A Short History of Lush Cosmetics

It’s the early 80’s in the large coastal town of Poole, England, and in a small beauty salon on a side street away from the sea, Mark Constantine and Liz Weir are meeting for the first time. And it’s a match made in beauty heaven. Constantine, an herbal trichologist, and Weir, a beauty therapist, started making all natural, cruelty free beauty products after they found that they had the same ethics and ideas for what will eventually become the powerhouse Lush. But for right now, they’re selling their products to The Body Shoppe, which forbids them from opening their own store. After a small, under-the-table brand failed, Weir and Constantine sold the name and concept and were finally able to open what they wanted all along: Lush.

Lush has become one of the most ethically clean brands on the market, refusing to buy ingredients from any company who tests, or has tested those ingredients on animals. They’ve also phased out ingredients that come from trees only found in the ecosystem surrounding the critically endangered Orangutan. They also run multiple charity campaigns, donating 100% of those proceeds to animals and the environment, and have raised more than $10,000,000 to over 850 grassroots charities worldwide. They’ve also donated $3.8 million out of pocket to multiple charities, including cruelty-free campaigns, LGBT charities and refugees.

For anyone going cruelty-free, Lush is our #1 recomment for all of your bodycare needs, their Rose Shower Jelly smells like candy and flowers, and their Ylang Ylang shower cream smells better than chocolate itself. Walk into Lush and treat yourself to whatever you like, and don’t forget a bath bomb.

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