The History Of Your Bath Mate - Loofah

Loofah – People use it for showering. It’s generally used for exfoliating dead skin and can also be used as a sponge. But how did this little thing become one of mankind’s most treasured item? EXIN Magazine looks back at the history of loofahs.

There are many answers and a few misconceptions regarding its origin. Loofah, also spelled “luffa”, is a vegetable in the Cucurbitaceae family. It’s considered a gourd, and is related to pumpkin and squash. The gourd is believed to have originated in Asia, and Egyptians used it as a sponge. According to an article written by biologist David Erickson and published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in the United States of America, the loofah traveled to America about 10,000 years ago and was considered an “Old World” plant, meaning it is native to Asia and Africa. People who settled in America brought the plant to domesticate it. It’s considered a “utility” species and was one of the first plants to be domesticated. Radiocarbon dating has shown the gourd has been in America for over 9,000 years. It’s now used mostly as sponges. However, it’s gourd was used as filters on ships prior to World War II. It has also been used to stuff pillows and for insulation.

Although it originated in Asia, it is now a very important part of South American agriculture. It’s called the “poor man’s kitchen and bath sponge”, because it can scrub the kitchen and is used as a bathing tool.

Over 11,000 individuals cultivate the loofah vegetable, and many of these are learning to cultivate the plant without harming the environment. It can offer 50 percent more income than cotton or grain crops.

When grown, it doesn’t look like loofah found in stores. It’s usually a foot long and has a yellow flower that grows with it. The plant produces male flowers first, so the first season does not produces fruit.

Alright, as we got to know about the origin of loofah, we again realize how fascinating history can be. Although, wait! Do not try to take a bite out of a loofah in your bathroom. It’s only edible when young. But, we do recommend you to try to grow the plant.

Bath Salts

Bath salts are water soluble, pulverized minerals that are added to water to be used for bathing. They are said to improve cleaning, enhance the enjoyment of bathing, and serve as a vehicle for cosmetic agents. Bath salts have been developed which mimic the properties of natural mineral baths or hot springs. EXIN Magazine brings for you the varied usages of bath salts.

The ‘salt’ part of the bath salt comes from their appearances being similar to the crystals of common salt.

They are extremely easy to use. For a bath, fill the tub about halfway to the desired level. Take a handful of bath salts and pour them into the bath by holding your hand under the faucet, allowing the bath salts to fall with the water into the tub. While pouring the bath salts into the bath, their fragrance will be released into the steam, allowing for a very fragrant bath.  Depending on their size, bath salts will dissolve quickly once in contact with hot water. Once you have poured one to two handfuls of bath salts into your bath, you’re ready to relax!  Be sure to stir the bath salts into the water and circulate them well, so the fragrances are released into the steam. 

Bath salts come in many different colors, sizes and textures. Colors are thought to have an effect on mood, so be sure to use bath salts in colors that match your mood — or what you would like your mood to be. For instance, red symbolizes excitement, passion and love; pink symbolizes caring and tenderness, yellow signifies optimism and hope; blue signifies peace and harmony; violet symbolizes spirituality, enlightenment and mystery; orange symbolizes flamboyance; green symbolizes vigor, renewal and nature; brown symbolizes comfort, endurance, reliability and earth, etc. The color of the salt changes the color of the water in tub. Besides, they also look beautiful in glasses and jars they come in. Size and texture varies too. Large grained salts although take more time to dissolve, but they make for more splendid views in tub. Small grained salts can be used for exfoliating. For exfoliating, just take a small handful of bath salts and add a tiny bit of water to it. Work the mixture into a paste and smooth it over your skin.

Bath salts also come in various fragrances, although non-fragrant bath salts are also available.

Bath salts can react differently to person to person. So, make sure that you test the product — by applying it on your hand or shoulder first and waiting for a couple of minutes to see any sort of allergic reactions are coming or not — before letting your entire body come in contact with it, although, sometimes the allergic reactions can come out overnight.