Lush: the United Kingdom cosmetics brand overstimulates your sense of smell when you enter the store. Lush products don’t only have a pleasing aroma, but the business itself has a strong foundation. 

To start, Lush is a cruelty-free and vegetarian company, with continuing efforts to make all of their products vegan, with over 80% of them being so already. 

If a company like Lush is selling cosmetic products, shouldn’t they be testing them somehow without animals? To answer this question, yes. They do test without animals by using around 350 human volunteers to sample the product and review it. With critiques in mind, they will continue to assess safety, or the inventors will go back and modify what is needed. 

Another vital philosophy of Lush is that all of their products are handmade. By having products handmade, Lush can verify that all ingredients have been used appropriately from start to finish. To add a more personal touch, a sticker of the person that made the product is featured. 

With different blends of herbs, fruit, vegetables, and essential oils, Lush prioritizes natural ingredients. The brand is transparent about what ingredients are in the products, with the main components featured online and a short ingredient list. In the beginning years of production, Lush ran into problems with their sellers not being honest about their ingredients. For example, some sellers would put synthetic material in what was advertised as pure. With adjustments,  the company was confident in its products and its ability to help people worldwide. The brand continues to support small-scale farmers with its authentic products. 

If you get your skincare advice from YouTube, the account by the name of SkincareByHyram might ring a bell. The famous influencer has reviewed a plethora of makeup and other skincare products with an honest perspective. 

Hyram prefaces his video rating of Lush with admiration of the brand with its environmental efforts. In 2016, Lush reduced their plastic intake by 13,600 pounds by making their bottles 13% thinner. While plastic holds some of its products, the company has created “naked” options or products with no wrapping. If you are looking into reducing waste in your bathroom routine, this is a great spot to start. With a range of soaps, conditioners, shampoos, hair masks, and other products available with no wrapping, it is easy to find a replacement for your bottled products. 

If you are a frequent flyer, I highly recommend bringing a shampoo and conditioner bar on your next trip. Since this is not a liquid, there is no worry about any product leaking in luggage or having any toiletries thrown away at security. With package-free products available, the steps towards protecting the environment and reducing waste are encouraging to see in the beauty community. When you collect your containers that the products come in, you can bring five to the store for recycling and receive a face mask for doing so! 

Hyram is more cautious when using brands that include a lot of fragrances in their products. The skin on the face is more sensitive and delicate; he recommends using fragrance-free products to limit irritation and aging. He also recommends steering clear of facial products like masks and scrubs due to the high amount of essential oils and how rough the mask might be on your fragile facial skin.

Lush also works to make sure that their products contain the minimum amount of chemicals possible.  One disadvantage to Lush is the amount of fragrance in their products from essential oils. You may question what difference added scent can do to your products, but the most common is drying out your skin. Other products like body washes are excellent to use on the body skin since water will rinse the product off quickly. 

Not only does Lush have a variety of products for different hair types, but they also have a section on their website that has a focus on Black hair care. Hyram speaks highly of the hair products from Lush for natural hair. Shampoos at Lush have different benefits in their haircare, including moisturizing, volumizing, and shine-enhancing. 

If you are curious to see how your current products line up with the number of ingredients that are not the greatest for you, you can use the app “Think Dirty.” When using this app, you can either scan your product’s barcode or search its name. With 1.77 million products plugged into the system, you will likely be able to find your products. The higher the number rating, the more harmful ingredients there are. Most Lush products were rated an 8/10. The skincare rating on Think Dirty is similar to golf; you want a lower number. An 8/10 rating shines a spotlight on the amount of fragrance used in their products. Other than that, Lush products are crystal clear in the way of transparency about their sources.  

Here is a list of their bestselling products!

Angels on Bare Skin: 3

Tea Tree Water Toner: 8

Dream Cream: 8

Mask Of Magnaminty: 8

Cup O’ Coffee: 8

 Rose Jam: 8

Ocean Salt: 8

The Olive Branch: 8

Big: 8

The quality you pay for is the quality you receive. If you are looking for products that do the trick, trust Lush to do so, even if it costs you a bit more than the average drugstore brand. 

To find out more information, click the link here to explore the Lush website.