The Greeench

Antibacterial, antifungal and antiseptic? Too easy, mate!

Melaleuca alternifolia is a small tree belonging to the myrtle family and native to Australia. It has a characteristic papery, shredded bark and grows white flowers during the summer. Its foliage conceals the glands from which the essential oil is extracted. 

Tea tree has a fresh and powerful herbal scent. 

It keeps the scalp and skin clean and spotless thanks to its antimicrobial (antibacterial, antifungal and antiseptic) properties and its ability to balance sebum production and soothe irritation. 

Used in deodorants, tea tree powder helps absorb sweat and limits the growth of body odour-producing bacteria.

You may have asked yourself the question: "Is tea tree tea?" Absolutely not. It is said that the plant was so named by the first British explorers who arrived in New South Wales, Australia, after seeing Bundjalung people making infusions with the leaves. In fact, the Bundjalung people (indigenous to New South Wales) used tea leaves as a medicine to treat colds and promote wound healing, among other things.

Lush buys tea tree oil from Australia - which is not really a surprise as it’s the only place where you can get it! To find out more about our other tea tree materials 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!

‘Oh mirror, my sweet mirror, could you please stop showing me my pimples and, FOR ONCE, try to help me get rid of them?'  ***A range of Lush products appears***

A cleansing and invigorating herb for happy skin and scalp.

Native to the Mediterranean, rosemary is an evergreen shrub that can grow to six feet tall. A relative of basil and oregano, it belongs to the Labiatae family and has been cultivated since ancient times for use in medicine.

Rosemary’s aroma complements perfumes well with a very herbaceous yet floral scent, reminiscent of lavender to some.

It is believed to promote hair growth and prevent hair loss when applied to the scalp. It also makes the hair shine!

The plant's antibacterial and antifungal properties combat dandruff, cleanse the skin and help create effective deodorants. 

The oil improves focus when inhaled, relaxes sore muscles in baths, and calms inflammation.

Fresh, dried, powdered, distilled, extracted… we use a lot of different versions of rosemary at Lush, and for each of them we’ll have a different source supplying us. To find out more, 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!

Let yourself be bewitched by this potent herb… 

Sage is a perennial herb belonging to the mint family (Lamiaceae). It grows oval, downy leaves with different colours depending on the variety. The common sage is green and covered with white fuzz. Its flowers blossom in white or pink spikes and attract a variety of pollinators such as bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. 

It delights the synapses with its pungent, grassy aroma!

It is a gentle herb, filled with skin-soothing and protective flavonoids. 

It can be used in cosmetics for its antimicrobial properties.

In deodorants, sage powder helps to limit the growth of body odour-producing bacteria.

For centuries, sage has been used in pagan and Wiccan rituals. It is thought to purify and cleanse a place, warding off evil spirits. It has also been used as wound dressing. In Roman times, it was known as a ‘salvation plant’ - its name literally meant ‘cure’ or ‘save' from the Latin ‘salvare.’ Before the Romans, both the Egyptians and the Greeks used sage for its healing and antibacterial properties. 

Although native to southern Europe, sage grows worldwide, especially in warmer temperate regions, favouring dry, sunny hillsides and open ground. Depending on the type of sage used in our product (oil, fresh or dried leaves) the supplier will vary. To find out more, 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!

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.