I remember the first time I rubbed a loofah on my body, a feeling of “wow, this feels so good”. Later, when I came into contact with many different types of bath sponges: from cheap synthetic ones to luxurious Mediterranean sponges, none of them gave me the same pleasant feeling of cleansing. Gradually, I learned that loofah is also used as a medicine in traditional medicine, or that the production of loofah also contributes to protecting the environment and improving farmers’ income.

How is loofah made?

With loofah, it feels like nature has done all the work. All we have to do is… pick it and use it.

Loofah fiber is taken from the ripe loofah fruit. As the loofah grows older, the loofah gradually forms a layer of fibers that runs throughout the fruit, enveloping the seeds inside. These fibers are actually wood vessels that transport water from the roots to the loofah fruit. As the fruit ages, these wood vessels gradually harden and form light and flexible fibers. Inside the loofah fruit, the fibers are densely distributed, interwoven into a spongy, light structure – with a space in the middle where the seeds are stored.

To harvest loofah fiber, the loofah fruit is left on the tree until it is old and dry, turning a slightly yellow or bright yellow color. When ripe, the loofah fruit does not fall off like other fruits, but continues to stick firmly to the tree for a long time afterwards.

After harvesting, the loofah shell is peeled off, revealing the inner loofah, then beaten hard to make the loofah seeds fall out.

The loofah is washed and dried to remove impurities and dirt and to make it brighter in color. Farmers then sort the loofah according to the size and hardness of the fiber. Then they go through different processing stages to create finished products.

Loofah can be used in its whole cylindrical form for bathing or washing dishes without any further processing. It can also be flattened into pads or sheet to make household items, shoe insoles, coasters, bath gloves, etc.

Benefits of Loofah

Benefits of Loofah for Health and Life

Loofah is made from a mixture of fibers including 60% Cellulose, 30% Hemicellulose and 10% Lignin. People have also discovered that loofah contains antioxidants³ and minerals such as Phosphorus, Magnesium, Potassium, Sodium.

Loofah is a native plant, used for a long time in traditional medicine in many countries such as India, China, Korea, Japan and Vietnam. According to traditional medicine, loofah has a sweet taste, neutral properties, the effect of clearing heat and detoxifying, activating blood circulation, promoting urination and reducing swelling. Loofah is a medicine for treating constipation, blocked milk ducts, curing coughs, stopping bleeding, treating edema, pain, and preventing gout… Loofah water also has anti-aging and cancer-preventing effects

In daily life, loofah also has many useful applications. It is used as a moisture-proof material, shock absorber, household items, oil filter, etc. This material is highly appreciated for its environmental friendliness, ease of production and efficiency.

Benefits of Loofah in Beauty

Exfoliating Effect

Loofah is a readily available exfoliating material that has been used for thousands of years in many parts of the world. Evidence has been found that loofah was used for bathing in ancient cultures in Egypt 3500 years ago. Today, loofah is still used for the same purpose, almost everywhere in the world. People’s interest in natural, renewable, environmentally friendly and healthy materials has made loofah increasingly popular, especially in developed countries such as the US, Japan, Korea, etc.

Thanks to its special flexible structure, loofah has the ability to clean effectively without scratching the skin. The water-absorbing and moisture-absorbing properties of loofah also contribute to making loofah friendly to the skin. In addition, loofah also brings other benefits to the skin such as: improving blood circulation, cleaning pores and relaxing the mind.

Antioxidant, helps firm skin

In Vietnam, folk experience recommends bathing with loofah to have healthy and beautiful skin. Today, this effect has been proven to be true when people discovered that loofah contains up to 8 types of antioxidants and minerals such as Phosphorus, Magnesium, Potassium, Sodium… which are beneficial for skin health. Using loofah in fine powder form helps nutrients to be easily released and promote better skin care effects.

Benefits for the environment and society

Not only is it a completely natural product, loofah also has the advantage of being easy to produce on an industrial scale. Loofah plants are less susceptible to disease, require little care and grow very well in many places in Vietnam. Especially in the Central Highlands and the South, loofah plants can be grown and harvested all year round.

For farmers, growing loofah requires little investment capital, so even small farmers can apply it. This helps farmers increase their income, quickly turn over capital, and exploit the land more effectively. When growing loofah to harvest fiber, farmers are not pressured by consumption time like when growing loofah for food.

Loofah fiber is completely and quickly biodegradable. The process of growing, processing, and consuming loofah fiber can be done without chemicals. This makes the loofah fiber industry very environmentally friendly.

Notes on using loofah in skin care

Due to its physical friction properties, loofah can cause some inconvenience if not used properly. Therefore, when using loofah, you need to remember the following notes:

• Don’t use a loofah that is too hard: loofahs that are too rough are not suitable for bathing. You should choose soft loofahs with small fibers and soak them in warm water before using them for the first time.
• Don’t rub too hard: for most skin types, just rubbing gently is enough to remove dead skin cells. Rubbing hard may give the feeling that your skin is cleaner, but it is actually not good for your skin because it will leave many small scratches on the skin and damage the new skin layers.
• Hang the loofah in a dry, airy place after use: Loofah has good moisture retention, so if not stored properly, it will become moldy after a period of use. Therefore, after use, you should shake off the water and hang it in a dry, airy place, if it is sunny and warm, it is even better. You can also use a loofah scrub to avoid this problem.
• The following people should not use loofah: people with acne-prone skin, irritated skin, dermatitis, areas of skin that have just been shaved/waxed, children under 2 years old… to avoid damaging the skin.

Safimex company has supplying Natural loofah with a good price. We are one of the biggest farmers of Loofah in Vietnam. We have supply our loofah products to all around the world from Japan, South Korea, US, Europe markets and always received the good feedbacks about the quality for customers.

We ensure to provide the best loofah which harvest and selected careful. We can supply you in bulk or small quantity and totally free samples.

Please feel free to contact us if you having a plan to purchase this item at info@safimex.com or click at https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Hot-selling-natural-loofah-sponge-high_10000020652191.html?spm=a2747.product_manager.0.0.32e02c3c6YHbEx

SAFIMEX JOINT STOCK COMPANY

Head Office: 216/20a Duong Ba Trac Street, Ward 2, District 8, Hochiminh City, Vietnam.

Tel: (+84)-(28)-3636 2388 | (+84)-(28)-3636 2399 | Website: https://safimex.com/