Alban Arthan

The forest! Here, now, thanks to the wonderful fresh scent of pine and fir extracts.

Pines and firs are very resistant resinous conifers. These tall and wide trees are generous: they provide timber, oleoresin, medicines, aromatic extracts, and many other essential products. The oldest pine known is 4,800 years old; hence it’s a symbol of longevity in many countries.

At Lush, we’ve been using the great natural gifts of the Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) and the balsam fir (Abies balsamea), among others. Oils, absolutes, needles, and resins let us add a relaxing woody scent to our products.

For some, the scent of pine recalls walks in the wet Caledonian forest; for others, it is a shaded path to the beach, and for others still, it is choosing a Christmas tree... it is rare not to have memories linked to pine when you live in the northern hemisphere. From the coldest tundras to the warmest Mediterranean coasts, they’re everywhere, stretching the landscape and fueling folklore.

Lush’s perfumer Alina Gliwinska describes pine essential oil as fresh, terpenic, green, woody and sharper than fir absolute. She says: “Fir needle absolute is sweeter and richer. It has balsamic and sugary, coumarin-like base notes. Fir balsam resin is not as sweet. It is also balsamic and smooth but in a green, fresh way."

Pine and fir will also act differently in a perfume. Alina adds, "In my opinion, pine oil is a good top-middle note. It will stand up strongly as a coniferous scent, while fir extracts will be used as base notes. Fir’s sweet, balsamic nature makes it easy to mix with other accords and notes in the perfume. They balance the scent and boost the coniferous notes."

The fir balsam resin found in Lush products is harvested from the Boreal forests. These account for 28% of the world's forested areas. They’re a vital sanctuary for migratory birds during their summer breeding season and see three to five billion of them migrate in the autumn to reach warmer regions of North and South America.

Our suppliers of fir resin reside in northern Quebec, Canada. They cherish and protect the forest. The harvests are carefully managed in the wild, over controlled areas. They also utilise leftover materials to generate additional value and employment opportunities for local communities. The resin stays fluid and only needs a simple filtration process, without alcohol or solvents,  to ensure its cleanliness.

Wholeheartedly convinced that you're going to love pine and fir scents? You can find both in many of our products, especially in winter. For the rest of the year, fir resin regularly appears in our bath bombs, while pine oil teams up with patchouli in our best-selling fragrance, Karma.

Each species of mint has its unique subtleties, but it’s their typical fresh and energising scent that brings them all together.

Mint is a genus of plants that includes many different herb species. Fast growing and quite resistant, anyone with a herb garden knows that mint will spread everywhere very quickly if left uncontained. This fast propagation has allowed the spontaneous and natural creation of many mint hybrids over the centuries. At Lush, we use a few of these varieties, such as peppermint (Mentha x piperita), wild mint (Mentha arvensis, also called Hakka in Japanese), and spearmint (Mentha spicata).

Most mints contain menthol, in different proportions. Menthol is an aromatic compound that gives the herbs their distinctive scent. The stronger the aroma, the higher the menthol content. Extracts such as essential oils contain a lot of it as they are very concentrated.

Not only it is super fragrant, but menthol also has great properties for the skin, scalp and mouth such as:

Antimicrobial

Analgesic (pain-relieving)

Cooling

Preventing or slowing hair loss

Stimulating but soothing

Freshening for the breath

To harness the power of menthol, Lush uses wild mint oil and lots of peppermint – fresh, dried, in oil or absolute form. With these species, our products get a strong minty scent and a stimulating effect on the body and mind. Spearmint, on the other hand, has a very different profile. Indeed, it does not contain menthol but has high levels of carvone and limonene, giving the oil a still minty, but also anise-like and sweet scent, with citrus notes.

Depending on the type of mint, sourcing information may vary. To find out more about each of them, browse your Lush product’s list of ingredients and click on the ones you are interested in. This should take you to a page full of details!

Herbal and invigorating, the scent of eucalyptus essential oil is one of a kind - a Down Under breath of fresh air!

A flaky trunk? Slender, fragrant pieces of bark on the ground? That must be a eucalyptus tree. The Eucalyptus genus is native to Australia and other nearby islands. The genus counts more than 660 species, from shrubs to very tall trees. Eucalyptus globulus is one of them. Also known as the Southern blue gum, this species is one of the most planted worldwide because of its great weather adaptability and essential oil-rich leaves.

Eucalypti have been used by the Indigenous people of Australia for thousands of years, whether to repel insects, craft objects and weapons or build roofs. Some species are known for their health benefits, providing strong antiseptic and expectorant properties through the active compounds of their bark and leaves.

Eucalyptus oil’s strong scent refreshes and clears the mind.

Inhaling eucalyptus oil is said to help relieve headaches and congested chests.

Some say that it can promote restful sleep.

The antimicrobial properties of the plant’s oil also cleanse the skin and hair.

As you can probably guess, the answer is yes. Eucalyptus essential oil is very potent and must be diluted when used on the skin. But that’s fine because we don’t sell pure eucalyptus oil at Lush – it’s always diluted and used at recommended levels. That said, if you ever had an allergic reaction to the plant, talk to your doctor before using any of our products containing this ingredient.

Interested in our eucalyptus essential oil sourcing? Head over to this dedicated page. And if all this has made you want to add some fresh, herbal vibes to your morning or evening routines, look at our collection of cooling products.

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