Ever wondered where loofahs come from?

Carmen is an Aromatherapist and the only person on Kauai who does distillation of plants herself.  I met her when looking for Hydrosols at Papayas Health food store in Kapaa.  She distills only the flowers she grows.  She also has a soap factory in Kilauea and sells her Floral waters, soaps (Wai’iti Botanicals) and Loofahs at the local farmers markets.

Carmen took me on a tour of her land.  Other than Loofahs, she grows Ylang Ylang, Plumaria, Rosemary, Melissa, Allspice, Ginger to mention just a few.

How to use a loofah.

I cut 2” slices from my Loofah to use under my soaps. It keeps the soap dry and firm in my soap dishes. In the kitchen, Instead of using a regular kitchen sponge, I use the slices off the Loofah to wash and scrub my dishes and pots & pans. They won’t scratch. The uses are endless. The Loofah is inexpensive, environmentally friendly.

The spongy texture of the Loofah is perfect for exfoliating dry skin. Loofah’s soften when wet and harden up again when they dry. Just remember to replace your Loofah regularly. If you are using it on your skin, it is recommended to sanitize the Loofah once a week and replace it every three weeks

I cut 2” slices from my Loofah to use under my soaps. It keeps the soap dry and firm in my soap dishes. In the kitchen, Instead of using a regular kitchen sponge, I use the slices off the Loofah to wash and scrub my dishes and pots & pans. They won’t scratch. The uses are endless. The Loofah is inexpensive, environmentally friendly.

The spongy texture of the Loofah is perfect for exfoliating dry skin. Loofah’s soften when wet and harden up again when they dry. Just remember to replace your Loofah regularly. If you are using it on your skin, it is recommended to sanitize the Loofah once a week and replace it every three weeks

Carmen’s Ylang Ylang flowers are ready to be distilled.