9 Reasons Why Natural Loofah Sponges Are Way Better than Plastic!
Looking for your next zero-waste swap to keep plastic out of your home?
Whether you are creating the perfect green beauty routine, or replacing plastics in your eco kitchen, switching to loofah sponges is an easy sustainable choice that’s mighty on the job but easy on your wallet. Natural loofah scrubbers for body and kitchen help you keep a chunk of plastic waste off the planet.
Before we get to the big 9 reasons why natural loofah is better than synthetic sponges, let’s take a look at the top FAQs about this unique and bee-autiful eco-material.
What is a natural loofah sponge made from?
What is the elusive loofah, or is it luffa, anyway? It’s a huge fruit from the gourd family, cousin to cucumbers, squash, melons, and pumpkins!
This variety, Luffa aegyptiaca, thrives here in Southeast Asia, home of SuperBee, so it takes less water to grow. It naturally repels pests and is disease-resistant, so it’s the ideal, locally sourced base for our kitchen dish scrubbers and body exfoliators. It’s also edible – you can eat the fruit, leaves, and flowers – but please do not eat your loofah sponges! It makes a delicious substitute for zucchini or summer squash and some nice summer salads. This fast-growing vine can also be used for shade/shading other vegetables/plants.
Versatile and helpful – nature makes the best stuff, doesn’t she?
How are loofah sponges made?
Our loofah products are handmade with Love by the women of One Sky Foundation, our partner organization that supports displaced women and children from Myanmar. One Sky creates stable income opportunities and safe, fair, and dignified work for single mothers and women in need.
Take a peek at the process from peeling to sewing:
Our loofahs are sustainably sourced from nearby farmers who plant at the start of the rainy season (June) and harvest before dry season (March). After the loofah dries, the outer layer is peeled, to reveal the tough fibrous sponge.
The seeds are shaken out and saved. Originally the seeds were given to the One Sky families to grow, but dry conditions led them to find a wild variety in the nearby jungle that thrives with less water. They are launching a new project to grow wild loofahs there in the jungle and move towards a fully self-sourced project!
The next step is flattening the loofah – the women usually use a hand hammer, but One Sky has ingeniously upcycled a pressing machine from a rubber factory to roll it flat for cutting and sewing.
Nothing is wasted in the production process, so we upcycle the organic cotton offcuts from our beeswax wraps and bags and they are sewn on to the back of the sponge for stylish, soft cleaning action.
So it’s a small sponge with a big impact – empowering women and their families, and empowering consumers to be part of the plastic pollution solution.
Is natural loofah better than plastic?
Of course! It’s a sustainable product that is gentle on the environment in all stages of its production process and life cycle. Avoid greenwashing on natural loofah sponges by looking for certifications that verify sustainability claims. At SuperBee, all our sustainable production processes and materials are certified ethical and sustainable by B Corp.
Is it safe to use a natural loofah?
Keep your natural loofah sponges dry between uses and put them in the sun for an hour. You can soak them in vinegar or give them a hot water soak once a week.
Do natural loofahs collect bacteria?
As with synthetic products, rinsing thoroughly and hanging them to dry after every use is a must. Our loofahs have lots of air space between the fibers so it’s easy for them to dry completely.
How long do natural loofah sponges last?
After a few months, the wear and tear on the natural fibers will indicate that your loofah is ready to biodegrade in your compost and you can begin using a fresh sponge.
Now that you know more about loofah and their production process let’s get to the good part:
Here are 9 reasons why Natural loofah scrubbers are way better than other sponges!
1. Plastic Free
Loofah sponges are a perfect replacement for plastic-based cleaning tools that never break down. That yellow & green eco-disaster takes 52000 years, aka never, to break down and will float its merry way around our oceans for generations. Synthetic loofah poufs, too, poufing their microplastics all over the place, including on your skin! By choosing natural loofahs, you opt for an eco-friendly alternative that breaks down easily at home, leaving no harmful residues in our environment or our bodies.
2. Zero-waste and Biodegradable
Natural loofah sponges are 100% biodegradable and compostable in your home compost. After a few months of daily use, when your sponge begins to show signs of wear and tear, pop it in your home compost and send it back to the soil.
3. Odor-free and Naturally Antibacterial
Luffa, Loofa, Loufa, Lufa…a loofah by any other name would still not stink! Unlike synthetic sponges or even some of the eco-friendly alternatives on the market, natural loofah sponges hold no odor. They are naturally anti-bacterial and dry quickly so they don’t harbor germs, keeping them odor-free and hygienic for you and your family.
4. Gentle and Hypoallergenic
Organic body scrubbers give a gentle but thorough clean that simply feels great, without causing allergies like some synthetic sponge alternatives. Soft and safe for daily use in your shower or hygiene routine, pair them with 100% organic soft cotton makeup rounds, to keep plastic off your sensitive skin and eliminate even more waste in your beauty routine.
5. Exfoliates properly for healthy skin
Use for gentle exfoliation to remove dead skin cells and promote blood circulation, leaving your skin healthy, bright, and smooth. Discover other sustainable products for your plastic-free bathroom.
6. Handmade by a Social Enterprise
Switching to SuperBee’s natural loofah sponges means supporting a social enterprise that positively impacts local communities. By sustainably sourcing materials from One Sky and SuperBee, the production process creates livelihood opportunities for families.
7. Upcycled from Beeswax Wrap Offcuts
SuperBee’s commitment to sustainability extends to upcycling. Their natural loofah sponges are crafted from beeswax wrap cutting room scraps, transforming waste into cute and stylish sponges that suit your decor style.
8. Long-lasting and Multi-functional:
After they begin to show wear and tear and can no longer be used on dishes or in the shower, you can use them to clean around your house or wash up super dirty shoes, etc. You can also separate the cotton pad and use the loofah in the bottom of vases to hold flowers, or in plant propagation to hold up cuttings, stick the cutting all the way through the loofah.
9. Non-Abrasive and Safe for Dishes:
No more scratched dishes. SuperBee’s natural loofah fibers are non-abrasive and effectively clean without causing any damage to delicate surfaces. Take a look at our other reusable products for your sustainable kitchen.
It’s easier to embrace a sustainable lifestyle: switching to natural loofah sponges aligns your daily habits with sustainability goals. By making this simple change, you contribute to a plastic-free future and support a mission-based brand dedicated to helping people and planet.
SuperBee Team
