Loofah (Luffa) is a climber, a native of Asia and Africa. Luffa acutangula and Luffa cylindrica are the two types of species which bear the cylindrical fruits eaten as vegetables. In India it is commonly known as Turai or Tori (Hindi). The fruits are also  allowed to mature and dry on the vine. The flesh of the fruits dry up leaving only the fibrous skeleton; a nice dense mesh like structure. These are the loofahs used as wonderful natural body scrubs or for other household purposes. In India, people used to use these natural scrubs for ages. Some households in rural areas still use them.
The loofahs can last for months and are excellent exfoliants. They gently remove...