Histoires inspirantes

We don't just make sponges. We're part of a movement that bets on reducing waste and going back to basics — and it all starts with a plant very few people know.

Loofah (also called vegetable sponge gourd) is a climbing plant native to Asia, related to pumpkins, melons and cucumbers. Its fruit, when left to ripen in the sun, loses its pulp and leaves an incredibly resistant network of plant fibres. That network is our sponge.

A crop cured in the sun

The process begins in spring, when we sow the seeds in well-drained soil. The plant grows fast through the summer, climbing wooden structures that support it up to more than three metres tall. Each fruit can measure between 30 and 80 centimetres.

In late summer we let the fruit ripen on the plant. When the skin turns brown and crisp, we harvest it and open it up: inside is the sponge, ready to be cleaned, cut and shaped into each of our products.

One plant. Zero waste. And soft skin that withstands months of use.

Why Galicia?

The Atlantic climate, the mild springs and the long summers make the area around the Camino de Santiago an exceptional setting for growing loofah. We work with small local producers who share the same goal: to produce clean, local and sustainable.

What stays on the plant counts too

The crop residues (stems, leaves, pulp) are composted on the farm itself and return to the soil as fertiliser. This closes the cycle and maintains fertility with no added chemicals.

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A well-cared-for loofah lasts between 3 and 6 months. The key isn't buying more, it's disinfecting well. Here are three methods that work.

Method 1: Vinegar + sun

The simplest: rinse the sponge with warm water, soak it for 10 minutes in a mixture of water and white vinegar (3:1), rinse it and leave it in the sun until completely dry. The sun kills bacteria and the vinegar neutralises odours.

Method 2: Microwave

Wet the sponge, wring it slightly and put it in the microwave for 60-90 seconds at medium power. The heat eliminates most germs. Wait for it to cool before touching it.

Method 3: Dishwasher

Yes, this works too. Put it in the top cutlery basket along with your utensils. The hot water and drying cycle does the job. Ideal if you use it in the kitchen.

Three minutes a week and your loofah will last all summer.

Signs it's time to replace it

• Persistent smell that doesn't go away with disinfection.
• Visible loss of fibre or disintegration when you touch it.
• Dark stains that don't disappear.

When that moment comes, remember: loofah is 100% compostable. Cut it into small pieces and put it in the compost or a plant pot. The soil will thank you.

Gentle, effective exfoliation for the skin. That phrase sums up what many people look for and almost no one finds in a single tool. Loofah, used well, delivers it.

Why "used well"?

Loofah is not a hard-bristle brush. Its structure is a plant network that, when hydrated, becomes elastic and gentle. That means the exfoliation it produces is mechanical and gentle, not chemical or aggressive. Ideal for skin that doesn't tolerate strong active ingredients.

Benefits for reactive skin

• Stimulates microcirculation without redness or itching.
• Removes dead cells progressively, not traumatically.
• Improves the absorption of moisturisers applied afterwards.
• Leaves no residue, neither chemical nor microplastic.
• It's 100% natural, with no dyes or perfumes that could irritate.

Recommended routine

For very sensitive skin, start slowly: once a week, with the loofah well soaked, and light circular movements. After two or three weeks your skin will "train" and you can go up to twice a week. No more is needed.

What you shouldn't do

• Don't use it dry — hydrated loofah is gentle, dry it scratches.
• Avoid areas with wounds, active eczema or sunburn.
• Don't share it with another person.

And if you have atopic dermatitis?

Check with your dermatologist first, but in general loofah works very well in maintenance phases (when the skin isn't in an active flare-up). It helps you gently remove crusts and prepare the skin for hydration. During an active flare-up, better to avoid it and come back to it when the skin calms down.

See sponges for skin

A beautiful gift is a useful gift. And a useful gift is a gift that lasts. That's why we've put so much care into the new sets.

Set for men

Four sponges designed for daily men's care: one for the body, one for exfoliation, a soap dish and a mitt. All in a sober box with a cord closure.

Set for women

A more colourful case with four sponges for a complete routine: facial, body, exfoliating and soap dish. Ideal as a birthday gift or a Christmas detail.

Wedding pack

Designed for guests: a box per person with a sponge, soap dish and a customisable card. Sustainable, memorable and different. Order it at least 4 weeks in advance so we can prepare everything by hand.

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After thousands of sponges sold and hundreds of conversations with customers, we've spotted the same five mistakes over and over. Here they are.

1. Leaving it damp in a corner

Loofah needs to dry between uses. If you leave it in the shower tray always wet, it will grow mould. Hang it from a cord or put it in a soap dish with drainage.

2. Scrubbing too hard

Loofah exfoliates on its own. There's no need to press — on the contrary, scrubbing hard damages the fibre prematurely and can irritate the skin.

3. Never disinfecting it

A weekly soak in vinegar, sun or microwave is enough. Without disinfection, odours appear within 2-3 weeks.

4. Using it dry

The magic of loofah is that it hydrates and becomes spongy. Dry it scratches too much.

5. Throwing it in the bin

At the end of its life loofah is compostable. Chop it up and into the soil. Close the cycle.

100% local production and our own quality. We make our sponges locally in Galicia and northern Portugal, following sustainable, high-quality processes. Here's how we do it.

Step 1: Seed

In March we select the best-quality seeds from the previous year. We germinate them in a greenhouse and transplant them in May, once the late frosts have passed.

Step 2: Climbing cultivation

We build wooden structures where the plant climbs up to more than 3 metres. This lets the fruits hang without touching the ground and ripen with even light.

Step 3: Ripening in the sun

From September to October we let the fruits ripen on the plant. The skin turns brown and crisp — that's the sign the sponge inside is ready.

The sun sets the clock, not haste.

Step 4: Harvest and drying

We pick the fruits by hand and open them dry. The sponge comes out with its seeds inside, which we keep for the following year. We close the cycle on the same farm.

Step 5: Washing and natural bleaching

The sponges go through a wash with water and sun. No bleach, no chemicals. The sun whitens the fibre naturally in 2 or 3 days.

Step 6: Cutting and packaging

Finally, we cut each sponge to the shape of its final product (Lufira, Lufio, Peelux...) and package it with recyclable materials. The whole process takes place within an 80 km radius.

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Few routines give so much in return for so little. Five minutes in the morning, twice a week, and the skin changes.

1. More even tone

Exfoliation removes dead cells progressively. In 30 days the tone looks more even, with no dull patches.

2. Better cream absorption

Skin free of dead cells absorbs any moisturiser better. It multiplies the effect of your favourite cream.

3. Active microcirculation

Massaging with loofah stimulates capillary circulation. You'll feel a slight warmth and a sense of waking up.

4. Fewer ingrown hairs

Especially useful after shaving or waxing: regular exfoliation reduces the risk of ingrown hairs and folliculitis.

5. A sense of ritual

The most subjective and the most important. Taking 5 minutes to care for yourself is a conscious act. Loofah turns the shower into a pause.

Every polyurethane scrubber you throw away releases microplastics. Every time you use it, too. The good news: there's an alternative, and it cleans better.

Why it works

Loofah fibre is rigid but not abrasive. It traps residues, scrubs dishes, scrapes pots and rinses clean in seconds. And, above all, it leaves no particles behind.

What it's good for

• Plates, glasses, cutlery.
• Pans and pots (even with burnt-on residue, with a little bicarbonate).
• Glass, mirrors and kitchen surfaces.
• Fruit and vegetables (no soap, just water).

What it's not for

• Non-stick surfaces (it can scratch them with heavy use).
• Screens or tempered screen glass.

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It looks like a technical comparison, but it's a political decision. Every product that enters your bathroom marks what kind of world you bet on.

Origin

Loofah is 100% plant-based. Microfibre is made of polyester and polyamide — petroleum derivatives.

Durability

A good loofah lasts between 3 and 6 months. Microfibre lasts longer in absolute terms, but it becomes "less clean" sooner: it loses its ability to absorb and starts to smell.

Impact down the drain

Every microfibre wash releases millions of microplastics into the water. Loofah releases plant fibres that biodegrade.

End of life

Loofah goes to the compost. Microfibre goes to landfill, where it takes centuries to break down.

You don't have to choose between effectiveness and conscience. Loofah delivers both.

The verdict

If what you want is maximum absorption to dry your hair in 30 seconds, microfibre wins. For everything else — exfoliating, cleaning, scrubbing, caring for yourself — loofah is the choice.