Lush (store)
Encyclopedia
Lush is a handmade cosmetics company headquartered in Poole
, Dorset
in the UK
. In 1994, husband and wife Mark and Mo Constantine opened the first Lush store in Poole under the name Cosmetic House Limited. Lush adopted its current name on 10 April 1995. There are now more than 600 stores in 43 countries. Lush produces and sells a variety of handmade products, including face masks, soaps, bath bombs, bubble bars, hand and body lotions and hair treatments.
Lush uses fruits and vegetables, essential oils, and synthetic ingredients in all products produced. In addition to not using animal fat
s in their products, they are also against animal testing
and perform tests solely with volunteers instead.
, and Elizabeth Weir, who had an interest in beauty therapy formed a company named Constantine &
Weir. They began to develop recipes for bath and beauty products with the intention of selling them to other companies. The Body Shop
, a UK-based company founded in 1976 by Anita Roddick
, contracted Constantine & Weir as one of their suppliers.
In December 2010, both Mark and Mo Constantine were awarded the OBE in the New Year's Honours list, for services to the Beauty Industry.
The company also owned the B Never Too Busy To Be Beautiful brand, which had outlets in Poole
, Leeds
, Covent Garden
, and Oxford Street
. However, Lush announced in Autumn 2009 that B would cease trading, saying "the company has NOT gone bust or bankrupt and there are no administrators involved, we are simply unable to make a profit. Lush will be absorbing the business in order to retain the assets."
bars, shampoo
bars, hair conditioner
bars, solid shower gel
which they call shower jellies, massage
bars, and solid toothpaste tablets known as "Toothy Tabs". Lush also carries bath bomb
s, also called bath ballistics, which are solid balls made of sodium bicarbonate
and citric acid
(sometimes fashioned in other shapes such as love heart,cylinders ect) that fizz as they dissolve in the bath, releasing essential oils and that scent the bath and soften the skin , and in some cases glitter, confetti,chocolate, flower petals,paper notes,popping candy or seaweed. Newer bath bombs also foam up in the tub and in some cases the ballistics are multi layerd. Lush hand-make the products in a factory in small batches based on orders from individual stores in order to keep their products fresh. In order to stay in touch with their fresh standard, Lush does not sell any product in their store that's older than 4 months and most products have a total shelf life of approximately 14 months.
as well as Japanese
, French
and many other languages. Many products are labeled with a use-by date
and who made the product.
Lush uses minimal packaging (over 70% of their products contain no packaging at all); the packaging that they do use is 100% recyclable and are made from used plastics and cardboard.
Products which contain no animal ingredients at all are marked as vegan in Lush catalogues, on store displays, and on the container itself.
Some Lush products contain Paraben-based preservatives, the safety of which have been subject to recent speculation. Lush uses methyl- and propyl- parabens, which have been used in food preservation and are both made of plant materials. Only the liquid products contain parabens; solid products have no preservative content as it is water that can breed bacteria in products. 70% of Lush products are preservative-free, though the necessity of preservatives at all are highly controversial among consumers.
episode four of The Apprentice. The episode was aired on 14 April 2009 in the UK. Despite not being directly mentioned on the programme, the sign of the factory is visible on a few occasions. The company responded with a new product to represent the partnership with the programme.
. Lush itself tests its products on human volunteers before they are sold.
In keeping with its stated ethos, Lush has also begun to phase out its use of sodium palm kernelate
. Sodium palm kernelate is derived from trees in the natural habitat of orangutans. Greenwash, a pine scented soap
, is the first soap to be made using palm-free soap noodles, but as of 2008 all Lush soaps are made with palm-free soap base. Lush is currently working on removing all traces of palm oil from the products.
In an effort to remain environmentally friendly, Lush offers a free face mask to those who return five or more used Lush containers to the store. Their aim is to have "100% of [their] packaging easily recyclable, compostable or biodegradable".
Lush is a supporter of controversial direct action
, animal rights
operations including Sea Shepherd, a group that works to protect whales, seals, and other aquatic animals. Lush has also been a supporter of UKuncut and its protests which have resulted in significant criminal damage.
In 2007 Lush started openly supporting campaigning groups by sending a dozen cheques for £1000 each, including road protest
s groups such as Road Block and NoM1Widening, Hacan Clear Skies (anti-aviation group), and Dump the Dump (which is fighting against an incinerator) They introduced the "Charity Pot" body lotion, each pot promotes a different small charity on the lid, and the full purchase price (except for VAT) goes to charity. They have also introduced a range of "Go Green" products that they say are inspired by Rebecca Lush
(no relation), a roads campaigner who set up Road Block in the early 1990s and who pied Jeremy Clarkson
for his glorification of the car.
and United With Israel encouraging consumers to boycott Lush products on account of the U.K.-based parent company's decision to promote OneWorld's Freedom for Palestine
initiative. United With Israel criticized Lush for its position vis-a-vis Israel at the same time that it has stores open in the oppressive regimes of Sri Lanka and Saudi Arabia
.
Several weeks later a new website went live and the online order function was re-instated but transactions were handled by a hosted payment gateway for buyer peace of mind.
Poole
Poole is a large coastal town and seaport in the county of Dorset, on the south coast of England. The town is east of Dorchester, and Bournemouth adjoins Poole to the east. The Borough of Poole was made a unitary authority in 1997, gaining administrative independence from Dorset County Council...
, Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. In 1994, husband and wife Mark and Mo Constantine opened the first Lush store in Poole under the name Cosmetic House Limited. Lush adopted its current name on 10 April 1995. There are now more than 600 stores in 43 countries. Lush produces and sells a variety of handmade products, including face masks, soaps, bath bombs, bubble bars, hand and body lotions and hair treatments.
Lush uses fruits and vegetables, essential oils, and synthetic ingredients in all products produced. In addition to not using animal fat
Animal fat
Animal fats are rendered tissue fats that can be obtained from a variety of animals.- Pet nutrition :In pet nutrition, the source of animal fat concerns food manufacturers. AAFCO states that animal fat is "obtained from the tissues of mammals and/or poultry in the commercial processes of rendering...
s in their products, they are also against animal testing
Animal testing
Animal testing, also known as animal experimentation, animal research, and in vivo testing, is the use of non-human animals in experiments. Worldwide it is estimated that the number of vertebrate animals—from zebrafish to non-human primates—ranges from the tens of millions to more than 100 million...
and perform tests solely with volunteers instead.
History
The original incarnation of what is now Lush was started in the 1970s when Mark Constantine, an herbal trichologistTrichology
Trichology is the branch of medicine that deals with the scientific study of the health of hair and scalp. Trichologists themselves are not normally licensed healthcare workers, although members of the medical profession can undertake courses and/or careers within trichology. Trichology can be...
, and Elizabeth Weir, who had an interest in beauty therapy formed a company named Constantine &
Weir. They began to develop recipes for bath and beauty products with the intention of selling them to other companies. The Body Shop
The Body Shop
The Body Shop International plc, known as The Body Shop, has 2,400 stores in 61 countries, and is the second largest cosmetic franchise in the world, following O Boticario, a Brazilian company...
, a UK-based company founded in 1976 by Anita Roddick
Anita Roddick
Dame Anita Roddick, DBE was a British businesswoman, human rights activist and environmental campaigner, best known as the founder of The Body Shop, a cosmetics company producing and retailing beauty products that shaped ethical consumerism...
, contracted Constantine & Weir as one of their suppliers.
In December 2010, both Mark and Mo Constantine were awarded the OBE in the New Year's Honours list, for services to the Beauty Industry.
Business structure
Lush is a privately-owned company with only a small number of shares available on an invitation basis only. The company's growth is based mainly upon partnerships and franchise holders.The company also owned the B Never Too Busy To Be Beautiful brand, which had outlets in Poole
Poole
Poole is a large coastal town and seaport in the county of Dorset, on the south coast of England. The town is east of Dorchester, and Bournemouth adjoins Poole to the east. The Borough of Poole was made a unitary authority in 1997, gaining administrative independence from Dorset County Council...
, Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, Covent Garden
Covent Garden
Covent Garden is a district in London on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St. Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit and vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist site, and the Royal Opera House, which is also known as...
, and Oxford Street
Oxford Street
Oxford Street is a major thoroughfare in the City of Westminster in the West End of London, United Kingdom. It is Europe's busiest shopping street, as well as its most dense, and currently has approximately 300 shops. The street was formerly part of the London-Oxford road which began at Newgate,...
. However, Lush announced in Autumn 2009 that B would cease trading, saying "the company has NOT gone bust or bankrupt and there are no administrators involved, we are simply unable to make a profit. Lush will be absorbing the business in order to retain the assets."
Products
Lush produces many different types of cosmetic products, from hair, face, body, and foot care, all the way to bath and shower care. Lush creates solid products to reduce packaging waste and the need for preservatives. Solid products are sold wrapped in paper or in small bags. Lush encourages customers and staff to purchase products using their own shopping bags to be more eco-friendly and even motivate customers to let their products go "naked" (without any packaging whatsoever). Some examples of Lush's solid products include bubble bathBubble bath
The term bubble bath can be used to describe aerated or carbonated baths, or to describe bathing with a layer of surfactant foam on the surface of the water and consequently also the surfactant product used to produce the foam....
bars, shampoo
Shampoo
Shampoo is a hair care product used for the removal of oils, dirt, skin particles, dandruff, environmental pollutants and other contaminant particles that gradually build up in hair...
bars, hair conditioner
Conditioner
A conditioner is something that improves the quality of another material. See:* Conditioner * Hair conditioner* Air conditioner* Conditioner * Fabric conditioner* Yarn conditioner* Power conditioner* Condition number...
bars, solid shower gel
Shower gel
Shower gel or shower cream is the general term for a substance similar to liquid soap, which is used for cleaning yourself during a shower. Most commercial shower gels do not contain any saponified oil however, instead being products of petroleum...
which they call shower jellies, massage
Massage
Massage is the manipulation of superficial and deeper layers of muscle and connective tissue to enhance function, aid in the healing process, and promote relaxation and well-being. The word comes from the French massage "friction of kneading", or from Arabic massa meaning "to touch, feel or handle"...
bars, and solid toothpaste tablets known as "Toothy Tabs". Lush also carries bath bomb
Bath bomb
A bath bomb is a hard-packed mixture of chemicals which effervesces when wet. They are used to add scent and colour to bathwater.-Composition:Bath bombs' primary ingredients are a weak acid and a bicarbonate base...
s, also called bath ballistics, which are solid balls made of sodium bicarbonate
Sodium bicarbonate
Sodium bicarbonate or sodium hydrogen carbonate is the chemical compound with the formula Na HCO3. Sodium bicarbonate is a white solid that is crystalline but often appears as a fine powder. It has a slightly salty, alkaline taste resembling that of washing soda . The natural mineral form is...
and citric acid
Citric acid
Citric acid is a weak organic acid. It is a natural preservative/conservative and is also used to add an acidic, or sour, taste to foods and soft drinks...
(sometimes fashioned in other shapes such as love heart,cylinders ect) that fizz as they dissolve in the bath, releasing essential oils and that scent the bath and soften the skin , and in some cases glitter, confetti,chocolate, flower petals,paper notes,popping candy or seaweed. Newer bath bombs also foam up in the tub and in some cases the ballistics are multi layerd. Lush hand-make the products in a factory in small batches based on orders from individual stores in order to keep their products fresh. In order to stay in touch with their fresh standard, Lush does not sell any product in their store that's older than 4 months and most products have a total shelf life of approximately 14 months.
Ingredients
Lush lists their product ingredients in EnglishEnglish language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
as well as Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
and many other languages. Many products are labeled with a use-by date
Shelf life
Shelf life is the length of time that food, drink, medicine, chemicals, and many other perishable items are given before they are considered unsuitable for sale, use, or consumption...
and who made the product.
Lush uses minimal packaging (over 70% of their products contain no packaging at all); the packaging that they do use is 100% recyclable and are made from used plastics and cardboard.
Products which contain no animal ingredients at all are marked as vegan in Lush catalogues, on store displays, and on the container itself.
Some Lush products contain Paraben-based preservatives, the safety of which have been subject to recent speculation. Lush uses methyl- and propyl- parabens, which have been used in food preservation and are both made of plant materials. Only the liquid products contain parabens; solid products have no preservative content as it is water that can breed bacteria in products. 70% of Lush products are preservative-free, though the necessity of preservatives at all are highly controversial among consumers.
The Apprentice
The Lush Factory based in Poole, Dorset was used in series fiveThe Apprentice (UK series five)
Series Five of The Apprentice was a British reality television series which was won by Yasmina Siadatan. The series began airing on BBC One on 25 March 2009 and ran for twelve weekly hour-long episodes, as in all previous years. Auditions and interviews took place during July 2008 in London,...
episode four of The Apprentice. The episode was aired on 14 April 2009 in the UK. Despite not being directly mentioned on the programme, the sign of the factory is visible on a few occasions. The company responded with a new product to represent the partnership with the programme.
Ethos and campaigning
Lush does not buy from companies that carry out, fund, or commission any animal testingAnimal testing
Animal testing, also known as animal experimentation, animal research, and in vivo testing, is the use of non-human animals in experiments. Worldwide it is estimated that the number of vertebrate animals—from zebrafish to non-human primates—ranges from the tens of millions to more than 100 million...
. Lush itself tests its products on human volunteers before they are sold.
In keeping with its stated ethos, Lush has also begun to phase out its use of sodium palm kernelate
Palm oil
Palm oil, coconut oil and palm kernel oil are edible plant oils derived from the fruits of palm trees. Palm oil is extracted from the pulp of the fruit of the oil palm Elaeis guineensis; palm kernel oil is derived from the kernel of the oil palm and coconut oil is derived from the kernel of the...
. Sodium palm kernelate is derived from trees in the natural habitat of orangutans. Greenwash, a pine scented soap
Soap
In chemistry, soap is a salt of a fatty acid.IUPAC. "" Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 2nd ed. . Compiled by A. D. McNaught and A. Wilkinson. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford . XML on-line corrected version: created by M. Nic, J. Jirat, B. Kosata; updates compiled by A. Jenkins. ISBN...
, is the first soap to be made using palm-free soap noodles, but as of 2008 all Lush soaps are made with palm-free soap base. Lush is currently working on removing all traces of palm oil from the products.
In an effort to remain environmentally friendly, Lush offers a free face mask to those who return five or more used Lush containers to the store. Their aim is to have "100% of [their] packaging easily recyclable, compostable or biodegradable".
Lush is a supporter of controversial direct action
Direct action
Direct action is activity undertaken by individuals, groups, or governments to achieve political, economic, or social goals outside of normal social/political channels. This can include nonviolent and violent activities which target persons, groups, or property deemed offensive to the direct action...
, animal rights
Animal rights
Animal rights, also known as animal liberation, is the idea that the most basic interests of non-human animals should be afforded the same consideration as the similar interests of human beings...
operations including Sea Shepherd, a group that works to protect whales, seals, and other aquatic animals. Lush has also been a supporter of UKuncut and its protests which have resulted in significant criminal damage.
In 2007 Lush started openly supporting campaigning groups by sending a dozen cheques for £1000 each, including road protest
Road protest (UK)
Road protest in the United Kingdom usually occurs as a reaction to a stated intention by the empowered authorities to build a new road, or to modify an existing road. Protests may also be made by those wishing to see new roads built or improvements made to existing roads. Motivations for protests...
s groups such as Road Block and NoM1Widening, Hacan Clear Skies (anti-aviation group), and Dump the Dump (which is fighting against an incinerator) They introduced the "Charity Pot" body lotion, each pot promotes a different small charity on the lid, and the full purchase price (except for VAT) goes to charity. They have also introduced a range of "Go Green" products that they say are inspired by Rebecca Lush
Rebecca Lush
Rebecca Lush is an environmental activist who was influential during the 1990s and early 2000s when she helped organise a number of major UK road protests including those against the M3 Extension at Twyford Down, the M11 link road and the Newbury bypass...
(no relation), a roads campaigner who set up Road Block in the early 1990s and who pied Jeremy Clarkson
Jeremy Clarkson
Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson is an English broadcaster, journalist and writer who specialises in motoring. He is best known for his role on the BBC TV show Top Gear along with co-presenters Richard Hammond and James May...
for his glorification of the car.
Controversy
In 2011 a campaign was launched by the Israel advocacy groups StandWithUsStandWithUs
StandWithUs is a non-profit pro-Israel education and advocacy organization based in Los Angeles. As of 2009, it has branches in Los Angeles, New York, Denver, Michigan, Chicago, Seattle, Orange County, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, the UK, Australia, and Israel....
and United With Israel encouraging consumers to boycott Lush products on account of the U.K.-based parent company's decision to promote OneWorld's Freedom for Palestine
Freedom for Palestine
"Freedom for Palestine" is a song by OneWorld. OneWorld is a collective of musicians, artists, campaign groups and charities working together to "raise awareness of the Israeli occupation of Palestine and the resulting poverty and other human rights abuses." The song, released on 3 July 2011, is a...
initiative. United With Israel criticized Lush for its position vis-a-vis Israel at the same time that it has stores open in the oppressive regimes of Sri Lanka and Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
.
UK website hacked
On the 21st January 2011, Lush admitted that their UK website had been subject to a number of successful hacking attacks. Their website was subsequently taken down and replaced with a static frontpage. They stated that: "For complete ease of mind, we would like all customers that placed ONLINE orders with us between 4th Oct 2010 and today, 20th Jan 2011, to contact their banks for advice as their card details may have been compromised." This attack was reported in the Guardian newspaper and on the BBC.Several weeks later a new website went live and the online order function was re-instated but transactions were handled by a hosted payment gateway for buyer peace of mind.