Imagine a glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice: A warm, sunset color and a refreshing flavor that strikes the perfect balance of sweetness, lightness, and a touch of acidity. Now imagine a glass of store-bought carton orange juice. It's not the same, right?
There's no feeling quite like when something is certifiably fresh. Not only does it feel special—like it was made from the earth just for you—it’s cleaner and healthier, too. Lush Cosmetics is kind of like the fresh-squeezed orange juice of bath products. Every pot, every psychedelic bath bomb, and every shampoo or soap bar is made fresh, by hand,just for you, with the cleanest ingredients the brand can get.
Lush Cosmetics
Founded: In 1995
Based in: Poole, United Kingdom
Pricing: $$
Best known for: Handmade, eco-friendly bath products using fresh, simple ingredients.
Most popular product: Intergalactic Bath Bomb
Fun fact: Lush Cosmetics invented (and patented) the bath bomb.
Other brands you’ll love: Farmacy, Ethique, Bathing Culture
The feeling of “made just for me” is literally stamped on every Lush product. While the bath bombs and shampoo bars come unpackaged, the brand's signature black pots of lotions and cleansers each have a stamp with the name and picture of the person who made it (thank you for the body scrub, Jeffrey!), as well as the date it was packaged. All this makes for a pot of truly handmade and traceable product.
Lush is a testament to what we already knew about orange juice—the fresher and simpler, the better. “Our product creation has always been about using simple, natural ingredients to benefit the skin and hair,” says Lush co-founder Rowena Bird. The ingredients that go into your favorite products also aren’t sitting around, losing their nutrients. When the Lush team sources fruits, flowers, herbs, or vegetables, they get right to work when it arrives at their door.
And while many products (and store-bought orange juices) are full of preservatives and artificial elements, Lush is working to make more of its products “self-sustainable.” That means the formulas were carefully crafted to keep them effective and bacteria-free—without the need for anything synthetic.
Lush's dedication to all things clean, natural, and fresh extends to the earth and community, as well. “It’s quite common to hear people say how fragrant the shop is, and that is because much of our product selection is completely unpackaged,” Bird says. About 65% of the brand's products are completely unpackaged or “naked,” while everything else is in recycled or recyclable plastic. The company also keeps a strict cruelty-free policy both in-house and across its supply chain, in addition to maintaining fair trade and organic certifications.
Sold on the idea of fresh, handmade formulas for bath and body? Below, we check out ten of Lush's best products for ourselves.
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Dream Cream Self-Preserving Body Lotion
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One of the most overlooked self-care moments is your bedside table routine—that means whatever lotion, lip mask, hair silk, or cuticle oil you save for right before bed. Lush's Dream Cream Body Lotion is an ideal addition to your end-of-day lineup—cocoa butter and olive oil can get to work on dry skin overnight, while calming scents of lavender, chamomile, and oat milk help lull you to sleep.
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Ultrabland Facial Cleanser
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This super-rich cleanser works a lot like a cleansing balm without the water—slather it on, then wipe it off with a damp cloth and you’re good to go. Almond oil lifts dirt and grime, while rose water and honey nourish the skin. Lovers of delicious scents will be die-hard fans (those who prefer to go fragrance-free might find it too strong).
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Ocean Salt Self-Preserving Face and Body Scrub
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We love this vegan body scrub as a morning pick-me-up. The bright, grapefruit scent starts your day off right, and the sea salt and mango butter will have you touching your super-soft skin all day (but obviously, best practice: stop touching).
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Intergalactic Bath Bomb
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Lush quite literally invented the bath bomb, and they’re truly still best in class. The Intergalactic Bath Bomb is a fan favorite, turning bath water into a trippy milky way of blues, purples, and pinks (plus plastic-free glitter!) with a minty scent. We also very much appreciated that despite the bright colors, it's unlikely to stain a white tub.
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Sleepy Bubble Bar
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We saved this one for the end of a stressful day, and the pink, lavender-scented bubble bath really turned everything around. The pleasant scent is likely to stick around for a few hours after the bath itself, which is a nice bedtime perk. If you have a standard-sized tub, half the bar will be more than enough for a high pile of bubbles.
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Mask of Magnaminty Self-Preserving Power Mask
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If you love a skincare product that cools and tingles, you’ll love this super-minty face mask that does double duty by cleansing pores with peppermint and kaolin clay and exfoliating with ground aduki beans. (The biggest tingle fans may consider popping this in the fridge between uses.)
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New Shampoo Bar
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We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again—healthy scalp, healthy hair. When your hair is thinning or looking lackluster, target your scalp. This shampoo bar makes it easy to scrub your scalp and get a nice lather going, and the peppermint and rosemary stimulate and cleanse your hair follicles. The smell of cloves and cinnamon makes this bar perfect for fall, but the scent wasn’t overpowering post-shower, so it's a great option any time your scalp needs a refresh.
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Ro's Argan Body Conditioner
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A rinse-out conditioner, but for your skin—this luscious in-shower moisturizer feels like getting a spa treatment at a tropical resort (and it smells like one, too). It’s definitely juicy and slippery upon application, but it leaves skin feeling moisturized (and not greasy) post-shower.
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Charity Pot Body Lotion
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Okay, is the lotion good? Yes—it’s packed with nourishing butters, powerhouse antioxidants, and soothing aloe. But that’s not the headline here: We love that 100% of the price of this pot goes to grassroots charities and organizations focused on human rights, environmental justice, and animal protection.
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Revive Hair Moisturizer
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This super-hydrating leave-in conditioner packs a nourishing punch of avocado butter, cupuaçu butter, and oat milk. These are heavy hydrators, so this pot is best for curly, frizzy, or dry and damaged hair types. Bonus: The jasmine scent is so elegant, we felt like we were donning a tropical flower crown all day.
