7 things you never knew about sea sponges ~ courtesy of well kept

We're absolutely thrilled to be adding the eco-friendly sea sponges from Vancouver's own well kept to our store offerings and we thought we'd re-publish their recent blog post here so you can learn a little more about these natural treasures! See below for a few things you probably never knew about sea sponges courtesy of well kept.

Have you ever given much thought to the squishy sponge that lives in your shower amongst your body wash and shampoo? Neither have I, until now. Read on to find out 7 fascinating facts that I just learned about sea sponges — you won’t look at it the same way. 

The sea sponge is an eco-friendly, all natural, renewable resource - the perfect replacement to your plastic loofah. They grow on the bottom of our oceans, sea, and rivers and possess remarkable powers of regeneration. Broken bits of sea sponge are carried off by water currents and have the ability to settle in another location and re-grow into a clone of the parent sponge. They are extremely porous and rely on a constant flow of water through their bodies to obtain food and oxygen, and to remove wastes. 

The majority of sea sponges can’t be harvested for our use. Only a small percentage have the type of soft skeleton that humans have used for thousands of years. The sturdy outer membrane is removed when harvested; then the spongy interior is cleaned before we are able to use on our skin.

When sponges are harvested, the sponge divers hand cut each sponge to ensure that more than one inch of the base remains intact. The sponge then re-grows back to its original form within 3-5 years. Studies show that areas harvested actually increase the population density of sponges. 

For bath and body, the wool sponge are the best as they are soft, larger and will last the longest. Whereas the silk sponges are even softer and are great for facial cleansing and makeup removal. 

Natural sea sponges are very good for all types of skin, including sensitive skin. They contain minerals such as potassium, zinc, iron, sodium, and magnesium. They also gently exfoliate your skin, removing dead skin cells. 

They contain a natural enzyme that blocks the growth of bacteria. This, in turn, inhibits the odours associated with artificial sponges and ensures they are anti-bacterial.

To clean sea sponges, use 1 cup of water and 1 tbsp of baking soda. Shake it really well in the water before wringing it and letting it dry. Baking soda revitalizes the sponge’s cellular structure for increased durability. 

Natural sea sponges are more durable than artificial sponges. If cared for, they can last for months and even years. They have a natural resistance to abrasions making them both tough, durable and gentle. 

Sea sponges are multipurpose. You can use them in the bath as a natural exfoliator, as a household cleaner, applying and removing make-up, painting and as decoration. 

And the best part of all - being a natural product they are biodegradable and so when you are done using it, you can pop it in your compost.