The other day I was watching one of my favorite natural bloggers, Genevieve from Mama Natural describe her usual nightly routine. In it, she mentioned something called the Konjac Sponge. She said that since she started using it, she has stopped using soap on her face and loves this sponge because it's biodegradable AND it made her skin super smooth and soft. I had to try it.
I've always had semi weird skin. In elementary school, my mom started selling Mary Kay. In third grade when I started washing my face, my mom and I were both perplexed as to why my skin started getting worse and worse. More specifically, why was I looking like Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer (I had a huge, yes, HUGE zit on the tip of my poor 8 year-old nose)? After showing my mom my routine, it turns out I had been using the moisturizer to "cleanse" my face. UGH.
Then, in middle school when I started to get "bad" skin, I started using Mary Kay's hip, new, specifically teen line, Velocity. My face continued to feel the woes of puberty. I came across a pink book with cutesy skin recipes that promised to clear up my skin. I tried some, but never really continued with it.
High school was more of the same, except this time I used Proactiv. Then I went to the dermatologist and got weird, burning creams that needed to be kept in the fridge, burned my pillows, and made layer upon layer of my skin instantly peel as soon as I went into the sun. Then I went back to Proactiv and also started using Murad, obsessively using the toner on my shiny, oil-slick skin and constantly dabbing my face with paper towels to soak up the oil. I always joked that I could make millions if I could sell all the oil on my face to the US. I'd be rich AND solve the conflict in the Middle East. Outwardly I would joke, but inwardly, I hated looking at myself in the mirror. At this point I became obsessed with scouring the Internet for "acne cures." I would spend hours and hours trying new, DIY, natural cures...nothing really worked, and besides: how could I possibly change my diet? That would never work! Right?
In my junior year of high school, I BEGGED my mom to allow me to start using birth control. I wasn't interested in sex. All I wanted was the smooth, clear skin that birth control companies proudly advertised as possible if I started taking those little pink pills.
So, my skin kind of cleared up (sort of), my boobs got bigger, and then I gained weight and had weird mood swings. Birth control sucked. Back to square one. What I did notice was that laying out seemed to really clear up my backne (acne on my back), and I loooved laying out so I did that a lot.
When I was 18, I left home to start my new life as an adult. I moved to the East Coast and had an insanely stressful job. Whether it was the climate change, the water, being stressed out constantly, or a million other variables, my skin EXPLODED. It was awful. The sort of good thing was that if you were looking at me straight on or you were taller than me, you would never know that I had major skin problems other than having super shiny skin. I had never had such big, deep, cystic-type acne until I moved out there, but luckily (?) for me, it all resided just beneath my chin, in the high neck area (is that even a place?). Although no one could see it, my neck freaking HURT and my face was still one big oil slick with random dry patches. I still pored over acne cure websites with the biggest piece of advice being to give up dairy and sugar, but I told myself, "HA, that's totes impossible. No way."
When I turned 19, I then made a big purchase: a Clarisonic (cue the angels singing). This, I just knew, would be the answer to my prayers (yes, I absolutely prayed that my skin would clear up). Lo and behold, the Clarisonic worked temporarily and then was a huge disappointment. I finally decided that, maybe, just maybe changing up my eating and trying something as awful as oil cleansing (*GASP!!!* Isn't oil going to CLOG my SKINNNUH?).
Super long story even longer, I did try it. I did a Whole30 challenge and swore off dairy, legumes, grains, and sugar. I also oil cleansed with extra virgin coconut oil and toned with Bragg's apple cider vinegar (ACV). My skin definitely cleared up, but I was still semi-oily. I slowly stopped using the ACV all-together, and there were actual times when my skin felt dry, yes, dryyyy. Super weird.
Then, I got pregnant, and every time I would touch my skin, I swear I heard angels singing. My skin was smooth, bright, acne-free, and just about as perfect as I could ever hope for. Fast forward almost a year, and I have had incredibly dry skin and felt like my skin was never smooth enough, but thank you God, it has still been amazingly clear. While I'm not following the Whole30 or even Paleo to a T, I almost never have dairy and consume mostly whole, nourishing foods with very minimal sugar. Don't get it twisted, I still very much enjoy my cheats, and sometimes I enjoy them a little too much.
So now, back to the other night when I was watching Genevieve do her thing. I saw the Konjac sponge and pounced on it as soon as I found it on Amazon. For $10, it's a great purchase. It would still be a good product for $20, but $10 is definitely the sweet spot for pricing. I have now used it twice, and my skin feels hydrated, smooth, and so, so, so soft! Both times I haven't used soap or moisturizer or anything (which I never do now, to be honest). Yet somehow, my skin feels fantastic.
The Konjac sponge not only makes my skin feel incredible, but it is also bio-degradable, environmentally friendly, and has naturally occurring antioxidants. It is literally the root of some plant...THAT'S IT. Not only is it making my skin feel and look great, but it's also safe to use on my son. Apparently, this is a really popular product in Asia that has been used for...well, forever! So here will be my routine from now on:
-Wake up, get the konjac sponge wet and gently wipe my face with the sponge in small, circular motions
-Maybe put on makeup, maybe not and go about my day, touching my face every so often to admire how soft it and dewy it is and how oily it is most certainly NOT.
-At the end of the day, if I have makeup on, use coconut oil to dissolve it, then follow with the first step
-If I have no makeup on, then repeat the first step and go to bed (and maybe use some rosehip oil here and there)
So, that's going to be my new plan for now, and hopefully from now on. I'll keep you posted on the results. So far though, this mama is beyond ecstatic and will be buying one for her mom, sisters, and besties.
That being said, have you tried the Konjac Sponge? What's your current skincare routine? I'd love to hear about it! Until next time!
