Beauty Sleep

Dare we say, the most relaxing scent you’ll ever smell!

The plant genus Lavandula includes about 47 species of flowering plants. Most famous for ornaments and fragrant extracts is the Lavandula angustifolia species, from which Lush’s lavender oil and absolute are obtained. It is a shrub-like perennial that grows long, slender stems topped with a cluster of purple flowers - small yet very fragrant.

Lavender’s scent is floral, strong but somehow delicate, comforting and elegant.

Lavender’s essential oils are naturally antimicrobial, balancing and soothing, a great combination to calm skin conditions such as acne.

The flowers are filled with linalool, a substance known for its sedative effects on the nervous system.

The dried little flowers can make a gentle natural exfoliant when rubbed on the skin.

René-Maurice Gattefossé, a French chemist from the early 20th century, accidentally discovered lavender oil's soothing and healing properties. Legend has it that he severely burned his hands during tests in his laboratory and immediately immersed them in lavender oil (which was nearest to him at the time). His hands healed so well that he became passionate about the properties of essential oils, and is now recognised as the ‘father of modern aromatherapy’.

Lush sources lavender oils from a couple of suppliers. One is based in the warm and sunny region Provence region of France, while the other is an organic-certified Bulgarian distiller. 

We also purchase dried strands and flowers, which may have different origins depending on the manufacturing site where your Lush product was made.

Dare with us! Here’s a selection of Lush products with lavender that should help you unwind before bedtime.

Delicately floral and somewhat citrusy, the scent of neroli is distinctively cheering.

Neroli oil comes from the bitter orange tree (Citrus aurantium amara), which is an evergreen member of the Rutaceae plant family. Many parts of the tree are used for perfuming and culinary purposes. The fruits flavour food and drinks, and the flowers are distilled to produce neroli oil and orange flower absolute. Petitgrain oil is also obtained from the leaves and twigs of this same tree.

Neroli is naturally uplifting and widely used in aromatherapy for its stress-relieving effects. This oil is a true luxury, as the distillation process requires a lot of flowers to produce just a little. 

Marie-Anne de La Trémoille (1642 - 1722) named the bitter orange flower oil ‘neroli’ after the city Nerola in Italy of which she was the princess. She loved to wear the oil as a perfume and created a trend in European royal courts - she would probably be called an influencer nowadays.

Lush sources a few different neroli oils from several different suppliers. To find out more, 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!

In cosmetics, an exfoliator (also called exfoliant or scrub) is a material or a substance that helps remove the dead skin cells from the skin's surface. 

The human skin renews itself regularly, in cycles of 5 to 6 weeks on average (although this changes with age). New cells are created in the deepest layers of the epidermis and work their way to the skin's surface. Even though they usually flake away on their own, they sometimes stick around for too long, clogging the pores and giving a dull and tired appearance. This is when an exfoliant comes in handy. Coarse materials buff and cleanse the skin perfectly. Some substances, like enzymes or natural acids, even have the properties of eating dead skin cells or dissolving what binds them together.

For decades, the cosmetic industry has been using microbeads to scrub the skin. Unfortunately, these are little plastic bits and they are so tiny that they can escape from sewer treatment plants and end up in the rivers, seas and oceans. They have been proven to contribute to global plastic particle water pollution, significantly damaging our planet’s wild aquatic life. Thankfully, microbeads were banned from rinse-off cosmetics in many countries in the late 2010s. Regardless, Lush has always preferred to use natural, biodegradable materials instead of microbeads such as enzyme-rich fruits, ground nuts, shells, bamboo stems or seeds. They are just as effective options!

Refreshes and softens the skin.

Makes the skin look healthier and gives it a glow.

Helps unclog pores.

Can help other ingredients to penetrate the skin better.

Lush use many types of natural scrubs! To find out more about each of them and their suppliers, 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.

If you're not sure where to start, here are our selection of body exfoliators and face scrubs. Let’s smooth it all!

Glossy little linseeds do way more than add some crunch to your salad. Behold, ultimate hydration and softness!

Also known as flax (not Holly Flax), the linseed plant is cultivated in most temperate areas of the world for its fibres and seeds. The tall-stemmed herb grows blue flowers from May every year, making beautiful coloured crops during the flowering season.

A moisturising oil, reputed for its soothing and protective effect on the skin. It is also a good carrier, holding and bringing the active compounds from other ingredients right where they need to be.

A soothing mucilage, produced by the seeds when immersed in hot water. A gel-like substance that softens and protects the skin and hair.

We purchase linseed in different forms (oil, brown seeds, golden seeds…) and each of them comes from a different source. The best way to find out more is to 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!

It pays to recycle with us! Return the packaging for this product to any a Lush shop and receive money towards your next purchase. Alternatively, return 5 qualifying items packaging for a free fresh face mask.

Fresh cosmetic ingredients are more effective on skin, hair, and mind than heavily preserved beauty products. 65% of our raw material spend is on natural ingredients.