Plaque Sabbath

With charcoal, we’re a bit like an early Beatles fan grumbling ‘I saw them at The Cavern before they got famous’. Because at Lush, we definitely sang the benefits of charcoal before it became a cosmetic superstar!

Charcoal results from the combustion of carbon-full materials, such as wood. Traditionally, it is made by stacking dried wood in kilns to burn until completely charred, which can last up to sixteen hours. Used as fuel for thousands of years, it is also a natural black pigment much appreciated by cavemen and modern artists alike. Charcoal has, in fact, countless game-changing applications, such as a water purifier, gunpowder, medicine or even… cosmetic ingredient!

What really sets charcoal apart is its porous nature. Charcoal particles are full of holes and crevices called micropores, which give the material adsorption powers. Adsorption means that the holes help external molecules and atoms adhere to the charcoal's surface and be transported with it. After these properties were documented in the 1700s, they were tested for medical applications in the 1800s and found success as an antidote to some ingested poison.

Activated charcoal or activated carbon, as you may sometimes see it labelled, is charcoal pushed to its limits. Simple charcoal goes through a complex chemical process that not only removes every possible impurity but also increases the porosity and, therefore, the adsorption capacity of charcoal. This highly improved material is included in the WHO list of essential medicines.

It gives a deep cleanse by attracting excess oils and impurities.

Depending on its particle size, it can gently exfoliate the skin from dead skin cells and polish the teeth.

In deodorants, it helps control sweat and limit the growth of body odour-producing bacteria.

In haircare, its cleansing properties can leave the hair feeling lighter, which results in extra volume and bounce.

To find out 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!

Spicy, sweet-scented cloves add warmth to perfumes and stimulate the blood flow. 

Cloves are the dried aromatic flower buds of a tropical evergreen tree of the Myrtle family. When drying, the buds change colour from rose to brown. They can then be sold raw or put through a process of steam distillation to obtain an essential oil with a warm, rich and spicy aroma.

Cloves are known to have antiseptic properties that are beneficial for soothing skin irritations.

They offer a helping hand with boosting circulation and blood flow.

Their unique spicy yet sweet fragrance also has an uplifting and stimulating effect on the mind.

Cloves are used in herbal medicine. They were first mentioned in Chinese medicine in about AD600. Particularly known for their soothing effect on toothaches, it is said that the ancient Chinese also used to hold a clove in the mouth to perfume their breath when speaking to the emperor.

At Lush, we buy an oil distilled from clove buds and one obtained from the plant's leaves. Depending on the part used, the scent will be subtly different. We also use a lot of dried cloves, especially for our exclusive winter festive products. Each of these materials will be purchased from another source. 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!

Orange is a very well known and delicious fruit. It’s one of your five a day - but has many other benefits to your skin and wellbeing!

An orange is a well-known fruit within the citrus family that grows on trees all around the world. The sweet orange is a flowering tree with glossy, evergreen leaves and thorny branches, and it is thought to be native to China, and East Asia. The trees now grow all over the world. Botanically, their juicy, edible, orange-coloured fruits are a type of berry called a hesperidium.

Orange juice and oil have astringent, cleansing properties that help the skin and hair to glow.

Oranges contain potassium, folic acid, and large amounts of vitamin C, which together with lutein help improve skin elasticity.

Citrus scents are usually uplifting and refreshing, but the sweetness of oranges tends to be so cheerful that it actually promotes rest. You feel good, therefore you relax.

Orange peel wax is considered a good vegan alternative to lanolin as it has similar emollient, moisturising and emulsifying properties, with a lightweight feel. 

We use orange in many different forms (essential oils, juice, peel, wax…) for different products, and each of them can be purchased in different places around the world. To find out 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!

Menthol is super refreshing, cleansing and stimulating. 

Menthol is a white crystalline compound found in all mints, giving the green herbs their refreshing and aromatic properties.

Menthol has a distinctly refreshing aroma and taste.

It is said to stimulate blood circulation, prevent hair loss, and cleanse the skin and the mouth! 

It gives a feeling of freshness and relaxes stressed bodies and minds. 

Menthol was used in Japan for 2000 years before being known in the rest of the world. It is still a very popular ingredient today, especially in oral care for its analgesic properties, relieving pain and irritations, as well as for its ability to perfume the breath and give a feeling of prolonged refreshment in the mouth.

To find out more about our menthol crystals 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!

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.