Scrubbing with a Loofah: Its Health Benefits; Benefits of Using Luffa; Tightening up Loose skin with Loofah

Loofah is an organic scrub, which has a number of health benefits. Loofah or luffa is made from a dried up gourd. The medicinal part is the dried network of vascular bundles of the ripe cucumber like plant. When dried, the dense vascular network that makes up the fruit becomes the Loofah. The main use of loofa is to naturally scrub off dead skin cells and at the same time, tighten loose skin after losing weight. It is used to scrub and soften the skin. The luffa plant, a relative of the cucumber, produces large gourds that leave a durable network of fibers after treating and drying the fruit. The resulting mildly abrasive scrubber exfoliates your skin and enhances surface circulation.

Loofah Gourd

Loofah Scrub

Other Names of Loofah

Bath-Loofah, Dishcloth Gourd, Smooth Loofah, Vegetable Sponge

Benefits of Loofah

Exfoliation

The outermost layer of your skin, the epidermis, naturally sheds dead skin cells. Normal friction removes some of these shed cells, but others remain in place, which makes your skin dull , your complexion dull and ashy. Exfoliation helps this natural process along, using gentle friction to brush excess skin cells from the skin's surface. Removing dead skin cells not only improves the look of your skin, it also sweeps away places where bacteria and soil could collect.

Improving Blood Circulation

Any friction on your skin increases the flow of blood. Capillaries, the tiny blood vessels closest to your skin, naturally expand when stimulated. This is the same effect that we get when you try to warm your hands by rubbing them together to create friction and stimulate blood flow. A loofah has a similar effect, stimulating increased circulation to areas that you scrub with it. Compared to harshly abrasive scrubbers and sponges, a loofah's firm but elastic fibers are less likely to scratch skin.

Myths related to Loofah

Loofahs have been considered as a solution to cellulite deposits, but rubbing any object on the surface of the skin cannot change the structure of the skin's lower layers. Cellulite, the fat deposits that typically appear on the hips and thighs, is no different from subcutaneous fat elsewhere on the body. Like other types of fat, no amount of surface pressure will permanently change its appearance, although a loofah can improve the condition of the skin over the subcutaneous fat.

Precautions while using Loofa

Loofahs help keep your skin in good shape, but they can also store harmful bacteria in their many tiny holes. Loofahs are also susceptible to decay if kept constantly wet. So always keep your loofah air dry between uses. Washing it in a mild bleach solution could extend its useful life. Also, replace your loofah frequently. A clean loofah has a mild strawlike smell; Avoid using a loofah on any part of your skin with reduced sensation.