Mario

We’re so used to pepper that we tend to forget how precious, fragrant and versatile it is.

Piper nigrum, the black pepper plant, is a vine native to southern India that can grow up to 20 meters long (65 feet). Its very small, berry-like fruits grow in clusters and change in colour, taste, and scent as they ripen. Typically, black pepper is obtained from young green fruits which are picked and dried in the heat until they turn black and develop their pungent pepper smell. But you can also get white, green and red pepper from these fruits, each with a different intensity - so many flavourful choices with just one plant.

If this already amazes you, then rejoice, because there are so many plants in the world called pepper... enough to be overwhelmed! In Lush products alone, we use or have used pink pepper (Shinus molle), Sichuan pepper (Zanthoxylum Alatum), Sansho pepper (Zanthoxylum piperitum) and Jamaican pepper, also known as allspice.

Although each pepper has its own specificity, their main common trait (when it comes to cosmetics) is their scent. Not that they all smell the same! But their oil, powder or infusion release strong and complex fragrances that can perfume the skin and hair.

As for black pepper, which we love so much at Lush, it is said to help relieve tension and aches while stimulating blood circulation when applied to the skin and scalp.

Well, kind of! Black pepper is listed as one of the Fifty Plants that Changed the Course of History (Bill Laws, 2010). Indeed, it was one of the stars of the spice trade. This trade began near 1000 BCE, bringing fragrant plants from all over the world, by land and sea, to the most enthusiastic European noses and palates. Black pepper was so popular and profitable that it encouraged explorers like Christopher Columbus to find easier and faster routes to India (where pepper was produced). And we all know how that ended!

Many peppers mean many sources! To learn more about our 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.

You can find the warm scent of black pepper gorgeously paired up with patchouli and vanilla in our Lord of Misrule range.

Cut loose, fruit juice, kick off the vitamin boost!

Of all the wild ideas Lush inventors have had since 1995, adding fresh fruit juices to their creations is probably one of the most iconic. They were inspired by the research of Alan Hopking, a medical herbalist, particularly his piece on the benefits of enzymes. Using fresh fruit on the skin seems so logical after all, but it took a while to make it work because they rot so quickly and can spoil the whole formula. Don’t we love a challenge!

It takes a lot of elbow grease but as far as possible we press the fruit ourselves at the factory. Sometimes, however, we have to buy them from other companies, as some fruits require specific machinery and skills that we don't always have.

Vitamins - A, B, C, E, you name it. Fruits are bursting with them, each with its own talent, such as antioxidant, soothing, toning, exfoliating or protective properties.

Antioxidants - Vitamins are not the only ones that can be classified as antioxidants. Other components help fight cell ageing, such as flavonoids (colour pigments) or some enzymes.

Enzymes - Pineapples, papayas, mangos or kiwis all contain their unique enzymes that give a powerful exfoliation to the skin and scalp.

Acids - Ever heard of alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs)? They're popular in skincare for their ability to revive and cleanse the skin. Citrus fruits, apples and grapes are full of them!

Proteins - It's a little rarer in fruits, but still. Jackfruit and noni, for example, contain proteins that help strengthen the skin and hair.

Each Lush manufacturer has its own fruit and veg supplier, very much like a supermarket! Depending on the time of year, they source products from different countries to try and have availability all year round. They work hard to supply as much organic products as possible and provide the highest quality available the rest of the time. Each producer must comply with our strict policies, just like any of our suppliers.

Want to know more about fruit juices and their mysteries? Browse your Lush product page to find the list of ingredients. Then click on the ones you’re curious about and get more detailed information!

It’s good to be green. Limes have a sharp, zesty scent and bring the shine!

The key lime grows on the Citrus aurantifolia tree, mainly cultivated in Brazil and Mexico these days although it is native to Southeast Asia. Fruits are usually picked when green and unripe, making them richer in acid and sugar than lemons. 

Limes (and their oil) contain citric acid, an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) that provides gentle exfoliation and thus cleanses the skin of dead skin cells, leaving it radiant and smooth. 

Their acidity gives a lot of shine to the hair as it flattens their cuticles and so reflects light better.

It is a top note in perfume blends, meaning it’s the first one your nose will pick, but it’s also the first to evaporate on the skin.

Lush purchases lime oil from a producer in Mexico. The whole fruit, peel included, is pressed to obtain a juice-and-oil emulsion that is then steam distilled to recover the aromatic oil. We also use fresh and dried limes in our products, which can come from different places. To find out more about 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!

Benzoin has been used in incense and perfumes for centuries. Its sweet, spicy and slightly earthy aroma brings comfort and calm to the mind.

Benzoin is a natural resin that can be collected from two types of styrax trees: Styrax benzoin, native to Sumatra, and Styrax tonkinensis, which grows in Southeast Asia. 

Resin is a natural bandage for trees. It drips from wounded trunks and hardens in the open air, protecting the wounds from possible disease, fungus, and insect attack. Resin is full of potent aromatic compounds, which probably inspired humans to try and make something out of it centuries ago. Some trees produce a lot of it, making it easy to harvest. Once hard, the resin can be burned pure, ground into powder, or refined with solvents to produce a fragrant extract called resinoid.

Its sweet, balsamic and powdery scent is a delightful sensory treat.

It soothes the skin and keeps it healthy and firm.

Its thick consistency creates a thin protective and conditioning film on the skin and hair, which helps prevent moisture loss and gives hair shine.

As a fixative, it helps other fragrance ingredients to blend well and last longer on the skin.

Lush purchases a tincture of benzoin from a UK-based company and a resinoid from a supplier in Laos. The latter works with 80 farmers who collect resin from Styrax tonkinensis trees, using traditional methods and focusing on quality. The trees are grown and harvested sustainably, and the forest is managed according to agroforestry principles. Farmers receive fair payments and labour security and safety. 

Find out more about each of our benzoin ingredients on their dedicated pages:

Benzoin Resinoid

Tincture of Benzoin

Benzoin Gum Powder

Or browse through two collections of iconic Lush scents: The sleepy range, which combines sweet benzoin and tonka with calming lavender, and our gourmand selection of irresistible fragrances.

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.