The Golden Cap

Vanilla is the unmistakable, uplifting and sweet scent we all know and love.

Vanilla beans (pods) are the fruits of the orchid Vanilla planifolia. Centuries ago, one could only purchase vanilla from Mexico, as the flowers required a local bee to pollinate and grow the precious pod. Thanks to the discovery of a hand pollination technique in 1841, orchids can now be cultivated in most tropical areas close to the equator. This step requires specialised know-how and must be carried out a few hours after the flower opens; otherwise, it will wilt.

Each blossom produces a single bean, which is normally harvested after eight or nine months. The beans then pass through a complex curing process before becoming the black-brown fragrant spice we all know. This process usually involves four steps: soaking in hot water, sweating in a warm environment, drying for a few weeks, and conditioning (packing in boxes) to develop flavours.

It has a sweet fragrance with uplifting, de-stressing and aphrodisiac qualities.

The sugars in vanilla act as humectants, which minimise moisture loss.

The spice is soothing, softening and antibacterial for the skin.

Its main aromatic compound, vanillin, is an antioxidant that helps the skin to stay firm and radiant.

Since Madagascar, the world's first vanilla producer, stopped regulating vanilla prices in the 1990s, its trade has seen ups and downs. The latest struggles began in 2012 when very low harvests caused demand for the spice to exceed supply. Since vanilla is a rather rare natural delicacy that cannot be rushed, the situation quickly snowballed into huge price increases (over 100%), poor quality and crime.

In 2016, the situation in Uganda (where we buy our pods) became critical and was reported to us in an article by Lulu, owner of the Ndali farm. Resellers and agents working on commission began buying vanilla that was not even cured properly yet. Vanilla pods must reach maturity and undergo the full curing process to develop all the notes of their wonderful taste and aroma, and to prevent mould. During price crises, crops are sold far too early, and pods can even be stolen from the fields before they're ripe. Farmers try to expand their crops to meet demand, and governments implement drastic measures. Eventually, when things finally calm down, farmers find themselves with too much production and prices drop tragically, as has been the case since 2019.

We love natural vanilla so much that we couldn't stop using it. Thanks to our dedicated team of creative buyers, year after year and month after month, we have found solutions to the market’s turmoil. Find more information on each source in the description of the main vanilla ingredients we use:

Vanilla Extract, combines several ingredients whose comforting scent enhances our perfumes and skin-soothing cosmetics.

Vanilla Pod Powder, which adds vanilla’s signature tiny black dots to our products.

Want to dive straight into our range of vanilla-scented products? They're ready for you.

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.

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!