Catastrophe Cosmetic

Clays leave the skin cleansed, soft and mattified like no other.

Clay minerals are tiny soil particles. No other mineral has been used as much in human history as clay. From growing plants to making ceramics, from engineering applications to cosmetics, clays seem to have limitless potential.

Absorbs excess oil (sebum) and water (sweat) into itself.

Makes a gently buffing paste when mixed with water.

Gives a pleasant, smooth texture to body and face masks.

There are many types of clay. Some are completely natural, like kaolin or rhassoul mud; some are mixed with colouring pigments, like rose clay. Some are made from a combination of several sedimentary clays, like fuller’s earth. Although they have common properties, each has its own specificities in terms of absorption power, mineral content, or granularity. Depending on these little differences, Lush inventors will choose one or the other to perfect their products’ formulae.

To learn more about the origin of each clay and their benefits, 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!

Humble flowers with super soothing powers.

There are many species of chamomile flowers, and they’re sometimes hard to differentiate from one another - even experts struggle! At Lush, we use two types, easily identifiable and well known in European folk medicine: the German chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla syn. Matricaria recutita) which resembles a daisy, and the Roman chamomile (Anthemis nobilis) that looks like a fuzzy ball of white petals. 

Originally white in colour, the German chamomile flowers release a blue pigment when distilled into an essential oil. This is due to  an anti-inflammatory compound that forms during steam distillation, called chamazulene. Hence the name: chamomile blue oil.

Soothing

Antiseptic

The flowers’ oils are believed to promote calm and restful sleep when inhaled. They’re often coupled with lavender as they share similar properties and complement each other scents.

Chamomile crops are so fragile that Lush buyers always need to have backup suppliers in case our current ones are unable to produce the amount we need. The source will also change depending on the type of ingredient (oil, dried flowers…) and species. 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!

Under the sea, forests of slimy algae grow, and they’re full of benefits for the skin and hair.

Soothing

Mineral-rich

Radiance boosting

Softening

Texturising

On this last point, it should be noted that certain seaweeds have gelling properties, especially agar-agar and Irish moss (from which a powder called carrageenan is extracted). When combined with the right ingredients, they can help create a wide range of textures and shapes for our products such as our shower jellies.

Lush was founded in Poole, a coastal town in southern England where it is still strongly rooted in today. Outside the headquarters, massive seagulls soar and cry, and salty waves crash onto the quay. No wonder the seaside has been such an inspiration for our products! It's also why we're not afraid to use strong-scented seaweed absolute in some of our fragrances.

Saying that we source them from the sea would probably sound a bit vague! At Lush, we purchase a lot of different algae from around the world - fresh, dried, powdered, and even distilled. To learn more about each of these, you can go through your product’s ingredient list and click on the one you’re interested in. You can also click on this list of curious names below for a sneak peek:

Toothed wrack

Bladderwrack

Sugar kelp

Wakame

Kombu

The romantic scent of the rose is said to help restore inner balance and is considered by some to be an aphrodisiac. 

Rose petals are the source of rose oil, which some say was the first floral essential oil to be distilled. Rose oil has been an important part of fragrances and flavours for thousands of years. It is perhaps the most beloved floral scent in the world. The many versions of rose materials that we include as key ingredients in our products have an array of different qualities that will serve your senses, your skin and your mind!

Depending on the concentration, roses products may:

Soothe

Balance

Subtly tighten the pores

Restore radiance

Improve elasticity

Reduce the appearance of broken capillaries

Rose flowers are used in our products in several forms (essential oils, infusion, petals, dried buds…) and each of them can be purchased in different places around the world. 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!

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.

Your order will be expertly protected against impact during transit by biodegradable Eco-Pops, compostable packaging nuggets made from potato starch! They're easily dissolvable in water or soil.

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.

Full of nutritious fresh ingredients for your skin, store this product in the fridge and use within 28 days.