One fine morning I was looking for a new Konjac sponge to wash my face but couldn't find one so I broke out the Washi (和紙) washing mitt that I bought from Ippin Cafe Bar during the food tasting session back in April~
 |
| Curetex Washi Washing Cloth - approx S$11 |
So what is Washi (和紙)?
Washi is Japanese Paper and Curetex has a range of products made with Japanese Paper Fiber. The characteristics of this material include being comfortable, anti-bacterial, anti-odour, UV Block and excellent sweat absorbtion. In other words, perfect for summer! Ippin stocks a range of shawls, clothing and accessories from Curetex's Washi range but I remembering finding it a tad pricey...I think $60 for a T-shirt?
So anyway, since this is a washing cloth, a lot of these characteristics don't mean much, probably just the anti-bacterial part I guess (^-^;;)
The cloth comes as a small mitt, big enough to put 4 fingers in, and has 2 sides, 1 with a criss cross design and the other a flatter, smoother surface.
 |
| The smoother side of the mitt |
The staff explained to me that I should use the rougher side first and then the smoother side. The rougher side would act as a gentle exfoliator and the smoother side as a sort of buffer to smoothen the skin.
The packaging mentions that as wash comes from a natural source, it is gentle for both the skin and the environment. It also lasts very long so it can be used for many washes and has the ability to retain its characteristics (Anti-odour, anti-bacterial, UV Cut etc). Again, characteristics more applicable in the form of clothing.
So how did it perform as a wash cloth? As instructed, I used the rough side and then the smoother side. Undoubtedly it feels really clean after a wash (even without a cleanser) but not unlike the effect of a konjac sponge. =\ I really was expecting abit more...maybe a smoother finish given the supposed buffing from the smooth side.
So in a nutshell, the Curetex Washi Washing Cloth:
- is an affordable, organic basic skincare tool with very gentle exfoliation.
- gives a cleansing effect very much like a Konjac sponge.
- good for people looking to return their skin to it's natural balance.
- a speedier option compared to a Konjac sponge as you can skip the soaking-in-water step, people who prefer a speedy wash-up routine will appreciate this.
- doesn't seem like it would absorb excess sebum/oil as well as the Konjac.
- as far as price goes it's about 2 to 3 times the price of a single sponge and would last much longer I think.
- Not widely available in Singapore at the moment.
And so, in conclusion, I don't think I would purchase this again since I'm so used to my sponges. (^_^;;)
