How to Make Luffa Soap
Before buying a luffa soap at your local retail store, consider making it at home. Luffas, commonly referred to as sponge gourds, grow on vines. You can transform dry luffa gourds into beautiful scented soaps in less than 1 hour. The materials to make luffa soap are available at local craft stores and wholesale craft Web sites. Once you have the ingredients, you can begin making luffa soap to give as gifts to friends and family members, to sell at a craft store, or to use in your own home.
Things You'll Need
- Large luffa sponge
- 3 tall drinking glasses
- Water
- Plastic wrap
- Glass measuring cup
- Block of glycerin soap
- Microwave
- Spoon
- 1/2 ounce fragrance oil
- Airtight container
Instructions
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1
Cut the luffa into three equal pieces. The pieces need to be no larger than the width of the drinking glass and need to stand straight up in the glass to ensure that each soap contains a piece of luffa.
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2
Soak the luffa pieces in water to ensure that they will still fit into the drinking glass. The luffa will expand when it encounters water, and you do not want it to bunch up in the glass once you add the glycerin.
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3
Tear out three large pieces of plastic wrap. Place each luffa in the center of a piece of plastic wrap.
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4
Grab the plastic wrap by each end, and slowly place the luffa, now sitting on top of the plastic wrap, into a glass with the plastic wrap underneath the luffa. Drape the rest of the plastic wrap over the drinking glass. The wrap will prevent the glycerin soap from sticking to the drinking glass.
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5
Fill the drinking glasses with water, and pour the water into a measuring cup to determine how much glycerin soap you will need. Empty the measuring cup. Cut the glycerin soap into chunks 1/2 to 1 inch wide, and put them in the measuring cup to the appropriate measurement line.
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6
Microwave the glycerin soap for 30 seconds on the high setting. Stir the soap with a spoon, and continue to microwave it at 30-second intervals until the soap melts completely.
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7
Add 1/2 ounce of fragrance oil to the melted glycerin. Fragrance oil can be purchased at craft stores or online, and they are available in a wide variety of scents. Stir the fragrance into the glycerin soap.
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8
Pour the soap into the drinking glasses over the luffas. Allow the soap to sit overnight.
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9
Remove the luffa soap from each drinking glass. Carefully lift the plastic wrap out of each glass.
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10
Cut the luffa soap into round pieces. Store the soap in an airtight container. For best results, wrap each luffa soap in plastic wrap to keep the scent strong.
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Tips & Warnings
To make individual luffa soaps that you will not have to cut, cut the luffa into circles or squares, and then add the luffa pieces to fit a small circle or rectangle mold.
