Avobath, Parsley Porridge, Jumping Juniper, Happy Hippy–to the outside world, these names may seem like a strange mashup of words but to a former LUSH employee and lifelong lover of all things Lush, these names represent just a small portion of heaven. To some, Lush might be known as that “smelly soap store” to others, i.e. other Lushies and I, it’s the “best place on Earth.” Today, I’m here to break down some of the staple products of Lush (including my favorites!).
A little background on Lush. The company was founded in 1995 by Mark and Mo Constantine along with Elizabeth Weir. It is a transparent company (nothing to hide!) and is cruelty free, handmade and fair-trade. You can find Lush Stores in Canada, North America and Europe. There’s even one in Orlando and Jacksonville! To begin, we’ll start with three staple products that I believe every Lushie, beginner or veteran, should have. A bath bomb, a mask and a lip scrub.
Bath Bomb
No it’s not what it sounds like, and despite its size, it’s chock full of ingredients that are beneficial for your skin. The main component that causes it to fizz is baking soda, which also acts as a skin softener. Different bath bombs do different things for your skin. So depending on what mood you’re in, you could have one for each day of the week. My personal favorite is Big Blue. In the water, it resembles something that a mermaid would approve of. It’s packed with skin softening seaweed, exfoliating sea salt and lemon oil that not only tones your skin but uplifts your senses as well.
Alternatively, if you don’t have a bathtub or are more of a shower guy/gal, try a shower jelly. This one is exactly what sounds like, but you don’t spread it on bread. It’s a solid jelly that acts as a soap. You can freeze it, slice it, use it whole or even pull it apart! My take is the classic whoosh, which contains moisturizing honey, skin-softening seaweed and brightening grapefruit oil.
Masks
Everyone needs to take a personal spa day once in awhile and what better way to do so then with a face mask? It’s made with ingredients straight from the source so it needs to be refrigerated to keep from spoiling. There are other masks that don’t require refrigeration such as the Mask of Magnaminty. It’s got an amazing minty feeling thanks to the peppermint oil, exfoliating action from the adzuki beans and detoxifying action from the kaolin clay to help pull out the day’s gunk.
Lip Scrubs
It’s like a spa treatment for your lips. All you do is simply scoop out a bit from your finger, dab it on your lips and start scrubbing (gently of course!) When you’re finished, you can simply lick it off. No, you didn’t read that sentence wrong, you can really lick it right off! There’s a limited edition one currently available for this Valentine’s Day called “The Kiss.” It’s got the exfoliating action of castor sugar and fine sea salt, as well as hydrating cocoa butter to have your lips always ready for a kiss.
No matter which Lush store you go to, make sure to check out these three staples to start you off to becoming a lifelong lushie and future expert!