5 ways Lush is leading the beauty innovation game

Beyond fizzing bath bombs, soothing massage bars and face scrubs that are good enough to eat, Lush offers a gamut of products for head to toe that are cruelty-free and seriously innovative.

And a trip to the annual Lush Creative Showcase confirmed just that. Media and their loyal customers were invited to the event where the brand showed off their new groundbreaking formulas and products that are environmentally-friendly and made with ingredients that are all ethically sourced. It was almost like visiting the beauty version of Willy Wonka’s Factory, where no idea or invention was too weird or wacky.

Here are five ways the brand is leading the innovation game.

#1 / With outside-the-box formulas

Nourishing face masks are by no means new to the industry, however jelly formulas, like Lush Jelly Masks, are something we haven’t really seen hit shelves. Set with carrageenan extract from Irish moss seaweed, which is dried and turned into a powder that thickens when rehydrated, these face masks are soft and wobbly to touch but spread easily onto skin once warmed up with your fingers. In short, they’re really addictive to apply, and are a dream to travel with. A special shout-out goes to Just To Clarify, which is loaded with fresh papaya juice that is rich in enzymes to dissolve dead skin cells, grapefruit oil to lift the senses, and kaolin to soak up excess oils on the skin. For those with aggravated skin, The Birth of Venus should be your go-to. Rich in lavender oil and seaweed gel, this product can calm skin and soften at the same time.

#2 / By eliminating packaging

One way Lush looks after the environment is by removing unnecessary paper or plastic packaging; Lush’s Naked Shower Gels are a great example of this. They look just like their liquid counterparts - they even have a faux black ‘lid’ - and the formula is gentle to use on all skin types (they aren’t moisture-stripping in the slightest). If you’re into sweet, musky scents, the best-selling Snow Fairy will be your favourite from this range.

#3 / By re-thinking formula types

Instead of lugging bottles of mouthwash with you on your next trip, try packing Lush Mouthwash Tabs with you instead. They come in tiny pieces that look like exhilarating mints and you just have to pop one in your mouth, break it into small pieces with your teeth, then add a small amount of water to dissolve the formula. Crème de Menthe is an intensely minty flavour that is equal parts satisfying and refreshing to use, and features peppermint oil for an authentic flavour.

#4 /  By creating multipurpose products

When you’ve got a big beauty collection, one way to downsize without actually going without particular products is by looking for buys that can do more than one thing. Take the Lush Sparkle Jars for example: the outside component is a cocoa butter bar that you can warm and massage onto your skin, and the inside is a compound of tiny ‘fairy dust’ particles made of either a corn absorbent or tapioca starch that looks like sparkling lustre that you can shake onto your skin (like a salt shaker) and then massage in to illuminate your face and body. Twilight (right) covers off calming lavender and creamy tonka, making it perfect to use before a nighttime event.

#5 / By using ethical ingredients

It’s one thing to have a product that works and uses ingredients that are natural and not synthetically made, but it’s another to ethically source every single ingredient that goes into the production of the final product. Take the Lush Sleepy Body Lotion as an example: this product has flown off shelves around the world because of its efficacy to make people snoozy, making it a popular product to slather on right after a shower or bath and before bedtime. But another huge plus is that the product contains loads of skin-loving ingredients that come from suppliers who provide their staff with a safe working environment, respect their employees rights and treat their staff fairly. A key element inside the famous formula is cocoa butter, which comes from a factory in the Dominican Republic that goes through stringent checks to make sure the final product is of the highest quality, and is even looked at by a third party organisation - Fair Trade - to have the ingredients certified. On top of this, most of Lush’s products contain fresh ingredients, and over 65 per cent of products in their stores are self-preserving, eliminating the need for artificial preservatives to increase their longevity on shelf.

For more products that are seriously innovative, check out our round-up of new game-changing products to hit stores recently.

What is your favourite product from Lush, and why? Tell us in the comments below.