**REVIEW** Wonderpiel Konjac Sponge

The Konjac sponge is one of the trends in skincare. I've tried more than a couple and, while I like the idea, I was concerned that the quality can vary so greatly. Some of the sponges are great, and some of them are basically garbage. That's what happens with a type of product that gets trendy real fast: too many of that item come out with a lot of speed and a loss of quality.

The WONDERPIEL Konjac sponge is one of the best. The main thing that makes it stand out is that it's so pliable and soft. I tried one other sponge that was much to dry and rough-feeling for my preferences. Another plus to this one is the size, which is perfect for face care and fits well into my hand.  Also nice is the string that's attached so you can hang the sponge closeby in the shower. By the way, this sponge is infused with activated bamboo charcoal.

Dry sponge

 This product description says that the sponge is best for sensitive skin. I think that's true (because this one is so soft), but you still have to be careful not to use it too vigorously. The first time I used this one, I probably didn't realize how deep it cleans (again because of the softness). I kept going over the same spots on my face - especially my chin and nose. It wasn't until I finished and was rinsing my skin that I realized I'd rubbed some spots to the point that they were a little raw and sensitive. I have learned that I only need to rub the sponge over my face a couple of times (and with very little pressure) and still get the smoothing and cleansing benefits.

My elbows love the sponge. I notice that my elbows will get dry and scaly if I don't tend to them. My left elbow is the worst because I tend to rest it on the arms of chairs while I write with my right hand. When I finally thought to use the sponge on my elbows, I realized that it gets rid of the roughness without being really abrasive - if I don't over use the sponge.

Now on to the one thing that bothered me about this particular sponge: because it's softer than other sponges, it does tend to wear around the edges where I grasp it most. I had some little pieces of it start to break off after a while. Still, I'd rather deal with that and get the benefits of something that is gentle and works than to use those other skimpy, rough sponges that I've found.

Wet sponge. Ready to use.

All the pros of that sponge outweigh that one tiny drawback. Plus, the cost really makes it worth replacing (or getting a couple at a time). The price when I received mine was $10. And that's with a 100% money-back guarantee. Win. Win.

Peace
--Free

DISCLOSURE: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

**REVIEW** pureSol Konjac Facial Sponge

You might remember my saying that the Konjac fiber was going to be a trend. Well, I have now been lucky enough to try Konjac more than once. This time, I tried the Konjac Facial Sponge

from pureSol.

Good thing in a small package

I can't help but think that these are perfect stocking stuffer gifts!

As I just said, this is not the first Konjac sponge I've used. The Konjac fiber seems to be a beauty care wonder-find and I just know it's going to trend in 2015.

This sponge by pureSol is a quite small and handy. I do prefer something a little bigger because I tend to be clumsy with small items, but my friend loves this one especially for its size.

shown dry & still in plastic wrapping
(along with the handy hook)

On top of the amazing things this does for your skin, another thing to love about the Konjac sponge fiber is that it's natural, and is eco-friendly. This particular one is produced to be softer and better suited to super-sensitive skin (again, my friend loves this part the most).

It's so gentle that I opt to use it only on my face and neck because it wouldn't be as exfoliating for the rest of my body. Where the other sponge I tried is big enough (and more exfoliating) for all-over use on a once-weekly basis, this one is perfect for regular use on extra-sensitive skin. It is shaped nicely for working around the contours of the face. My personal routine is to use this sponge daily to get ride of the blackheads and pores around my nose area. I use the other sponge less often.

It took quite a bit of soaking for this sponge to soften up for use and it didn't expand very much once it was ready. Even though the fiber is soft and gentle, the sponge is very firm and seems like it will last quite a while.

There are lots of reasons that folks are going to love what this sponge does for their skin but there are additional positives:

1. Natural fibers (biodegradable), and
2. No added chemicals
3. Cruelty free & vegan
4. You can compost the sponge, (try adding it to your flowerpot)
5. Even the packaging is 90% compostable

Another nice little touch was the suction hook for handy attachment. For me, I like the idea that this sponge is effective but still gentle enough for daily use on my face. I can see a difference in the amount of icky blackheads on and around my nose. 

Check out more about the sponge on Facebook and on pureSOL's site. They also have a Konjac sponge that's infused with bamboo charcoal.

When you start hearing all about Konjac next year, remember that I predicted the trend! 

Peace

--Free

DISCLOSURE:
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

**REVIEW** Oleavine Konjac Facial Sponge (for skin)

I'm going to go ahead and say right now that this Konjac Sponge from Oleavine is about to be a trend in face-care products. Even though the word "Konjac" makes me think of computer hacking, I am pretty hyped about this sponge.

Looks like a pumice stone, right?
Feels that way -  until wet.

Very thick and, well, sponge-y
(The string is for hanging & drying)

Why do I like this so much? Well,for one thing, like most folks I like the way my skin feels after a good exfoliating scrub but hate the idea of abrading it with razors or other harsh tools. (Maybe that's just me, but didn't your skin crawl a little at the word "abrading"?)

Before I got the chance to review this sponge, I'd never heard of anything like it. I wanted to try it out because I like the idea of cleaning my face without too many soaps and additives. I definitely like the idea of using something as gently as a sponge.

After my first use, here is what I like most about the Konjac sponge & why I think it will be the next beauty trend:

• Easy to use. Just rinse & wring, then massage your skin with it.
• Clean. No need to add soaps, oils or other cleansers.
• Sensitive. Does not scrape at the skin the way most exfoliating/scrubbing products can do.
• Affordable. In the $10 price range on Amazon. It's supposed to be replaced every 2-3 months.
• Can use on your face or all over your body if you want.

If you just want to try this out, know that Oleavine offers a 100% money-back guarantee and they encourage customer feedback, which is always a good thing.

Since I tell you guys way too much about myself, I might as well let you in one the one super-annoying beauty problem I have: blackheads. Right on the tip of my nose. I am always tweezing and scrubbing at those pesty little things. The blackheads were the first thing I checked for after using the sponge. They are mostly gone, no tweezers or scrubs required.

Oleavine has other sponges (with different properties), but this particular sponge is infused with Bamboo Charcoal which contains activated carbon and minerals. According to the product box, this will purify the skin and draw out anti-oxidants.

I can verify that when I didn't have to use as much of my facial moisturizer after I treated my skin with the sponge. I guess because I had cleared away some of the dead skin that was blocking my face cream. Not sure, but I like the overall results.

Add to that the fact that these sponges are natural, eco-friendly and bio-degradable and I think even more people will want to give them a try. For the super-concerned folks, these sponges are not tested on animals and are vegan-approved.

I had a question about whether or not I needed to remove my makeup before using the sponge. Someone else asked and received their answer on the Amazon page. The answer is that, basically, you don't have to remove makeup beforehand. Some folks use the sponge as the remover. Nice.

One thing I will point out: in my case, I have sensitive skin and I can tell that I will only be able to use this on my face maybe once a week. I plan to use on my lips and other less sensitive areas of  my body more often. My knees and elbows? Oh, they are going to get a daily treatment!

You know your skin better than anyone so I will only recommend that you use the sponge just as often as you would use any other exfoliating product. At least, until you can tell how your skin will react. I noticed that it doesn't take a lot of massaging of the facial area to get good results. I went over my face twice when once would have been fine. I could tell when I noticed a slight sensitivity in one spot. I'm guessing that the natural state of your skin (oily, dry, or combo) will be a factor in how often you can use this. That makes sense because, according to the labeling, this product is supposed to be especially effective for "oily and acne-prone skin".

Like I said, I think this is going to be the new beauty trend, but it's one I can say I like.

Peace
--Free

P.S.: By the way, "Konjac" is the name of the fiber used in the sponge. Once I did a quick search, I found quite a bit of information online about this fiber and the various ways in which it's used (and some hazards of eating the fiber...)


DISCLOSURE:
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.