Heart & Soul

By Brittany Johnson

A friend and I were enjoying the midday summer breeze as we walked the cobblestone sidewalks in the Georgetown section of Washington. Our stroll had been characterized by laughter, peculiar observations and brief visits into shops. Then we were lulled with a bit of sweet, street aromatherapy. (You know, that wafting, intoxicating scent that instantly begins to soothe you as you follow it to its source).

An aroma including honey, lime, berry, and vanilla swirled into our noses. We were just a store away when we turned around to read: LUSH: FRESH HANDMADE COSMETICS.

Lush, specializes in fresh, handmade, organic bath, body and hair products. The products are 100 percent vegetarian, of which more than 70 percent of them are vegan — containing no animal products. The company uses such natural ingredients as seaweed for its vitamins and minerals, Portobello mushrooms for its antioxidant qualities, ginger for detoxification, papaya for exfoliation, and vodka mixed with lime for antibacterial qualities and skin cell oxygenation.

Lush products are tested on human volunteers in the Britain, where the company’s product development takes place, says Brandi Halls, the company’s North America public relations manager. The company says nearly two thirds of the products use no preservatives and must be used within 14 months. For example, the facemasks last three weeks from the date listed on containers and must be kept refrigerated. Other products like H’Suan Wen Hua hair mask, King of Skin body butter, Mask of Magnamity facial mask, Volcano foot mask and all facial cleansing rolls last up to three months.

“Preservatives are necessary so the products don’t spoil,” says Dr. Sonia Badreshia-Bansal, a dermatologist and clinical instructor at the University of California, San Francisco. But she says, “Preservatives are a very common cause of allergic contact dermatitis, so it is best to use less preservative if it’s possible.”

With its focus on using organic ingredients, Lush also promotes an environmentally friendly business practice. Minimal packaging is used for its products from the display tables and racks to checkout. Most of the products are unwrapped, which offers customers a highly tangible shopping experience. Customers are also treated to a mini-spa experience as they stand amid tins and bowls of hot water where they can test items on the spot as employees in aprons glide around in to assist.

Customers can choose soaps, bath bubble bars, moisturizing bath melts, shower gels, shampoos, shaving creams, hand and foot creams and fragrances. Items such as soap and bubble bars are sold per ounce. And soap bars are sold in slices.

Lush can be a rewarding place to explore, but even with natural ingredients, customers should take care in sampling unfamiliar products, Badreshia-Bansal says. “Natural products can also cause similar issues in terms of allergic or irritant reactions to products,” she says. “For instance, I had someone using olive oil on the face and she ended up having a significant breakout. I had another patient using tea tree oil who developed a terrible reaction from it.”

In addition to the D.C. location, Lush has stores in more than 100 stores in the U.S. and 37 other countries. Or shop online at Lush.com. Even if you only get psyched about how perfectly the name suits the store (Lush (adj.) – 1. characterized by luxuriant vegetation 2. extremely pleasing to the senses 3. voluptuous or sensual), that’s fine, too. It’s the little things.

Brittany J.

Photo: Creative Commons – Jerome V.