Some people call them loofahs, some people call them shower puffs, whatever you call them, it’s almost guaranteed that you have one in your bathroom.
(At least we hope you do. If you don’t know, they’re that little scrunchy in the corner of the shower that you’ve always wondered what it’s for.)
It turns out that it’s not a good idea at all to wash yourself with them.
According to Business Insider the ball of netting is actually very prone to collecting bacteria that can grow and multiply after just one night.
A recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology analysed the shower puffs and the results weren’t pretty.
These shower aids host a wide range of bacterial species and bacteria overgrowth which literally happens overnight.
If you think about it theses loofahs are perfect breeding grounds for bacteria, the layers of netting means that bacteria has plenty of space and the damp environment doesn’t help.
“You put them in this environment in the shower that’s warm and moist and gross, and it’s a set up for bacteria, yeast, and mould to grow in the puff,” dermotology expert J. Matthew Knight said.
So massaging them into your skin can hardly be good for you. And rubbing them into shaved skin is even more harmful because the skin is open and the bacteria can get into nooks and cuts.
So if you’ve shaved any part of your body for whatever reason, don’t scrub them with a loofah after.
This is why every shower puff comes with the advice you replace it after a month or so. Washing yourself with the same tired tool you got last Christmas might not be the best thing.
In fact, some skin doctors are advising people to ditch the loofah. An estimated 98% of dermatologists recommend you never use them.
If you can’t bear to ditch your loofah the dermatologists recommend that you wash it out after every use and leave it to dry completely, don’t just hang it under the shower head where it’ll get soaked again when your flatmate pops in to clean themselves.
