Beyond Bath Bombs: What Makes Lush’s Handmade Beauty So Irresistible

Lush is a global cosmetics brand that gained popularity for its selection of handmade products, created using ethically sourced ingredients. Founded in 1995, it has introduced a variety of innovations in the cosmetics industry, having invented the bath bomb and shampoo bars, to name a couple. Activism also plays a key role in setting the brand apart from others, as it has been openly campaigning for human, animal, and environmental rights.

It began with Mark Constantine—a trained trichologist—and five of his friends and creative confidants, including his wife, Mo Constantine. Together with Rowena Bird, Helen Ambrosen, Liz Bennett, and Paul Greeves, they serve as the cofounders of the company. According to their official website, Lush is now 10% employee-owned.

While 1995 serves as the year Lush was officially introduced, the same team has worked together on other ventures before that. Cosmetics To Go, a mail-order business, was created prior to the brand. It saw success, but also collapsed eventually through a combination of over-trading and flooding. Mo, who serves as the mastermind behind the iconic bath bombs and shampoo bars, had already invented and patented them in the late 1980s.

Moving on to a new chapter with Lush, the team was driven to create products that were “fresh, innovative, and anarchic,” as they would describe it. “What we do is not rocket science; humans have been preening and grooming forever,” Mark says. “But in recent years, many formulae have become synthetic, complicated, over-emulsified, and most of all, over-preserved.” This is why they have been dedicating their lives to removing as many preservatives as possible—without compromising on effect, of course.

Many of the cofounders’ personal beliefs serve as the foundation and backbone of the company. Their strong opposition against animal testing is one instance of this. They also follow a Supplier Specific Boycott Policy, which means “Lush will not buy any ingredient from any supplier that tests any of its materials on animals for any purpose.”

On a mission to leave the earth lusher than it was, they also aim to minimize unnecessary packaging—which explains the “naked” products you see and experience in every store. They actively encourage every customer to recycle as well through the Bring It Back Scheme, where you can return your used and emptied Lush packaging to the store, and receive a reward in return. This initiative closes the loop on their packaging, and helps them keep materials in circulation.

Today, Lush operates in 50 countries with over 850 shops, 38 websites shipping worldwide, and a global network of native apps, broadcasting channels, and digital communities in over 30 languages.

Liberty Nicholls, International Partner Support Retailer, recently flew to the Philippines in celebration of the 30th anniversary of Lush and the launch of their Christmas 2025 collection. Preview had an exclusive chat with her to hear more about the enduring brand.

When asked to reveal the secret behind the brand’s continued success, “innovation” is how she summed it up. “We have a team of founders and inventors that are constantly working in their laboratories, being in their creative spaces and coming up with brand new products that, sometimes, have never been seen before,” and the bath bomb is a prime example of this. She highlighted that they have always championed continuing that same innovation that drove this legacy by “allowing creative spaces in our workspaces for everybody to come up with new ideas.”

People have always served as its center. “We make sure that we have a product for every single need of all of our customers. We don't want anybody coming to our shop and not finding something that they need or want,” Liberty tells Preview.

Apart from the technicalities, Lush continues to be loved because of their fun and playful approach to beauty, which she believes is one thing that helps them stand out. “The world can be a really serious, scary place sometimes, and I think we allow people to come into our shop spaces and digital business, and get nostalgic, a bit playful, and childlike again.” Needless to say, they remain closely knitted to their aforementioned advocacies, and according to Liberty, “that’s never going to change.”

If you have yet to try a product from Lush and get easily overwhelmed by the wide selection, today just may be your sign to head to the nearest store. Liberty has narrowed it down to four products you have to try, saying, “They're viral for a reason, right? A lot of people have used them, fallen in love with them.”

Developed with coconut, almond, and oat milk at its base, the Super Milk Conditioning Hair Primer is your best friend for heat-protected, moisturized, and detangled hair. The leave-in conditioner is also equipped with extra virgin olive oil to consistently strengthen your strands.

Not only does opting for Shampoo Bars reduce plastic waste, it also lasts much longer. Being its inventor, Lush has mastered its creation. Liberty didn’t specify which to try “because you need to find one that works for your scalp and your hair,” but Jason and the Argan Oil serves as one of their best-sellers. It leads to stronger, shinier, and softer hair thanks to its hero ingredient—plus it smells just like Rose Jam.

A conversation on Lush is not complete without mentioning Bath Bombs. If you have access to a tub, bring one along to enhance your bathing experience through fragrant and moisturizing ingredients. There are many options to choose from, and Goddess is a common choice. It paints the water in shades of lilac and silver, releasing an aroma of jasmine and sandalwood into the air. It’s also infused with Fair Trade Colombian cocoa butter, shea butter, and argan oil—a no-fail trinity of moisturization.

For their Perfumes, Lush does not go to an external house to have them created. They actually have in-house perfumers, who they can approach with their creative ideas. Liberty suggests going to your local Lush shop and getting a perfume reading to find a fragrance that you genuinely feel connected to. They have a selection of solid perfumes, as well!