To loofah or not? It time to end the debate

The loofa has had its highs and lows. For the better part of the century they were and important part of the bathing ritual. 

So, was loofa just a trend or did it serve a purpose being a part of our daily routine? 

A loofah is of two types, a natural one and a synthetic one. The natural one is made out of loofah gourd, and the other is made of synthetic fibers.

At times dead skin cells accumulate and make the skin look dull. Loofah physically scrapes off the dead skin cells, making the skin glow. Interestingly, in the 1900s, seeing how scrubbing with loofah made the skin glow, many women used to rub the loofah so vigorously that their skins used to turn red. This desire to scrub vigorously was further propagated by the concept of friction bath. The basic idea was that using something to scrub the body during the bath helps detox the body. 

Loofah is a porous and multilayered body scrubber. Unfortunately, this means that it tends to collect dirt and, when left in the bathroom's warmth and humidity, becomes a breeding ground for bacteria. Further, it is not suited for every skin type. People with sensitive skin should not use it. People with dry skin can use it once a week, and people with oily skin can use it twice a week. For people with sensitive skin, it would be better to use a washcloth for physical exfoliation. The next aspect that needs to be looked at is what is the reason behind buying a loofa. If the idea is to be able to clean the difficult to reach areas of the body then we would suggest using a loofah that has a long handle. 

Loofah is a tool and it is inherently neither good nor bad. 

Natural Loofahs, such as the one made by loofah gourd, can be microwaved for 20 seconds to disinfect. Others can be soaked in a 5% bleach solution. If neither is possible, it is better to use the one made from cotton as it can be washed in the washing machine after every use. Here are some of the best practices. 

• It should always be kept in a dry place 
• They should be discarded regularly. Ideally, they should be changed every month. 
• Scrub your body gently. Harsh scrubbing with a loofah can cause skin abrasions and do more harm than good.

These best practices will help you keep your favorite loofa and not worry about potential skin infections.