If you’re looking for colourful shampoo bars, fizzy bath bombs, or nourishing creams, Lush is a good place to start. Founded in 1995 in Dorset, the UK retailer has transformed the beauty industry by taking a firm stance on environmental and societal issues. Not only are Lush products designed to awaken your senses, they also aim to wake up the public to environmental issues and provide luxury beauty items without impacting the environment.
Name: Lush Retail Ltd
Description: Cosmetics retailer
HQ Location: Poole, United Kingdom
Vegetarian cosmetics
Lush products are 100% vegetarian, meaning they don’t use any animal fats or by-products. Instead, the retailer makes its cosmetics using non-GMO fruits and vegetables, such as grapefruit juice, avocado butter, and papaya. Other products are made with sustainably-sourced eggs, honey, and lanolin (wool wax).
Fighting animal testing
Lush’s commitment to protecting animals doesn’t stop there! The UK retailer is fiercely and publicly against animal testing, so its cosmetics are currently tested on human volunteers. Also, when sourcing raw materials, Lush refuses to work with companies that conduct, fund, or commission animal testing. Suppliers they do business with are carefully selected and reviewed regularly. The retailer will only work with producers that treat animals with respect and who strive to improve animal welfare.
Fair Trade
Animal testing is not the only issue Lush is fighting against. The cosmetics retailer is also committed to combatting unfair working conditions. For the past decade, the company has established more direct relationships with producers to ensure workers are paid fairly and operate in a safe and healthy environment. In addition to working conditions, Lush looks at how its producers’ activities affect the environment. Typically, the company will check how much water is used and whether natural resources are being exploited.
Recycling
When it comes to packaging, Lush endeavours to use as little as possible. In fact, if you go to a Lush shop, you’ll find many products without any packaging (e.g. solid shampoo bars). However, not all cosmetics can be sold naked, so Lush takes care to use recycled packaging materials where they’re necessary. The retailer also encourages people to give their Lush black pots a second life. They can either be reused in an arty way or taken back to Lush shops, where they’re recycled and turned into new sustainable black pots.
Charity support
Every year Lush makes donations to small charities, campaigns, and organisation that focus on environmental issues, animal protection, and human rights. The company also encourages its customers to do their bit. If you buy a Charity Pot hand and body lotion, for example, your money will go towards funding these good causes, and by purchasing a Fun soap, 10p will go into a ‘FunD’ to help charities provide fun activities to children in challenging areas.
Learn more about Lush’s ethics: https://uk.lush.com/tag/our-policies
Lush does not sponsor, authorise, or endorse this site.
Companies with high ethical standards, like Lush, are more common than you think! Check out our blog about Ikea’s eco-friendly practices.
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