How to Make Your Own Natural Loofah Sponge

I am back with another DIY. Let's learn how to make your own 100% natural loofah for exfoliating your body during bathing. A loofah like this costs anywhere between INR 60 to INR 250 in the market, when you can easily get it for free.

I am blessed to have grown up in completely natural surroundings, close to nature. We used to use this loofah often during childhood. A few years ago, I was surprised to see it is beautified and sold in the market for a good price.

Natural Loofah, loofa or luffa is the fibre of dried bottle gourd. It grows on a vine and is easily available in many countries. In India, it grows in abundance August onwards and is a winter vegetable.

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If you do not pluck it from the plant, the gourd dries on the vine and looks like this. 

Please note that the plucked bottle gourd bought from the market would NOT dry into this. It needs to dry naturally while hanging from the plant.

Pull out the fibers to easily remove the dry peel

When you remove the dried peel, you expose this beautiful golden natural loofah. 

It is modified into different shapes and the price increases accordingly.

Here I cut it into two pieces simply using a pair of scissors.

The bigger half is my loofah. You put a thread or ribbon through it and it looks like the first picture above. Make sure that the cut ends on both sides are not abrasive. It they are sharp, just rub them against a rough surface to smoothen the edges.

HOW TO USE?

Just wet it a little and scrub on the body after applying soap. Else pour your shower gel directly on the wet loofah and scrub. You need to dry it everyday else it will catch fungus and won't last long. If you can get your hands on it in a village/kitchen garden or anywhere else, make many loofahs and stock them. Replace whenever required.

Now let's see what I did with the smaller half.

Ta da, you can be creative and make many other things out of it. Varnish it. You can even dip-dye it in food color or cloth color and make colored flowers in a dry flower arrangement. I used to do that as a kid and they look really beautiful.

Loofah Flowers dipped dyed in food color

Leave them to drip dry hanging from a cloth line

OTHER USES:

• You can turn it into powder using a mixer blender and keep in the bathroom. Just add to your shower gel when you want to use it as a body polish. It is the same natural loofah power which is also used in The Body Shop body polish and other brands. I think it may be a little too abrasive to use on the face, so do NOT use in a face wash.
• You can use it as a scrubber when washing utensils.
• If you know soap making, turn it into a loofah soap :) See THIS interesting loofah soap-making article.
• Use it as a moss for small indoor creeper plants. Else tie many of these around a long rod and fix it into a pot for your money plant or other creepers to creep up.

Loofah Soap

How did you like this article. Do let me know :)

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DIY Natural Skin Serum for Oily Combination Skin

Today I am going to share with you a 100% natural DIY Skin Serum for Oily or Combination skin, also helpful for people with an Oily T-Zone. It acts as a skin lightening, brightening and pore tightening serum. I am sure most of us know about it but we haven't recognized its true worth.

I am taking about the natural serum extracted from Orange Peel. When you peel an orange, you must have noticed small droplets of liquid suddenly squirting out into the air, and the heavenly smell of orange spreads around. Some of this liquid also settles on your hands most times.

This serum is a nectar gifted to us by Mother Nature. As a kid, whenever we used to eat oranges, we used to spritz this serum into each others' eyes for fun.

Can you see the droplets I squeezed out?

HOW TO EXTRACT?

I am sure we all already know how to do this :) Still explaining with tips.

Take a clean deep bowl or a big plate. Peel an orange. Fold and bend a small piece of the Orange peel near the surface of the utensil. Small droplets of orange serum will squirt out and settle on the plate/bowl.

Similarly spray out the drops from all the bits of the peel. Also collect any  remaining liquid on the peel and fingers by scraping against the edge of the bowl. Tilt the utensil so all drops flow down to one place.

This is the serum extracted from the peel of one medium sized orange. Don't laugh at the amount. This much is enough to lavishly cover your face and even part of your neck. It spreads really well and is quite strong. So even a few drops are very precious and useful.

HOW TO USE THIS NATURAL SKIN SERUM?

Apply immediately to face and neck, just like you spread water on face. Leave for 3-5 minutes and enjoy the heavenly scent, while you relax or do your work. Wash with plain water and preferably let the skin air dry.

People with an Oily T-zone: If it dries out the skin on your remaining face, use only on the T-Zone.

This skin serum may feel a little oily while washing off, but it will actually cleanse the extra oil from your skin. Skin will feel dry for some time after washing. It will start glowing within half an hour or so. People with very dry skin can give it a try too and see if it does not dry them out too much.

BENEFITS:

• 100% Natural and Easily available
• Free of Cost
• Contains Orange essential Oil (pure Vitamin C)
• You will notice glow on your face within one use
• I noticed tightened skin pores from 1st time itself
• It starts lightening dark spots/scars from wounds/pimples within 2 uses onwards.
• Naturally exfoliates skin to reveal beautiful skin the next day
• It is not at all messy.
• Leaves a cooling sensation on the skin.
• The natural aroma of orange lingers on your skin for quite long.

So next time you eat an orange, you now know what to do with the peels.

Did you know dried and powdered orange peel is also used in face packs and fresh orange peel is used in cakes and other dishes? But please make sure to wash any dust before using.

Oranges are in abundance at present (at least in North India). If you have oranges easily available, do try this skin serum and let me know if this benefits you too. I will be happy to know.