Hydrolyzed sponge is widely recognized by various names in different pharmaceutical and cosmetic contexts:

• Zixiaohua
• Sponge Spicule
• Spongilla lacustris
• Freshwater sponge
• Needle
• Bio-Peeling
• Sponge powder
• Sponge needle extract
• Sponge hydrolyzed
• Cosmetic ingredient sponge spicule powder

Hydrolyzed sponges are extracted from Zixiaohua, which originates from Su Song's "Materia Medica map". Zixiaohua belongs to Spongilla fragilis Lecidy and Ephydatia muelleri var. japonica (Hilgendorf), utilizing the dry population as medicine. It is harvested from September to December and subsequently dried.

Its animal form is brittle needle sponge, often growing into a rod-like group with an uneven surface. It contains numerous visible water holes, typically ranging from gray to brown in color. The physical structure is composed of spongy vertical and horizontal fibers forming a dense network, which becomes extremely fragile after drying.

The body bone is slender, acicular, sharp at both ends, and smooth without thorns. Under microscopic evaluation, the bone length measures 180 to 255 microns with a thickness of approximately 5 to 16 microns. Bud bone fragments can also be observed. The body bone diameter reaches 10-16 μm with a length up to 250-300 μm, featuring a smooth surface without thorns. The bud bone diameter is 3-8 μm with a length up to 120 μm, showing surface thorns of varying sizes and numbers.