaccharide constituting 40% of konjac – expands when it is mixed with water, it promotes a feeling of fullness.

Apart from weight loss, this dietary fiber boosts the activity of probiotic bacteria in the intestines and is thought to help maintain a healthy bowel. As a consequence, konjac is expected not only to prevent skin problems but also reduce the risk of various diseases. It is also found to prevent increases in blood cholesterol, osteoporosis and high blood pressure. It contains calcium – 43mg per 100g (exactly the same as cabbage) – a mineral that plays an essential role in the growth of bones. It is also rich in potassium (33mg in every 100g of konjac) – a mineral that promotes the excretion of excess sodium (salt), considered one of the causes of high blood pressure.

Because they are very gentle, konjac sponges are ideal for daily cleansing and exfoliating. Depending on your preferences and needs of your skin, you can use them twice a day or twice a week – instead of of brushes, scrubs, or other harsh tools.

Konjac sponges are recommended for daily cleansing, removing dead skin cells, but also for unclogging pores, especially with oily and acne-prone skin.

They are generally considered safe for most skin types. They gently exfoliate without excess irritation.

When it comes to choosing the best type of konjac sponge, the most important is to consider your skin type:

• The natural, white konjac sponge – with no added ingredients – might be the best solution if you need something gentle and nonabrasive
• A konjac sponge with bamboo charcoal will work for mixed and oily skins, prone to spots and acne. It detoxifies, purifies, absorbs excess sebum
• A konjac sponge with pink clay will work best for those it’s dehydrated, greyish skin.

The research from 2013 by the American Journal of Dermatology and Venereology has concluded that konjac is “effective as a treatment of mild to moderate acne” when used on the skin.

After each use, you need to clean your konjac sponge under running water, squeezing it multiple times.

When it’s clean, make sure to squeeze all the excess water out of the sponge, so it does not harbor any bacteria.

After the excess water is out, hang the sponge to air-dry in a well-ventilated area. Don’t worry when the sponge starts to break down – it is absolutely normal since konjac is a fibrous root. The sponge will regain it’s full round shape when soaked with water again.

Once a week, you can drop the sponge in a bowl of boiling water for a couple of minutes to sanitize it.

Depending on how often you use it, it’s best to replace your konjac sponge about every 4 weeks.

If you use it more often, consider replacing it after 3 weeks, and if you only use it a few times a week, you may be able to stretch it to 8-10 weeks.

Always make sure to clean your sponge after using. Rinse it with running water, squeezing multiple times. When clean and with no water inside – hang it to air-dry.

Because Konjac sponges are 100% natural and biodegradable, they can be composted along with your vegetables, fruit and plant remains.