JellySpon natural fibre sponge review, comparison

Ever heard of glucomannan? It sounds like glucose and glucagon and I first thought it had something to do with insulin. Turns out it is a dietary fibre which helps lower LDL and is extracted from the konjac yam. When consumed with water, it becomes a jelly which adsorbs and removes fat from the system. No, this is not a food  post; glucomannan is now an essential part of my skincare routine.
Since last August, I have been using the konjac sponge once a day on my face. For those who came in late, the konjac sponge is a great cleansing and exfoliating face sponge which keeps blackheads and whiteheads at bay for me, and you can read my review here. The first six weeks of using the regular konjac sponge were awful - I had giant cystic acne. While it subsided later on, I do get the odd pimple or two each month, mostly on the chin and jawline, especially if I do not remove makeup thoroughly with a wet wipe and follow up with very thorough acne treatment.
When I heard that there was a new cleansing sponge out there that was superior to the regular konjac sponge, I was incredulous at first. I mean, how different could it be? Both include glucomannan extracted from the same "konjac" yam and are used wet. And how would the differences affect my super-oily, acne-prone skin? It was with more than one apprehension that I began using the JellySpon Natural Fibre Skin Care Sponge on my face and body in March 2014. Here are my findings.
First of all, about JellySpon. It is the world's first weak-acidic skin massage sponge, made by Korean company KLYN Slow Skin Care. It contains no preservatives. It is made of pure glucomannan; no additives, and is 100% organic.

Differences between JellySpon and regular konjac sponges

The regular konjac sponges have a pH of 8.4, which is quite alkaline. Increased alkalisation of the skin increases problems such as keratinisation, thickening, loss of moisture, acne, dryness and so on. Oily skin has a pH of 4.5 or less, which needs to be balanced out without drying it too much.

The ideal , healthy skin pH is 5.5, which is weak-acidic (neutral pH being 7). This is the right pH that will not irritate the skin or strip it of moisture. It is also the pH that will remove keratin excess. Incidentally, this is also the pH of the JellySpon.
What the glucomannan in the sponge does is, it adsorbs and removes excess sebum from the face, while not interfering with the skin's normal pH and moisture balance. It is, therefore, ideal for use on all skin types from oily to dry and sensitive and baby skin as well. It took three years to develop the JellySpon and to achieve the right pH for the skin.

The lack of preservatives mean that the JellySpon is only packed/shipped dry, while the regular konjacs are packed expanded.
Now all this theory is very well, and I have the pH test results in a report brochure. But how can a layperson tell the two sponges apart without using them? Weight. Pun unintended. And texture.
For comparison, I have used the black konjac sponge, as my white sponge died a natural death in January, and the heart-shaped face JellySpon and the rectangular body JellySpon. All dry below.

When dry, the JellySpon sponges are lighter. But when wet, the JellySpon weighs more than an equal-sized regular konjac sponge. This is because the JellySpon only contains 100% glucomannan and fibre is always high in volume, heavier and denser.
I weighed the face JellySpon and the regular konjac sponge when they were wet, and dry. I am afraid I have had to use my second-hand kitchen scales, a discard of my mother's when she went digital.

Ideally, the regular konjac sponge and a JellySpon should weigh the same when dry. But that will not happen unless I hack off a good bit off the regular sponge, which is heavier when dry. It weighs around 10gm while the JellySpon weighs 6gm. I am not including the body JellySpon as it is much heavier.
When wet and with the water squeezed out, things change around quite a bit. The JellySpon is heavier than the regular sponge. The latter expands to around 20gm while the JellySpon hits 45-50gm (photo to the left). Big difference there.
The body JellySpon becomes even heavier when wet, and weighs:

Measurements next. These are all when dry. You can see the results for yourself.

 

Now for wet measurements, so you can compare the expansion rates. All three expand by more than an inch when wet, with the water squeezed out.

 

Texture-wise, the regular konjac sponge is a lot more porous and feels rougher. Here is the surface, photographed dry and wet, respectively.

JellySpon is more non-porous and feels softer, smoother and more flexible.

Also, you can fold or squeeze the JellySpon up in half, whereas the regular sponge is more rigid and thick. I do not want to show you my manicure yet; hence the heavy cropping.

The JellySpon is also more translucent than the regular konjac sponge.

Other differences include the JellySpon expanding more when wet and drying faster.

My results after using the JellySpon Natural Fibre Sponge

I have been using this every morning since March, with a gentle cleanser (Burt's Bees Soap Bark and Chamomille Deep Cleansing Cream, which is super-gentle and does not foam up). It has not caused any breakouts. It is a lot easier to spread the cleanser on the face with the JellySpon than the regular sponge. It is also easier to clean the JellySpon afterwards.
It exfoliates nicely and has kept me blackhead-free. It also keeps my skin matte post-cleansing for longer than the regular konjac sponge does. This, for me, is the deal-breaker. I usually shower/cleanse my face, have breakfast and then put on my makeup. By then, my face is already a little shiny. But after cleansing with the JellySpon, I do not have to remove the oil a second time before putting on makeup in the mornings.
I also use the body JellySpon three or four times a week as an all-over buffer when I shower. It has not caused acne either, or dried out my skin, and I have managed to avoid a body scrub.
The JellySpon reminds me of a folded-up muslin cloth-cleanser. It actually feels jelly-like on the skin. I definitely prefer the JellySpon to the regular konjac sponge any day! When it dies, you can bury it under a plant so the roots absorb whatever nutrients they can from the sponge.
Have I not had any breakouts? I have had a couple of disruptions in my skincare routine, with wisdom teeth surgery and then a back sprain. I have had painful breakouts on the jawline and chin following the days when I did not cleanse my face thoroughly and apply my regular skin care. However, I have not had as many pimples as I usually do in the summer.
My only gripe is that the JellySpon does not have a little thread with which to hang the sponge, so I have to keep it in a dry soap-dish.
Summary
JellySpon is now part of my daily routine and is likely to remain thus. There are plans to launch a JellySpon bath towel using dietary fibre, which will be friendly to the skin's pH. Incidentally, the product is already developed, but is not yet under mass production. I am looking forward to knowing more about this towel!
You can order the JellySpon from here. They ship worldwide via registered for $15 irrespective of the number of sponges ordered. The heart sponge costs $12.99, but you can save if you order more numbers, while the body sponge costs $18.99 (a set of both costs $24.99, which saves $6.98). Contact Stephane at KLYN from the website above for further queries.
Disclaimer: The JellySpon samples were sent to me for review. Facts stated are based on research reports. The experiences are my own.