Lush Cosmetics has earned its reputation as cruelty-free, but is it ethical and sustainable as well? In the post below I examine the company and their products carefully by spending a weekend in their London offices learning about their projects and products.
When I first started educating myself on sustainability and the stories (or lack thereof) behind the products produced and habits created in our society, I was angry. Angry at myself for my ignorance, angry at brands who chose profit over people and planet, and angry at humanity as a whole for accepting and embracing lazy, thoughtless, wasteful, unkind habits that had become so embedded in us I feared we could never make things right again.
For the first year, I created hard lines to adhere to, refusing to see anything beyond perfection in the commercial world of ethics and sustainability as acceptable, and I held myself to the same standards. I wrote angry rants about H&M’s Greenwashing, Drinkers of Coffee, Feminism, Trump, and so on … and while I meant and still mean every word, I soon realized that the vivacious vigour I once held wasn’t sustainable.
Anger, for me, and for many others like me, is a coping mechanism. The world of sustainability and ethics is so overwhelming, and the onion of issues created so horrific, a survival instinct kicks in, forcing you to retreat into Gollum-esque fits in your internet cave, as each layer of reality revealed.
It’s an exhausting but admittedly effective process, and though your ego might dance for a time in its righteous reign, if you’re lucky, logic will begin to melt the black and white walls of idealism you’ve built around you into vast seas of charcoal grey. And it’s in that grey soup that you’ll find the truth of reality: that nothing is as simple as it seems.

⟠ LUSH AND I ⟠
At the beginning of this journey, I had admittedly never heard of Lush. In hindsight, I must have passed their storefronts hundreds of times in my years living in London, U.K. But I never went in. My mum had drummed it into me as a kid that one ought to avoid man-made colours in food and on the skin, and the colourful bath bombs which coax most in from the street side would have subconsciously driven me away.
Neon is not a colour my mum would say.
Sometime during my first year of blogging about sustainability, Lush’s name entered my peripheral through the work of writers I respect. Some accused them of greenwashing, while others heroed them for their animal rights activism and zero waste efforts. I personally chose to ignore them completely, letting my opinion be nought – until one day last fall, an email from an animal rights journalist I’ve known since I was a teen came my way. She had been invited on a Lush press trip in London, to learn about some scientific advancements in anti-animal testing, but because of her young child, couldn’t go. She suggested to their PR team I take her place, and to my surprise, they agreed on the trade.
I had to admit I was curious, the Lush Prize, which celebrated these advancements in science seemed like a legitimately meaningful philanthropic project – and I figured if I was to form an opinion about the brand, there was no better place to do it but in the belly of the beast.
As I read through their surprisingly transparent website, I had to admit to my hardened self that this company might not be as guilty of ‘greenwashing’ as my peers slated them to be. It didn’t seem to me that Lush was disseminating disinformation, they were aware of their imperfections and mistakes and outlined them with honesty. Furthermore, the issues held by most didn’t appear to be caused by laziness or lack of empathy on Lush‘s part, their choices seemed to be based on logic and science rather than the latest PR movements and public outcry. And on this shifty sea of nuances, our world currently dwells in, that’s an important and interesting statement to make.

⟠ THE LUSH TRIP ⟠
In early November, I went up to London. I was the only blogger amongst the handful of female journalists invited. The group of gals was made up of Ashlee Piper, Katherine Martinko, Anna Starostinetskaya, and for a day only, Jessica Matlin. All women whose work I wholeheartedly respect, and I admittedly felt a bit out of place and nervous. This wasn’t a silly blogger trip built around surface experiences, it was an educational trip with no apparent agenda beyond learning about the company and some recent scientific advancements.
I should admit while I’m at it, that I like the Lush team. The Lush PR people were lovely and hilarious, each one of them so genuinely kind and encompassed by such unique quarks of character that by the end of the three-day trip, I was equally enamoured by all of them. We also had the opportunity to interview Hilary Jones, Lush’s Ethics Director, who sat cross-legged on a giant armchair with her wild orange hair creating a halo around her as she answered our questions calmly and candidly, radiating a sense of fortitude I rarely see.
By chance, I also happened to cross paths with co-founder Mark Constantine and his wife Mo in the Lush Lobby. I initially didn’t know who they were, and they had no knowledge of who I was for sure, but in our natural interactions, I couldn’t help but like them wholeheartedly. They were warm and kind, modest and down to earth, normal people doing normal people stuff; in this case, repacking their bags, their belongings splayed out on the floor, quietly discussing who should have the toothbrushes in whose bag. Neither of them the picture of evil profit-hungry corporate rags that many articles of this kind make them out to be. I tell you this because the story behind each brand is important to me, and a part of that story is the founders and their team.

⟠ JUST JUDGEMENT ⟠
I had decided before I agreed to go on the trip, that the fairest way to judge the brand was to hold them to the same 10 Point Ethics & Sustainability standards that I have created and used for every beauty brand I’ve worked with (for example Para Botanica / Nature & Nurture). As a rule, I don’t work with or write about brands that don’t meet at least 7 out of 10 of my points, and based on that point system, Lush met that mark, earning themselves an 8 out of 10.
Here’s how the 10 point system breaks down:
1. ARE THE PRODUCTS MADE WITH NATURAL & ORGANIC INGREDIENTS?
their score: 0.25
For Lush, the answer is sort of. Lush’s products are not 100% organic, but they do use natural ingredients … and also some possibly harmful synthetics like SLS, parabens and ‘fragrances’.Lush is quite transparent about their ingredients and the use of them. If it’s coloured green on their website it is naturally derived and often organic, if it’s coloured black it is an ingredient that they call a ‘safe synthetic’.
When I interviewed Hilary Jones, Lush’s Ethics Director, I asked her about the hypocrisy hidden in their products. How could Lush use ingredients which are considered harmful to the planet and its inhabitants, especially as a brand known for its animal rights activism? Why also were only the ‘cute’ animals being considered and not the fauna that are most negatively affected when the synthetics and known carcinogens used are washed down the drain into our waterways?
Hilary explained to me that they use these ingredients for a number of reasons. First, customers want their soaps and shampoos to bubble (hence the SLS), second, with the new public movement away from parabens and other toxins, inappropriate similarly synthetic substitutes like Methylisothiazolinone (MIT), formaldehyde-releasing preservatives, Organic acids, Sodium benzoate are being used in their stead. These substances are not safer, in fact, they have as much as or more of a possibility to cause public safety issues as well.
Basically, there isn’t a preservative that’s a good alternative to parabens, and the reason these synthetics are used in the first place is to give skincare products longer shelf life. Products which are made with water allow bacteria to grow and multiply, so if you want to avoid synthetics completely, you need to avoid products which are made of liquid or be ready to have your products get mouldy (which can cause you health arms as well). At the moment, more than 65% of Lush’s range is entirely self-preserving and zero waste as they have removed the water from the product thus making it a solid instead of a liquid and removing the need for staying agents like parabens from many products, but not all.

2. ARE THE INGREDIENTS ETHICALLY & SUSTAINABLY SOURCED?
their score: 1
Lush supports Fair Trade and Community Trade initiatives, working to buy as much as they can directly from the source and considering worker’s rights, environmental safety, animal protection, and transport with the purchase of each ingredient.
3. ARE THE PRODUCTS CONFLICT PALM-OIL FREE?
their score: 0.25
In 2009 Lush claimed to be palm-free, and though they are continuing to making serious efforts to remove palm and its derivatives from their product, according to Hilary Jones, Lush’s Ethics Director, who I challenged again with this issue when I interviewed her, Lush will “never make that claim again”. Lush doesn’t use RSPO certified palm oil because they believe it is a Greenwash, so rather than using ‘sustainable’ palm, they’re trying to cut the substance out completely. To date, Lush has removed approximately 250 tonnes of Palm oil from their products in an effort to save the Orangutan and its threatened habitat in Indonesia’s rainforests.
Yet Lush products which contain ‘safe synthetics’ like: Lauryl Betaine, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Cetearyl Alcohol, SLS, SodLauroylSarcosinateNP, Lauroyl Sarcosine, Glycol Cetearate, GMS SE40 – Glycerol monostearate, SSD – Disodium laureth sulfosuccinate, Glyceryl Stearat-PEG100, Ammonium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Stearate, Stearic Acid, Laureth 4, PEG–6 Caprylic / Capric Glycerides & PEG-60 Almond, Glycerides, continue to hold traces of palm oil, thus it’s important that if you’re going to purchase from the brand, that you read the list of ingredients (which they make readily available).
4. ARE THE PRODUCTS TESTED ON ANIMALS?
their score: 1
HECK NO. In fact, this is probably the most exciting part of the Lush brand, it has opposed animal testing from its inception. Though it’s not outwardly promoted, much of the management team and even the brand owners were amongst the original animal rights activists in the UK, and they have genuinely made a difference putting pressures on Parliament to adjust policy in England and the U.K.
This year during their Lush Prize Awards they honoured animal rights campaigner Andrew Tyler in a tear-jerking posthumous presentation led by his wife, Andrew was a Lush Prize Judge, as well as an animal rights journalist for 20 years who also acted as the director of Animal Aid, the UK’s second-largest animal rights organizations.
Hilary Jones, Lush’s Ethics Director, was a full-time animal rights activist for the majority of her life, helping to pressure Members of Parliament to do something about animal testing back in the day. She was amongst the activist who helped create the progressive Cosmetics Directive Bill, which stated there could be no animal testing in the EU and no products which had been tested on animals outside the EU sold within. The bill wasn’t passed until 2013 because the chemical industry pushed back claiming there weren’t safe alternatives to animal testing. And then in 2006, a new piece of legislation was passed that in effect nixed the whole movement. It was called the REACH regulation, and it called for all chemicals currently being used in products in the EU be retested, and much of that retesting was required to be on animals. It was devastating for the animal rights activists and the cruelty-free industry, and they realised they had to do more than fight legislation, they had to come up with a solution that would render animal testing useless. And that’s where the Lush Prize (discussed below), came in.

5. ARE THE PRODUCTS CRUELTY-FREE?
their score: 1
YES. LUSH is a 100% cruelty-free company, with a strict policy to never test products or ingredients on animals and they are careful not to engage with third-party suppliers that test on animals. (see their inspiring philanthropic section below for some soul soaring animal rights info)
6. DO THE INGREDIENTS CHECK OUT SAFE ON EWG?
their score: 0.25
No, not all of them. But based on the info shared in the first section of this points system, not all the concerns I have necessarily still stand. I sat on the Lush website for hours trying to see how many products would meet my safety list. This means they would have to be free of:
- DMDM hydantoin & Imidazolidinyl urea
- Methylchloroisothiazolinone & Methylisothiazolinone
- Fragrance and dyes
- Parabens or -paraben
- Triethanolamine
- Iodopropynyl butylcarbamate
- Triclosan & triclocarban
- Sodium Lauryl Sulphate
- Palm-oil / Palm-oil derivatives
There is a list of about 18 products which are completely safe and free of synthetics, fragrances, carcinogens and palm-oil, most of which are zero-waste products as well.
MY SAFE LUSH LIST:
Angels on Bare Skin Face and Body Cleanser
Full of Grace Serum Bar
Tea Tree Toner Tab
Therapy Massage Bar
Cosmetic Warrior Fresh Face Mask
BB Seaweed Fresh Face Mask
Wiccy Magic Muscles Massage Bar
Each Peach Massage Bar
All of Lush Henna Hair Dyes (4)
No Drought Dry Shampoo
Superbalm Scalp Treatment
Bohemian Soap
Ultrabalm All Purpose Balm
Lip Service Lip Balm
Miles Of Smiles
I have a separate list, which has products that do contain ‘fragrances’ (* some of Lush fragrances are natural, some are synthetic), but meet the other requirements: Teo Deodorant, Sea Spray, Their Solid & Spray Perfumes, Full Of Grace Moisturiser, Butter Ball, Bath Bomb
7. ARE THEY PHILANTHROPIC?
– their score: 1 –
YES. Lush established its annual Lush Prize six years ago. To date, they have donated over $2 million to 76 winners in 26 countries. I attended the 2017 Lush Prize Gala, and we were offered the opportunity to interview the winners … which was just about the most inspiring hope driven experience I’ve ever had. Lush’s goal is to make animal exploitation obsolete – and based on my limited knowledge of such things and the interviews given – it’s a goal scientists they support are coming damned close to achieving.
Amongst the most incredible recipients of this year’s prizes was a project by The Lewis Bioprinting Team at Harvard University, which has essentially created a ‘human-on-a-chip technology. The team is working to create organ-specific human tissues on microchips that contain all the essential components of human tissues. This technology would replace the need for animal testing by enhancing the predictive outcomes of testing and reducing costs as well.
This, combined, perhaps, with fellow Lush Prize Winner, Dr Kamel Mansouri of Scitovation’s newly created application OPERA, could test thousands of natural and synthetic chemicals derived from agricultural, industrial and medical applications by screening not only how single chemicals react to the body, but also how they interact with one another in our body when mixed together in products. This would provide a more in-depth and widely accepted solution to the scientific community as a regulation alternative to animal testing.
These two genius projects were just the tip of the iceberg, you can learn about all the winners, who were equally inspiring here.
In the coming months, Lush will also be hosting their Spring Lush Prize which supports conservation of livelihoods and economies. The fund, called the Sustainable Lush Fund (SLush) goes beyond Fair Trade and gives millions of dollars in interest-free loans to farmers and communities to help regenerate the ecosystems that produce our raw materials.
8. ARE THE PRODUCTS PACKAGED RESPONSIBLY?
– their score: 1 –
YES. Lush is quite thoughtful about their packaging, with 35% of their products sold completely unpackaged, making them the zero waste God(desse)s of the high street. Anything that is housed in bottles or pots is made from 100% post-consumer plastic or recycled ocean plastics through their partnership with the Ocean Legacy Foundation. Lush also uses biodegradable packing peanuts, recycled cardboard boxes, reusable metal tins, and wraps leaky products in 100% biodegradable plant-based cellophane. For gift wrapping, they offer zero waste organic cotton fabric knot wraps in colourful seasonal prints.
9. DO THEIR PRODUCTS RESPOND WELL ON MY SKIN?
– their score: 1 –
YES. Thus far, I’ve tried quite a few of their products and I’ve liked them all. My favourites are from my safe list above (in point 6): the Ultrabalm All-Purpose Balm, Lip Service Lip Balm, Full of Grace Serum Bar, Therapy Massage Bar, Miles Of Smiles
10. ARE THEY SHARABLE WITH MY HUSBAND (NON-GENDERED)
their score: 1
YES. Lush’s products are non-gendered, working on both sex’s skin including my Texan Grit husfriend.
Lush‘s total score: 8 /10

⟠ CONCLUSION ⟠
In this industry, the whole picture has to be considered when judging a product or a brand. Lush has about 18 products I would deem close to perfect, alongside a considerable number of products with synthetics that concern me (based on my limited understanding of them). It is definitely easier to paint over the 80% positive and concentrate on the 20% negative aspects of this brand.
They’re powerful, and the idealist in me expects them to take that power to perfection. But the realist in me had to realize that their focus is on the eradication of animal testing, it has been from the start, and they’ve remained focused and in fighting mode on this subject for longer than most of you reading this have been alive.
What they’re doing is commendable, and I suspect once they’ve made their dream a reality, they’ll focus their attentions on other aspects of growth that are necessary. But until then, I’m not sure we should write them off because they’re far better than half bad, and in terms of ethical and (mostly) sustainable options in the beauty industry readily available worldwide, it’s the only option we have, and I’d rather have the average consumer supporting this brand than the likes of L’Oreal.
Wow, I'm really impressed with how thorough you were in this article! I've heard a little about how Lush is greenwash, so it's really interesting to read your perspective. I do really like how they've always been eco-friendly with their packaging, which is so rare in the beauty world. And of course being cruelty-free is so important too! I'm glad to hear they're trying to improve, especially since Lush is a pretty popular and visible brand which puts them in a better position to influence the industry.
Thank you so much for your warm words and for taking the time to read this article, it was a bit of a doozy but felt like I had to dig deep to cover everything. Xx
Thank you for this article; I've always heard mixed things about Lush from the eco-friendly community, and myself a huge fan of the company, was glad to see even their negative aspects touched upon 🙂 Hardly any brand is perfect, and I appreciate you pointing this out!
Thanks for the honest review Holly. I got hooked on Lush in Australia quite a few years ago because I loved their honeycomb soap. I never thought of them as a company that presents itself as more green than they really are, so I never really considered using them now that I've become more educated about my products. They're a company that I kind of overlooked to be honest. xo
Same! They weren’t on my radar at all as ‘green’ until people started shouting that they weren’t – I hope as people become more conscious about their products they’ll slowly start to help the brand shift by buying the ‘good green’ products they do carry and boycotting the rest. These things take time though so I appreciate that you, like me, are patient 🙂
I was excited to visit a Lush last Christmas, and DISAPPOINTED when I flipped their labels over and saw all the synthetics on the label. People clearly like the IDEA of natural products (the place was PACKED), but I walked out empty handed. So, on the upside, I do think people are starting to search for better stuff and there's a market for it. My local shops carry locally made soaps and cremes (all ALL natural)–win win!
Good reporting!
Hey! Ya, there are only a few products (the 10 I listed) that are free of synthetics. For me, those few products are great for my zero waste lifestyle but I certainly don't stand behind the ones filled with synthetics … but I think if more people bought the ones which are free of the harmful aspects of beauty / zero waste ect … they'd respond to that. I have zero liquids in my beauty routine now because of them … just scroll up for my safe list (and semi-safe) list … I don't have access to as many products in France as I would in the USA / Canada / UK … they're just a bit behind on the beauty front … so lush is a good option working within the few products that tick all the boxes 😉
Forgot to say-I do LOVE the aspects of the company that are green–that they don't test on animals is awesome and that's the FIRST thing I look for!
Hi there! Thanks for the read. Just wanted to point out they may not be 100% cruelty free as the year do use eggs and honey in many products. I would be very interested to know where they source these ingredients but struggle to see an ethical side of either. If you find out please do let us know! I have enquires before but never received a straightforward answer.
Hi! Ya, I know uses Honey and eggs, these are natural beauty products which have been used since before the pyramids were built so I don't have issue with them. I know that any ingredients they purchase ARE purchased ethically, but I understand if you're a vegan that you might be uncomfortable with those two ingredients, just as I am with the synthetics in some of their products … so best to avoid them! Keep in mind this is the same group of people who helped lobby to make all beauty products FREE OF ANIMAL TESTING in EUROPE (and won!) …. As I outlined in this article, Lush is far from perfect, but from the list of products I recommended from them (which meet my 10 point system) I don't believe there is honey or eggs, nor is there palm oil, synthetics ect … The whole point of this piece is to show that it's not as simple as black and white, that some products meet my hard lined standards … so it's best to just have a look through their products yourself (or maybe start with my 'safe' list, and decide if they're a good option for you where other products available locally are not … lf you click on each ingredient on their website it usually lets you know where it was sourced from 🙂
Love this very balanced look at Lush, as I've been pretty torn on it. Though, to be fair, I've got it easy since I can't justify the price point which makes it easy to say no!
The price point is high, but I feel like that's true about almost all products that meet my 10 point standard … I'm trying to purchase more locally so that's one benefit of lush that some other brands don't offer – availability. I don't want to order everything to have it shipped to me, so right now I use four lush products from my safe list (which are hecking expensive) and some lamazuna products (which are hecking expensive as well) 😉
I don't shop there because of the chemicals/my skin and I mostly make my own things now, but I still support them. I was volunteering in the old Calais refugee camp in France for 6 months and they donated loads of stuff – cosmetics, but also recycled plastic building materials etc.
i enjoyed this informative article and glad you presented the good bad and ugly. i get very annoyed when some people post their opinions instead of the facts. i do admire lush’s animal advocacy efforts and all they have accomplished. i will only buy products that are green so my personal thank you to you for your list of 10 organic/vegan lush products i am now encouraged to give these products a try out. please continue to inform the public on ethical vegan/organic companies. the more we know the more thoughtful we can become and encourage us all to take care of this world we live in.
thank you
lisa baluh
lisabaluh@gmail.com
usa