A favored bath sponge, loofahs are the bleached cellulose skeleton of this tropical fruit. Until World War II the US imported large quantites from Japan to use mainly as filters for steam engines and diesel motors. In southeast Asia the young fruits are eaten as a vegetable. In Japan where the majority of commercial loofahs are still grown, the stem juice is used as a skin softener, in toilet water, and medicinally for respiratory complaints. Lavandula angustifolia and related species.
Perennial subshrub native to the Mediterranean.
Today the volatile essential oil is used extensively in the perfume industry. It is an important oil in aromatherapy, used to balance mental and physical energies and relieve headache. Lawsonia inermis henna. A tender shrub native to Asia and the Middle East. The crushed leaves produce one of the oldest known hair and body dyes.