Review (5/5): Just what a natural loofah is supposed to be!
I’ve been using natural fiber loofahs (not the plastic kind) off and on since 2010. By nature there is some variation, depending on the size of the underlying plant, the way it’s made/grown, any bleaching, softening or other treatments applied that may change the texture. This is GREAT value for three medium-to-small sized natural loofahs.
The first time you use it you gotta soak it in warm water to puff up (it will turn into an oval cylinder, rather than staying like a flat pad) and release its seeds. I didn’t find the seed quantity to be gross or unreasonable, though it’s definitely different than most natural loofahs you’ll buy in a drugstore or Whole Foods, say—those tend to be treated and at least prewashed, to remove the seeds etc.
The smell: I have a super sensitive nose. Just speaking for the item I received, this is 100% “normal loofah smell” —a little grassy, kind of like dried clean straw that’s been dampened again—with a bit of a smoky smell. It’s not offensively smoky. Like a lot less than most whiskey. No “funk,” though the natural loofah herbaceous-ness does get stronger when it’s wet.
I didn’t find this too scratchy at all—in fact, by the time I’d finished soaking out the seeds I found it a little soft for my liking. To be fair I do drybrush about once a week, so I’m used to a good scrub. But if you know what a “normal store-bought loofah” feels like, this is no scratchier than that. If you have super sensitive skin, try using this after it’s soaked in a bowl or tub of hot(!) water for 10 min or so, with some emollient body wash like Aveenk.