Silicone instead of a loofah: why your shower scrubber matters, and what a silicone one does better

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Researched. We have not used this one long enough to give you a verdict, and we would rather say so than invent one. What follows is how it works, who it suits, and what it will not do. When we have used it properly, this page carries the verdict and the date.

Sud Scrub Silicone Body Scrubber

Searches for this silicone body scrubber have more than doubled in the past week. The reason people are switching from loofahs and washcloths is not glamorous, but it is sound.

The problem with loofahs

A mesh puff or natural loofah is full of tiny crevices that hold water, soap and dead skin. Left in a warm, damp shower, it can stay wet for hours — ideal conditions for bacteria and mould to grow. Washcloths have the same problem unless they go in the wash after every use. That is why the usual advice is to replace a loofah every few weeks, which few people do.

Why silicone is different

Silicone is smooth and non-porous. Water runs off it, so it dries quickly, and there are no crevices for debris to collect in. It can be rinsed clean in seconds. According to the listing, this scrubber's silicone also contains silver and zinc to resist bacteria on the brush itself, and it is platinum-cured silicone designed to last more than a year of daily use.

How it exfoliates

The listing describes flexible silicone fins that lift oil and dead skin without scratching. Soft silicone is a gentle physical exfoliant — far gentler than a rough scrub mitt — which suits sensitive skin and everyday use. It also lathers body wash well, so you use less.

Gentle is still not nothing. Skip it on freshly shaved, sunburned or broken skin.

Practical details

The listing mentions a textured surface and a strap that keep it in your hand when it is soapy, and says it is recyclable, with each purchase supporting ocean plastic clean-up.

Keeping any scrubber clean

Rinse it well after use, shake off the water, and hang it to dry outside the shower stream if you can. Silicone can also be washed with hot soapy water. Replace it if it tears or develops anything that will not wash off.

Who it suits

Anyone who uses a loofah and does not replace it often enough — which is most people — and anyone with sensitive skin who wants a little exfoliation every day without scratching. It pairs well with a gentle wash; see an oat body wash for itchy, dry skin.

What it will not do

It will not exfoliate as deeply as an acid or a scrub — see an exfoliating body stick for rough, bumpy patches. It will not stay clean if it never dries. And it will not suit anyone who wants a scrubbier, more abrasive feel.

The product

A soft silicone body scrubber with antimicrobial silver and zinc, built to last a year and dry fast. Sold by Sud Scrub's own store when we checked.

The one people are searching for is the Sud Scrub Antimicrobial Silicone Body Scrubber.

Sud Scrub Silicone Body Scrubber

We do not print prices here, because a price we typed last month is a price that is wrong today.

Written by JamieG in Garner Town, Tennessee.