St. Clements

Let’s spill the beans!

Although botanists haven't entirely agreed on the origins of the soya bean (Glycine soja), it is believed that the plant derives from a Chinese legume, Glycine ussuriensis. Soya has been eaten and cultivated in China since 2800 BC. Centuries of consumption and creativity have led to a wide variety of uses around the world. It’s been ground to make flour, boiled to make milk, pressed to make oil, coagulated to make tofu, fermented to make miso or tempeh. In fact, there are so many different soy-based foods that a Wikipedia list had to be created for them.

Today, the United States and Brazil supply two-thirds of the world's soya production. It is a common misconception that the rise in vegan diets is responsible for the increase in global demand for soya and the deforestation associated with this industry. In reality, livestock feed accounts for just under 80% of the soya market.

At Lush, we tend to try almost every food (vegetarian and vegan) we come across to see if it would be good for the skin and hair... and soya offers so many possibilities! We use (or have used) soya milk, milk powder, yoghurt, oil, lecithin, bran, flour and wax, as well as mung beans, tofu and silken tofu.

A few key components:

Most soya-based products contain lecithin, a fatty substance with emollient, conditioning, humectant and emulsifying properties. 

Soya is renowned for its richness in proteins, particularly in milk, tofu and yoghurt, which help strengthen skin and hair.

The oil is rich in vitamin E, an antioxidant that is said to help keep the skin firm and radiant.

Our suppliers vary a lot depending on the ingredient, but we can assure you that whatever the source, we never purchase genetically modified soybeans or products derived from them. To know more about each of our soya-based ingredients, their sources and effects, please browse your Lush product’s list of ingredients and click on the ones that tickle your curiosity.

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!

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!

A juicy lemon will always brighten your day - and your skin! 

Oh, we all know what lemon is, surely!? Okay, for those of you who don’t, it’s a fruit that grows on a small, slightly thorny, evergreen tree that belongs to the Rutaceae family. The lemon tree typically grows in Italy, Asia and East India, and produces highly fragrant blossoms and shiny leaves as well as this bright yellow, oval-shaped citrus treat. 

Lemon oil and juice are known for their deeply cleansing and brightening effects on the skin.

A lemon’s natural fruit acids encourage the cuticle of the hair to lie flat, reflecting more light and in turn enhancing shine in the hair.

Lemon oil is often used as a top note in perfumery, adding a refreshing quality to fragrances to directly delight your synapses.

The juice is full of vitamin C which makes your skin glow and helps the complexion.

Since 2005, Lush has sourced bergamot, lemon and mandarin essential oils directly from a family business that have been producing citrus oils for three generations. While the lemons and mandarins thrive under the sun of Sicily, the bergamot fruits are grown in Reggio Calabria, Southern Italy. Grown without pesticides, the lemons are collected by hand and pressed entirely with their peel. The resulting liquid then goes through a centrifugal process that separates the oil from the juice. 

When it comes to fresh lemons and their zest, peel or juice, browse your Lush product’s list of ingredients to find out more. Click on the ingredient you are interested in and it 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.