Princess Peach's Crown

Strawberries are so tasty that we rarely associate them with anything other than food. But that’s never stopped anyone at Lush! These vitamin C-rich fruits certainly make sense in cosmetics. 

The strawberry is a small, juicy red fruit that grows wild in many parts of the world. Contrary to what its name suggests, it is a fruit, not a berry. Some would even say it’s an “accessory fruit” and that the true fruit is actually the tiny seed you can see on the outside of the strawberry, but… let’s not dig that deep.

After Europeans discovered the Americas, different species of strawberries from both continents were crossbred to obtain the perfect size and colour. This gave rise to the commercial varieties that we find today in supermarkets.

It's funny how one plant can carry similar symbolism across different civilisations. The strawberry is a good example: from the Vikings to the Cherokees to the ancient Romans, this fruit symbolises love, union, and fertility. Isn’t the strawberry the most famous craving of pregnant women? Is it its colour, its heart shape, or its delicate, sweet scent that makes the strawberry so enticing and romantic? Perhaps it’s the fleeting nature of its seasonality.

They’re full of vitamins, especially vitamin C, an antioxidant that can soothe inflammation and enhance skin’s radiance. 

They’re acidic, almost as much as grapefruit, which gives shine to hair. 

They’re fragrant and can give products a beautiful pink to red colour depending on concentration.

The seeds should not be left out—as tiny as they are, they can make a good, soft exfoliant when rubbed on the skin and yield a moisturising oil when pressed.

It’s time to indulge! Take a look at our gourmand bestseller American Cream conditioner, famously filled with fresh strawberries. This collection of sweet, fruity products may also satisfy your cravings.

To say that buchu oil has a sweet scent would be simplistic. Its minty, fruity, green and camphorous notes make it way more complex and subtle.

Buchu is an aromatic shrub native to South Africa, where it’s been used as a medicinal and cosmetic ingredient by the indigenous people for centuries. Its small round leaves grow symmetrically, making Buchu a very aesthetic plant. It was introduced to Europe and the United States as a medicine in the 19th century but received uneven success. Today, buchu leaves and oil are traded mainly for their flavouring and aromatic qualities.

Although buchu’s blackcurrant and minty fragrance is the main reason you can find it in Lush products, its benefits for the skin shouldn’t go unnoticed. It is, in fact, known for its antiseptic and soothing properties.

Buchu is native to the Cederberg region of South Africa and this is where Lush purchases the essential oil. Located on a UNESCO World Heritage site, the family business grows buchu and rooibos which they process themselves into oil and other products, ensuring high standards. They believe in sustainable agricultural practices that promote biodiversity.

Let castor oil put a nice soothing spell on your skin and scalp!

The evergreen castor bean shrub (Ricinus communis) is considered native to eastern Africa. Castor oil is produced by cold-pressing the seeds and goes through a clarification process by heating before use. The oil is a colourless, odourless and tasteless pale yellow liquid. 

Castor oil is both antibacterial and soothing.

It takes care of the scalp so well that it allows hair follicles to develop strong and healthy hair.

It has been used medicinally around the world for thousands of years, mostly to treat skin conditions such as eczema or psoriasis, as well as burns or acne.

It can be mixed with sodium hydroxide along with other vegetable oils to create a thick and stable soap base.

‘Castor’ means beaver in French!

To find out more about our suppliers, browse your Lush product’s list of ingredients and click on castor oil. This should take you to a page full of details!

An ancient remedy for dry skin and hair, olives contain a rich, moisturising oil bursting with antioxidants.

The European olive tree (Olea europaea) has thrived for millennia under the hot sun of the Mediterranean basin. It grows the famous small, green fruit known as olive, prized for its taste and richness in oil. Olive trees are slow-growing and can have a very long lifespan. Indeed, the oldest known in the world are in Lebanon and are believed to be 6,000 years old. SIX. THOUSAND. (gobsmacked emoji)

Readily absorbed, it offers lightweight moisture.

It protects and conditions the skin and hair, improving their strength.

It gives the skin a healthy glow.

It makes the hair shine.

The oil’s lightweight feel is due to its squalene content, a compound that can also be found in human sebum. ‘Accepted’ well by the skin, it allows the oil to help restore a healthy level of moisture.

Olive oil contains some of the most potent antioxidants in the world, namely vitamin E, hydroxytyrosol (a plant polyphenol) and oleic acid. These compounds are thought to help the skin cells fight against the oxidising action of free radicals. This means that they could help the skin stay firm and healthy for longer. Besides, olives, olive leaves, and olive oil have shown very promising anti-tumour action and protection against cancer when used at a certain level and in specific conditions.

Sources: Boss, A., Bishop, K. S.,  Marlow, G., Barnett, M. P. G., Ferguson, L. R., (2016)  Evidence to Support the Anti-Cancer Effect of Olive Leaf Extract and Future Directions, Nutrients 8(8):513

Melguizo-Rodríguez, L., González-Acedo, A., Illescas-Montes, R., García-Recio, J. Ramos-Torrecillas, E., Costela-Ruiz, V. J., García-Martínez, O. (2022) Biological effects of the olive tree and its derivatives on the skin,  Food Funct., 13, 11410-11424

At Lush, we use a lot of moisturising olive oil, but we also purchase the lesser-known olive leaf absolute to complement some of our perfumes. Extracted by solvent from the green-grey leaves of the tree, it has a refreshing herbal scent with a hint of fruity aroma and bitterness.

Lush purchases olive leaf absolute from Egypt, where the leaves are trimmed off the trees after the fruit’s harvest. All the other olive-derived ingredients that you can find in our products have different stories and origins. To find out more, browse your product’s list of ingredients and click on the ones you are interested in. This should take you to a page full of details!

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.

All of our products are made by hand, fresh, every day, across 6 manufacturing sites all over the world. We believe in happy people making happy soap, putting our faces on our products and making our mums proud.

It's better naked. 66% of products sold each year are packaging-free.