Thursday, June 12, 2014

Introduction to Konjac and Not.a.sponge Konjac Sponges Review and a Giveaway!

Konjac noodles

What is Konjac?

Konjac is a fibrous vegetable that grows in parts of Asia, including Japan and Korea. As food, konjac root is an alternative to gelatin or seafood. Konjac noodles are also popular in Asian dishes. Konjac jellies (also called konnyaku) are very chewy and yummy as desserts! It consists of 97% water and is rich in vitamins, minerals, and fibers which helps to keep us satiated. It's alkaline nature balances our body's pH and it is very low in calories and contains no sugar, making it an ideal food for dieters and those with diabetes. It is also gluten-free. Konjac also has a prebiotic effect on our digestion, which promotes the growth and nourish the good bacteria in our digestive tract.


Konjac noodles

In skincare, konjac is made into natural sponges used to cleanse our skin. Its soft, alkaline, moisture and mineral-rich nature makes it a gentle yet very effective tool to exfoliate, detoxify, re-balance our skin's pH, promote oxigenation, stimulate blood flow, as well as nourish our skin naturally. They are so soft yet textured enough to remove dead skin cells, rejuvenate, and stimulate new skin cell growth. There are not many natural products that we can use to exfoliate the skin around the eyes, but this sponge can. 



I've had the privilege to try konjac sponges from not.a.sponge and I must say I'm in love with these puffs! My skin feels so smooth, refreshed, and glowing! It is indeed a secret recipe for a radiant complexion!

Not.a.sponge sponges are grown in the prestine waters of Jeju island in Korea, a place marked as a UNESCO World Heritage and that produces some of the purest water in the world. Their konjac sponges are grown in volcanic rich soil and they are:

100% natural, earth, and skin friendly
100% handcrafted
100% bio-degradable and fully sustainable
100% cruelty-free and vegan

Not.a.sponge sponges come in three options:

1. In The Raw Pure: suitable for normal skins and is excellent to use for bathing new born babies.
2. Volcanic Power Puff: great for more sensitive skins as it contains volcanic clay to soothe and calm the skin.
3. Bamboo Charcoal: recommended for men or more oily skin.



How to Use Konjac Sponge?

1. Wash your face with warm water to open up skin pores. Cleanse your face with a natural cleanser if you are wearing heavy make up or sunscreen. 
2. Soak the sponge in warm water until it is soft. It is best to not add any soap on the sponge to let the nutrients from the sponge work itself into the skin. The sponge also degrades faster if soaps are used.
3. Massage your face and neck with the sponge in circular motions.
4. Rinse, wring out excess water, and hang to air dry.
5. Sterilize in boiling water once a week for one minute to keep it clean.

The fibers in konjac helps to unclog pores and remove the dry flakes from sun burns. The mineral content in the sponge lessen overtime and the sponge starts to disintegrate after about two months or so of use. When the "holes" in the sponge get bigger, it is time to replace.

Thanks to not.a.sponge, five winners will receive one In The Raw Pure konjac sponge each (worth US$10). To enter, simply:

1. "Like" Pasture Living Facebook Page

2. "Like" Not.a.sponge Facebook Page

3. Comment on this post on why you'd like to win a konjac not.a.sponge and leave your email address. If you are uncomfortable leaving your email publicly, send me a message through Pasture Living Facebook page.

4. Like and share this giveaway on your Facebook page and tag a friend.

Please make sure you follow all 4 steps and let me know that you have done so.

This giveaway will end on 18 June 2014 Singapore time and the winners will be announced through email. Open to Singapore residents only.

Good luck!

Disclosure: Not.a.sponge provided me the konjac sponges for review and giveaway. No monetary compensation was received, and all opinions are my own.


11 comments:

  1. I've switched over to using raw honey as a cleanser for a year and have seen the results. The only thing that's missing in my skincare routine is exfoliation. Hopefully this konjac sponge will help :)

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  2. The need to frequently exfoliate my face T zone more than once a week has been the drive to test out several commonly available facial exfoliator products in the market. Although they successfully exfoliate, most of them are too abrasive for my sensitive skin. They cause redness and they sting temporarily. If this natural konjac sponge works on my skin, I believe my family members will be converts to this product as they also have similar skin condition!

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  3. Wow! this is the first time for me to read about this Konjac sponge and first time for me to know konnyaku is from konjac jelly.
    I would love to win this giveaway and try konjac sponge on my face.
    Thank you for sharing. My email is mx.marglim@gmail.com

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  4. This is great news. I have a pretty sensitive skin (i.e. dry skin) and hopefully Konjac not.a.sponge will make my skin better especially with its natural and softer texture compared to the rougher sponge on the market that could easily scratch your face. I would love to try this product. Pls email me at octopuz_89@yahoo.com.sg. Thanks.

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  5. I really want to try this Konjac sponge! It's easy to use, natural and skin exfoliating especially around my eyes area which tends to be very delicate. I can't wait to have a smooth and glowing skin. Hope I can win this giveaway!

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  6. This sounds like a great sponge for my father who has eczema and hives and my brother who has acne! My father has tried lots of things and hopefully this would help. Would love to introduce them to natural and effective products!

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  7. Hello ci Vicky, thanks for sharing! I'd absolutely love winning one! Staying home for most of the time with an active 14 month old could easily be an excuse to one's neglecting facial care (both for hygiene and aesthetical purposes hehe.. well that's the negative one) and a reason for switching from chemical-packed facial products to natural and healthy ones.
    This konjac just solves the matter perfectly, don't you agree? ;)

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  8. Woaaa, this a totally new thing for me Vic =D Have been trying to use natural facial product only for the face =) And this is really worth trying, I think. Thanks you!

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  9. Woww…This is the first time I heard about Konjac Sponge… Love at first Sight =)

    I think is every girl’s dreams to have a natural beauty with a natural beauty product without chemical contains.

    Plusss… this Konjac Sponge is so cute and easy to bring everywhere I go….

    Wedding preparation is quite tiring and I believe Konjac Sponge could help me to maintain my natural beauty skin ^^

    I can’t wait to win and try this product ASAP and have a smooth, refreshed and glowing skin!!!

    Without winning and trying this product I won’t know the effectiveness =P


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  10. i use sponge to clean my face regularly after facial wash. if i can try on not.a.sponge and find it satisfying, why not switching to it then? :D

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  11. What an awesome news about natural beauty!! Vicky was the one who introduced me to healthy living. Slowly I began to switch to organics and more of natural beauty products. Great hopes I can win this Konjac sponge. If it works out for me surely I will recommend to my husband who has quite severe eczema. Hope my skin will be as smooth and radiant as Korean actress Song He Kyo!

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