If you read ingredient lists like me, I hope that doesn’t stop at just food.
Food chemicals are nasty, but the skincare and cosmetics industry is even worse. The FDA doesn’t regulate cosmetics as rigorously as pharmaceuticals or food – allowing companies to get away with using potentially harmful ingredients that are banned in other countries. Many cosmetics, lotions, soaps, and body scrubs contain toxic petrochemicals made from oil, known carcinogens, reproductive toxins, and neurotoxins.
If you’ve got teen girls at home, it’s a pretty safe bet you’ve heard of Lush bath bombs. It’s not just teens going crazy for their wide array of colorful bath bombs, lotions, and soaps, but adults are too. Lush has a full line of products all claimed to be “handmade”, “fresh”, “natural”, “cosmetics with nothing to hide”…
Unfortunately when a company markets themselves like this, many people buy up their products without considering what the ingredients are, and that can be a huge mistake. Do you have any Lush products or have kids begging you for a bath bomb?
A member of my team was telling me how she’s freaking out about the Lush bath bombs her daughter’s buying because she doesn’t think they’re safe.
Many of you are questioning Lush’s products too, because I’ve received lots emails asking to check them out…
“Please reinvestigate Lush boutique. There is such a craze going on with our preteens and even adults at that bath/body boutique. The salespeople are usually uneducated on what the products contain. They just say they are “all natural” blah blah blah and stick to their script. I read the ingredients of some products quickly that contained carrageenan and food dyes. Please educate everyone on this.” ~ Jonna H.
“I am constantly working to change the products in our home into something healthier with no chemicals, but that isn’t always easy. I have become so frustrated lately at how deceiving products are. I used to love the company Lush until I found out they use parabens and sulfates and gosh knows what else. I feel like they are so misleading because you walk into the store and supposedly everything is natural and fresh.” ~ Wioletta
I was instantly suspicious the first time I saw what a Lush Bath Bomb does to a bathtub full of water. You throw that chalky bomb into your bath and watch it slowly dissolve and fizz, while it releases a rainbow of swirls and glitter into your bathwater. It’s pretty cool looking…but the idea of soaking my body in a brightly colored concoction of chemicals isn’t my idea of a good time. To me, a bath should be a healing experience and not one that could put my health in jeopardy.
While I respect that Lush doesn’t test on animals and are advocates of eco-friendly practices, let me warn you about some of the controversial ingredients they use…
Artificial dyes made from petroleum – Those famous Lush Bath Bombs are loaded with synthetic dyes like Yellow 10, Blue 1, and Red 28, which are readily absorbed by shaven skin where they can go right into your bloodstream. These dyes can be contaminated with carcinogens. Blue 1 has the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier and some research suggests it’s a neurotoxin. Do you really want to soak your entire body in potential carcinogens and neurotoxins? You’ll find these in some: Lush Bath Bombs, Soaps, Lipsticks, Fresh Face Mask, Luxury Bath Oil, Massage Bars, Bubble Bars, Shampoo Bars, Shampoo, Shower Jelly, Scrubs, and Fun.
Parabens – Preservatives like propylparaben and methylparaben are endocrine-disrupting chemicals linked to breast cancer and reproductive problems. Parabens can be absorbed by the skin. There are brands using safer preservatives, and there’s no reason Lush can’t too. Using a small amount doesn’t protect you because endocrine disruptors are known to have a big effect at very low levels of exposure. You’ll find these in some: Shampoos, Conditioners, Cleansing Lotions, Eye Creams, Shaving Cream, Lotions, Masks, Scrubs, Eyeliners, Moisturizers, Skin Tint, Eyeshadows, Mascara, Hair Treatments, and Toner.
Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) – May be contaminated with 1,4-dioxane, which is linked to cancer. You won’t see 1,4-dioxane on an ingredient list because it forms during manufacturing and the FDA doesn’t require a warning label. I don’t like the idea that something I wash my body with can potentially cause cancer over time. I believe exposure to carcinogens even at low levels is unsafe – especially in a product you wash your entire body in or use daily, like shower gels and soap. You’ll find this in some: Shampoos, Shampoo Bars, Shower Gels, Bubble Bars, Shower Jelly, Fun, Bath Bombs, Shower Creams, and Soaps.
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) – If you have dry itchy skin and dandruff, this could be the culprit. SLS irritates the skin and scalp by stripping away the natural oils that protect it. You’ll find this in some: Soaps, Shampoo Bars, Conditioners, Solid Conditioners, and Hair Treatments.
Triethanolamine (TEA) – Particularly dangerous when combined with products that contain SLS (see above). That’s because when SLS combines with TEA it creates the nitrosamine NDELA – a carcinogen. This is a chemical cocktail that you don’t want to combine on your skin (such as using soap with SLS and then spreading on moisturizer with TEA). You’ll find this in some: Body Conditioners, Shaving Creams, Scrubs, Skin Tint, Color Supplements, Styling Creams, Eyeliners, Eyeshadows, Mascaras, Scrubs, Lotions, and Eye Creams.
PEG Compounds – When you see “PEG-100” or other “PEG” compounds on the label, these can be contaminated with Ethylene Oxide and 1,4 Dioxane, which are both linked to cancer. You’ll find this in some: Shampoos, Shampoo Bars, Bath Bombs, Bath Oils, Solid Conditioners, Hair Dressings, Facial Scrub, and Beard and Facial Wash.
Fragrance – It sounds so innocuous, but it’s not. Just like “natural flavors” in our food, cosmetic companies don’t tell you everything that is in these fragrances and they can include highly toxic ingredients, hormone disruptors, and carcinogens. My team contacted Lush and they said when you see “fragrance” listed as an ingredient on their website in black this means it contains some synthetic ingredients – but they could not disclose what they were. You’ll find this in some: Bath Bombs, Soaps, Shampoos, Conditioners, Shampoo Bars, Fun, Bubble Bars, Lotions, Masks, Cleansers, Shower Gels, Hair Treatments, Shaving Creams, Bath Oils, Scrubs, Deodorant, and Dusting Powder.
“The fragrances we use in our products are our very own unique creations, so for that reason we don’t provide an ingredient list for them on our website. They’re never petroleum or alcohol-based and we blend each fragrance by hand, using the highest-quality and most ethically-sourced essential oils and synthetic fragrance components (such as Synthetic Musk) to achieve our products’ unique personalities. Anytime you see the word “fragrance” printed in black that indicates that some part of it has a synthetic component. If it is a blend of purely natural or organic oils, it would be written in green.” ~ Email from Lush Customer Care
If you’re worried about the chemicals in your food, the skincare and cosmetics industry is even worse.
You’ve got to be your own advocate when it comes to what you slather on your skin. The FDA doesn’t regulate cosmetics as rigorously as pharmaceuticals or food – allowing companies to get away with using potentially harmful ingredients that are banned or not used in other countries.
Many cosmetics…
- contain toxic petrochemicals made from oil, known carcinogens, reproductive toxins, and neurotoxins.
- have no laws banning their use, so companies keep using them.
- pollute our bodies with chemicals that can stick around for years.
- can create even more dangerous toxins when combined.
- are labeled “Natural” or “Herbal” and this doesn’t mean anything because there is no legal definition of these terms.
(Source: The Story of Cosmetics)
Some of my favorite hair and beauty products are by the brand 100% Pure.
The other day I was posting some pictures from a Truvani video shoot and a few of you were asking about the lipstick I’m wearing…
For the video shoot, I was wearing a bit more makeup than I normally do. Even then, I made sure to use only the safe cosmetics that I love, and that includes this lipstick – 100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Pomegranate Oil Anti-Aging Lipstick in Poppy. I really love this color! The best part is I know that I’m not coating my lips with toxic chemicals.
I recently partnered up with 100% Pure. All 100% Pure products are made with organic unrefined ingredients, no synthetic chemicals, and are cruelty-free. They even test each ingredient for pesticide residues!
And, all of those controversial ingredients I just discussed (that Lush and many other brands use) are not in any 100% Pure products… there are no parabens, SLS, SLES, or synthetic fragrances. Instead of using artificial dyes, all 100% Pure products are pigmented using fruits and vegetables. How cool is that?
Best of all, they’ve also got amazing bath products, body scrubs, moisturizers, and shampoo – so if you love Lush products, now is the time to make the switch!
Get 15% OFF all orders through FRIDAY 9/7 when you use the exclusive code FOODBABE.
Plus, get a FREE gift valued at $121 when you spend $70 or more – WHILE SUPPLIES LAST!
Your gift includes all this…
- 100% PURE Pigmented Better Naked Palette ($53)
- 100% PURE Cocoa Butter Matte Lipstick in Protea ($29)
- 100% PURE Cruelty-Free Crease Brush E40 ($15)
- 100% PURE Cruelty-Free Angled Contour Brush F30 ($19)
- 100% PURE Limited Edition bag ($5)
This gift from 100% PURE is crazy good (worth over $120). There are a LIMITED NUMBER of these gifts available, and when they run out, they run out. This is a rare deal that doesn’t come around often.
Whenever I’m headed out and want to wear a little makeup, these are some 100% Pure products I personally love to use…
- Fruit Pigmented Ultra Lengthening Mascara – Black Tea
- Fruit Pigmented Pomegranate Oil Anti-Aging Lipstick: Primrose
- Fruit Pigmented Satin Eye Shadow: Caribbean
- Fruit Pigmented Cherry Lip & Cheek Stain
- Fruit Pigmented Pretty Naked Palette
- Volumizing Shampoo
- Volumizing Conditioner
Tips for cleaning up your beauty product routine:
- Stop relying on fancy marketing and celebrities to choose brands.
- Look for products made with simple organic ingredients.
- Choose fragrance-free products, or those that are only scented with essential oils.
- Adopt a minimalist approach – do you really need to coat your hair in a chemical bath of 5 different products every day? How many products do you use on a daily basis? Think about the money you’d save if you just used a couple safe products.
- Try using coconut or sesame oil as a moisturizer and makeup remover, and oatmeal & salt for a body scrub. If it’s safe to eat, it’s safe to put on your body.
- Give your face a rest a few times a week. Spend a couple of days without makeup and allow your skin to naturally be rejuvenated.
- Vote with your dollars. Stop supporting companies that are harming the environment, your family and most importantly your own body with crazy chemicals!
What works for me, may not work for you – there are so many great natural products available now, you WILL find some that suit you. It might take you some time navigating through the world of natural beauty! God knows, I’ve been through several trials and errors.
I hope this information gives you inspiration to replace some of your toxic products with safer alternatives. If you know anyone who has kids begging them to buy rainbow colored Lush Bath Bombs (or if they’re buying Lush products for themselves!) please share this post with them. Let’s spread the word about what’s really in the products at Lush and not be swindled by their marketing any more!
Xo,
Vani
Editorial Note: Edited to include new offer from 100% PURE on 9/6/18.
Wow, typical, bashing Lush simply to push your own agenda – you realize Lush puts ALL ingredients on the labels? Do you think your the first person to read them?
Give me a break, Lush is and will do fine without you.
Who’s bashing who? If Food Babe’s agenda is to inform consumers of the importance of reading labels (food and cosmetics), that’s a good thing.
The information that is shared in this article in inaccurate. Yes, they do use SAFE synthetics, such as synthetic Musk, that’s becuase the alternative (real musk) comes from animal anal glands, which is far less appealing. Also, the parabens used in the products are always less than 1% and legally do not even have to be disclosed on the label. Lush is honest with the ingredients they used and therefore they put them on the label. They are food grade preservatives, and if you have ever purchased any fruits or vegetables from a grocery store, I can assure you that you’ve EATEN these preservatives before. These preservatives have been around for centuries and have never been linked to any diseases which is why Lush uses them.
Yes. I agree. Is she getting paid to endorse the other natural product she gives a discount for? Just wondering…
Well I don’t buy nor accepting Lush items that are harmful. Instead I have: Dove unscented & moisture soap for my sensitive & dry skin at best as I am now 66 years old in my senior life. Christa D’Auria
These are the ingredients to your Dove. Super Natural.
Sodium Lauroyl Isethionate, Stearic Acid, Sodium Tallowate Or Sodium Palmitate, Lauric Acid, Sodium Isethionate, Water, Sodium Stearate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Cocoate Or Sodium Palm Kernelate, Sodium Chloride, Tetrasodium Edta, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Maltol, Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891).
Dove soaps contain detergents, that actually strip your skin, and I did my own research to get abetter perspective on this, and Lush uses coconut oil and rapeseed oil as their base.. so to say that their products are harmful is 100% inaccurate.. sorry to burst your bubble here..
You are one of the millions of people who are being fooled by the cosmetic industry. Hopefully, one day people will wake up and realize what they’re really putting on their skin.
IGNORANCE IS BLISS! So unfortunate…..
When talking about a company like this in a mean to educate, but so clearly taking one stance seems a little unfair. When discussing this topic it’s important to inform people that lush does sell many of those same products you listed in self preserving formulas. These are for people, like yourself who are extra cautious and concerned about preservatives and additives. That’s why products like Ocean Salt and Dream Cream have self preserving options. Another thug to point out is that lush is fresh handmade cosmetics. Lush is a company that used food based ingredients in their products, these dyes are the same we would have in red velvet cupcakes (this is also absorbing imtobhand hence dyed fingers from food dye, but remember FOOD dye). Another thing to mention is lushes ingredients always being there on labels, this is a huge deal because company’s only acatully have to be 15% natural to refer to themselves as such. Lush attempts to be entirely transparent always, and it’s sad some less educated staff don’t know that, and then you aren’t aware of things such as the company’s “SP” options.
Apologies for the spelling errors
First , If I were the marketing dept of Lush, I would encourage the CEO to change the color of the brand BLACK? More funereal than that you cannot go !!! Certainly not enticing and friendly at all. Second, all the ingredients that they mention as food colorants are still not good for the human body unless they mention that they are organic and have natural dye origin.
I would stay away from that product by all means….it is only for gullable consumers !
I’m pretty sure the package is used to create a focus on the ingredients as opposed to bright and often expensive package other companies often have to charge consumers for. In addition to this Lush has branded their black pots in a way that creates the opportunity for customers to recycle them and reduce their eco footprint.
HI Max, the reason the pots are black are two-fold. One, when the company went bankrupt, all they had were a few ingredients and a chalkboard.The black pot and chalkboard writing is a constant reminder of what is important. Spend the money on what is INSIDE the black pot and not on the packaging. Second, because of the material of the black pot is made from, it can be recycled over and over again. Sometimes you will purchase a lotion or a body scrub and on the underside of the lid it will say ” Not a Virgin”. This means that the pot has been recycled at least once.
Oh my God, just be quiet. Lush is awesome and I love their products. If anyone thinks that Lush products are hurting the environment or their body, they don’t have to use them. The company isn’t hiding anything. If consumers want to know what’s in their products they can simply read the label. Why does everything have to be “natural”. I bet these are the same people that eat junk food and smoke cigarettes.
And I will never purchase any of the products from the company you mentioned above because clearly you need to put down another company to try and sell them.
It’s ok. to be angry. I would be angry too if I were purchasing toxic chemicals from a company that is promoting their products as “natural.” There is nothing natural about food coloring. It is made from coal tar (petroleum based stuff). You don’t want this in or on your body. There are many studies backing up detrimental health effects from dyes. Everything has to be natural because people are dying younger and younger from cancer that is caused by endocrine disrupters in hygeeine products. We are tired of our friends and family getting sick. Fragrance can contain up to 300 chemicals. People have a right to know the truth. Vani is shedding light on companies who are promoting themselves as non toxic, but are anything but non toxic. This is not bad mouthing. This is education for a public who consistently is being duped by companies who do not care about their customer’ health. You can use toxic hygiene products but just know that there may be a heavy price to pay for that. And chemo isn’t cheap.
ya right, lets call canola oil rapeseed oil, it is the same glyphosate filled poison that lush uses to make soap! This company can not be trusted, if you can’t eat don’t allow it to touch your skin!
Rapeseed and canola are not the same thing. Canola is a GMO product, derived from the natural rapeseed. Canola actually stands for Canada-Oil-Low-Acid, and was originally created as livestock feed.
Lush uses only natural rapeseed, not canola.
Also, both canola and rapeseed oils are edible.
Thank you for your article. When I saw Lush opening and heard their claims of all natural. I knew it would be misleading. I spent time in one of their stores and read all the synthetics, dyes and bad for human ingredients. So many people believe ingredients wouldn’t be in their products if it was bad for them. Yet the US allows ingredients banned in other countries. Consumers need to be educated. I’d not heard of 100% Pure before. I have discovered a couple of other companies that I will search for on you site. Thanks for shining a light. The more people study and learn, the more we can change the market.
Lush doesn’t claim to be all natural whatsoever. Even on their labels they are transparent in what they use by color coding the safe synthetic ingredients and the naturally derived ingredients.
Lush products are not made to US standards (though they have to meet those too), they are created by EU standards and area manufactured in Canada under Department of Health Canada standards.
Which would make Lush far superior in my books. The US has sub-standard standards when it comes to this sort of product.
Lush does not claim to be all natural. The first line of their “We Believe” statement says, “We believe in making effective products from fresh organic* fruit and vegetables, the finest essential oils and safe synthetics.” Here is a link to the full statement : ) https://www.lushusa.com/article_we-believe-statement.html
#thegoodstuff
This is literally just an elaborate advertisement. There is no need to bash a company like Lush who is doing SO MUCH MORE than any random company out there but I guess you don’t have the legal protection to bash brands from Sephora or Ulta. You could’ve just talked about your “great” all natural products from the beginning instead of hiding behind a negative finger pointing veil. The unfortunate thing is that you wrote this whole article using out dated information. I’ll give you five FACTS & I leave the rest up to you:
1) Lush uses PLASTIC FREE seaweed glitter that is safe for the environment as well as your skin.
2) Lush has an entire self-preservation line where they use ingredients like vegetable glycerin, honey, & cocoa butter to preserve its products.
3) Those dyes are the same that we eat in anything that has artificial color
4) There isn’t ANYTHING on Lush’s website that advocates the brand as “100% all natural”. In its We Believe statement it tells you about the safe synthetics that are included in SOME products.
5) You mentioned nothing about products like their body butters or massage bars where you would find every ingredient listed in green on their website making it “100% natural”.
Your pomegranate lipstick was cute though.
Dannie, you do realize that there is no such thing as a “self-preserving” line? Lush may say it but it is not true and is not a fact. Vegetable glycerine and cocoa butter are not self preserving in and of themselves. They have absolutely no preservative properties whatsoever. Any cosmetic or bio chemist will explain that to you. Honey is unique in that it is self-preserving, although when added to other ingredients, it does not, repeat does not, pass on that preserving property to other ingredients. Again, any person familiar with microbiology or cosmetic chemistry can explain this to you. Lush is playing with fire if they do not properly preserve their skin care products.
To the casual observer, it feels like you only made this post so you could advertise for “100%pure”. It’s feels dirty of you.
I’m not a reader of this blog and only read it because I was linked to it. That being said, I will never be a reader of this blog now. I’m not into bashing a company instead of just educating and letting people come to their own conclusion. And then to find that the whole thing was just a sponsored advertisement? You talk about Lush talking about all-natural then actually containing chemicals – well, what about this post that purports to talk about the truth about a company but only does so to push an ad? That’s low, cheap, and disingenuous for a post that claims to be airing dirty laundry. This isn’t the type of blog I’d like to support, but don’t worry about losing the readership of a random person, because you got the revenue from the ad!
This whole post feels a bit disingenuous…complain about one company, then praise another (a company that doesn’t even make bath bombs!) and slide in that coupon code. There are classier ways to write an advertisement.
If you are going to avoid every ingredient that *may* have an unwanted effect, you might want to take a looks at lavender essential oil, which is in the bath soaks offered by the company you recommend in this post. Lavender oil may have some estrogenic effects, and may be an endocrine disrupter.
When I first saw this I was really happy someone with a decently big platform was finally calling Lush out for constantly using “all natural” in their advertising, and by the end of the article I was disappointed. You should have been upfront that this “investigation” was essentially sponsored by a competitor. That being said, 100% Pure is an awesome company and I’ve purchased their products several times over the years.
Tactless approach aside, I do think that Vani still is trying to get information out to consumers so that we can make informed decisions. Again, and to everyone getting livid that she dare talk badly about Lush, she’s not telling you what to do, she is presenting actual information, however poorly. We can go back and forth here all day about concentrations and wording on what “may” cause health issues, but at the end of the day all of this is really poorly regulated in the U.S. right now and companies don’t want to dump money into research that may make their products look bad. That’s why there is ambiguity and that is why companies can continue using ingredients that may or may not be harmful to our health or environment.
Here’s what I do know: I started trying to do my own research on ingredients and found how overwhelming it is. The best resource I’ve found was the EWG website since they list out all ingredients and give a comprehensive overview of what it is, what it’s used for, potential health or environmental concerns, and links to the scientific studies where this information has been pulled from (which I noticed Vani included some here via links). Their website for cosmetics is here https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ and they have a working database for household products too. No, I am not affiliated or even in this field at all. So if you’re questioning what you see here, take a look for yourself. I think Vani is correct in calling out the ingredients that are of concern, but if you want a full picture you’ll likely need to do your own research. This is her career and she needs to make money, and part of that is getting sponsorship. So yes girl, hustle. But at the same time, people are likely on here because they trust your opinion on how to live a safer and healthier life, so transparency would be nice.
Can you direct us to a time when 1. Lush used advertisements and 2. Claimed to be all natural?
Just walk into their store. I am ALWAYS told that the fragrances are made of essential oil and nothing synthetic. I am ashamed to say I did not read their labels carefully bc I did believe the sales rep when I walked in and was told everything in their products is natural and homemade. Now that I pull out my lip sugar scrub from Lush I see it says clearly on the label that it has artificial colors and fragrances when I was clearly told at the store that is NOT the case.
You make some good points, but I keep coming back to your erroneous claim about Lusg “constantly” claiming to be 100 natual. Please show me two Lush ads that claim 100% natural on all their products. (I will check back in).
I found the article informative . You need info to make wise choices that fit in your lifestyle and belief system. I thought I would try the 100 % Pure products but could not get the discount as FoodBabe advertised. I felt disceived by this though and now, probably won’t buy.
I appreciate your highlighting the ingredients that have verified negative consequences to their use. My question is … Why isn’t propolene glycol — antifreeze – highlighted? It doesn’t matter that it is supposed to be ‘food grade’. It’s still antifreeze.
So disappointed, just tried to order from 100% pure and it won’t let me use your promo code. it says ” Your cart does not meet the requirements for the FOODBABE discount code”. I was trying to order the shampoo & conditioner that you recommended as well as baby shampoo, not sure why I wouldn’t meet the requirement?
Hi Helen! The code is active and works for all full-price items. The code likely won’t work on items that are on sale, as these are already discounted.
Sorry Pam but tried again to use discount on cheek and lip tint , full price, and still won’t allow the discount. P,ease explain how to get the discount.
If the code still isn’t working for you, send us an email at [email protected] and we’ll look into this for you. Thanks!
I mostly ignored Lush products because of what I read about bath bombs in general (not just their products). I have come to the conclusion that I have to buy better products for me. I don’t buy on impulse because of this but more based on the shelf life of products I am using.
What I found most informative on this article is the value of reading labels prior to buying an item.
Hi Vani,
I have been trying to find organic, trustworthy skincare for years including shampoo and conditioner. Unfortunately, I currently can’t afford most of the 100% pure beauty products, the most I would generally spend is around 20 and most of their products are 40 minimum. Please, is there any other decent brands out there? I have tried desert essence and was thinking of switching back. Please, I know I can’t be the only one in this situation. I live in california and just graduated college so I am pretty broke, trying to live well but sometimes it’s not easy.
Hi Vani, I have a PERFECT product for you!!!!
First of all, to those not familiar with Food Babe who are wondering why she’s putting down one company and promoting another- it’s because when she *doesn’t* tell people about another option, she gets so many complaints from her readers that say “Well, then, what *can* we use?” When doing her investigations into poor practices by companies, she usually makes sure to tell people what she would recommend instead.
Thanks for another investigation, Food Babe! To add to your recommendations of where to get products- people can also check out farmers markets or similar places. That’s where I get all of my products. There’s a stall at my local farmer’s market that is kind of like a mini drug store- it has bath products (including bath bombs) as well as holistic healing products. They’re vegan and organic, and the prices aren’t bad considering the quality. They work, too!
I visited a Lush store a few years ago and sales associate told me that the product I was looking at was all natural, followed the script, etc. I told her I was avoiding all parabens and other harmful ingredients. She admitted that the product had parabens but said they were “all natural parabens” because apparently “that’s what happens when you make stuff out of blueberries”. How does that make sense? I ended up buying a different product, a shampoo bar, and used it for a few months. Then, I went to my hairdresser for a trim and she freaked out when she washed my hair because apparently the Lush shampoo bar left a coat of “gunk” all over it. She took her scissors, scraped the blade against my hair, and the layer of “gunk” came off, it was so gross. That’s when I knew that Lush products were not for me.
Vani, can you please investigate BeautyCounter product line? I’ve heard amazing things but would love your take on it!
I was SOOO DDisappointed when II First read the ingredient list and realized that LUSH was deceiving us like so many other companies
I am so glad you took the time to write this. I get asked about Lush ALL THE TIME so I went in there and quickly felt faint and nauseous from all the synthetic chemicals (my kids actually asked to wait outside because they couldn’t stand it, it was making them so sick). I started reading labels–and because as a natural formulator myself who teaches natural skincare formulation for a living, I know my way around a label. I saw SO many red flags with their “self-preserving” formulations that contain honey and clay–which are LITERALLY two of the hardest things to preserve naturally once they are added to anything containing water (which I’ve written about in the past). I also noticed pretty much everything else that you noted in your article.
So I asked the salespeople questions about their ingredients–specifically preservatives, colors, and fragrances. They basically regurgitated product information that was taught to them in their training materials word for word. When I pushed them harder for more information, they became dismissive and outright rude, and told me that I don’t have the knowledge to understand the complexities of their formulations. They gave me to a manager who pretty much repeated the exact same information and insults to my intelligence using slightly different, yet equally as condescending words, and said if I had more questions, I could call their regional manager. They were SO brandwashed, there was literally no point in continuing the conversation.
I have two children to raise and two businesses to lead, so I decided not to. Because quite frankly I don’t care. I don’t use their products, I never will use their products, and when asked my opinion about their products, I will tell them pretty much what I just told you.
Lush is not natural, not non-toxic, and not safe. Period. They don’t disclose everything on their labels either, which I don’t like. If companies still want to load their products up with toxicants, that’s their prerogative (at least for now–I sincerely hope that changes). But tell the damn truth.
Handmade does not equate safe, natural, or organic. It’s completely possible (and not hard) to handmake products with the same crappy ingredients Lush–and any other mass produced conventional product line uses. The only way to know what’s really in a product and where the ingredients come from is to make.it.yourself. And the only way to do it safely is to know what you’re doing and how to use the ingredients appropriately and understanding how they work on the skin.
Lush is not the only company who does this. Far from it.
‘synthetic colours are regulated and approved for safe use by different governing bodies around the world. After having checked their safety, a few of these are used by Lush to supplement natural pigments and achieve a full cruelty-free pallet of colour.’
also….
In the United States, colors for cosmetics must be specially pre-approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration. Each color is designated by the letters D&C (meaning suitable for drug and cosmetics), followed by a color and number designation.
Hey food babe! 😉
You always do such in-depth articles which i love. I know you linked to a few articles, im just wondering if you also looked at the ones lush posted?
I really do love lush products and make the choice to use them, just like people can not use them to. I wanted to do some more digging so i went to lush’s website and found that they actually put up full posts on parabens and sulfates that talk about what you wrote about but also some facts from cancer research u.k. that said there is no proven link to cancer??
here is what it says: “There’s no evidence to suggest that sodium lauryl sulfate causes cancer—so there’s no need to stop using shampoo,” said Nicola Smith, Health Information Officer at Cancer Research U.K.
so i looked it up on google to see and apparently that’s true that the people who said there were links to cancer with parabens actually had there studies disproven by universities and things like that.
anyways, i love ya! im just wondering if you have anything to say about lush being honest with the ingredients because they show both sides in the posts and tell us to make our own choices?
thanks. justine
As there are University places and other places that want to say GMO’s are safe. Do you want to believe that? I hope not!
Did a little digging of my own because I’ve never personally heard them tell me they were 100% natural or used only organic ingredients when I’ve shopped there before. An associate actually once told me how they used synthetic sandalwood because they were concerned about the potential effects it could have on deforestation if they used real sandalwood.
Not saying that I don’t think there are some things that could change or validity to your post, but I just found this video dating all the way back to 2014 where the founders and product creators actually talk about the fact that they use parabens to preserve a lot of the liquid products.
You said we shouldn’t be “swindled” by Lush anymore. I honestly love what you do and appreciate the platform you have created…but what are they swindling us with? They literally have a 20 minute interview talking about their use of synthetic preservatives and parebens.
I think the language you have chosen to use was in poor taste as it clearly does not reflect the truth.
Intrigued by this, I did even more digging. I just found out they actually removed all synthetic preservatives the entire shower range earlier this year and apparently all of the products they released last year are also free of parabens.
I did a lot more research and even found that they have grants they give out every year to scientists who are tracking ingredients and their effects on humans and finding new options as new research becomes available.
Like I said, no hard feelings. I just think you made this very one sided and didn’t talk about any of the things Lush is actively pursuing to change these things and the things they have already done.
So 100% pure paid you to post this right?
I highly doubt that. If she didn’t mention it then a lot of people would be asking what does she end up using or bath bombs and other bath products.
Just because someone mentions their favourite product does not mean they are payed by someone or are part of the company. Sure it does happen, but is mostly when it comes to things that are damaging to the body.
I wish someone with this platform had done a little more research into all the products and the company she was saying such hurtful things about. Lush is so transparent about everything they use and why they’ve chosen to stick with synthetics, there are tons of articles on both the North American and UK websites.
No where has Lush claimed to be natural or organic, but they are making strides to go in a more natural direction with them creating more and more self preserving product. And on top of that those scary parabens that you’re pointing out make up less than 1% of the entire product and it’s put on the label because Lush WANTS you to know what you are using. And Lush in the past has made sulfate free items but when released no one liked them as they didn’t have a lather, because nothing in nature can create a lather. So Lush found a source that could derive a sulfate from coconut, just as it seems your “100% Shampoo” does but labels as a sulfate as it has to undergo a chemical process and wants to keep everyone informed.
Lush also never claims to be organic because it’s not always the process for being certified is rigorous and expensive. Lush chooses to buy from smaller collectives and farms to help their environmental footprint and to help support communities. Being labeled organic doesn’t always mean you’re getting the highest quality ingredient you can, and Lush wants to make sure they get the best of the best.
There’s so many good things about the way this company chooses to pick what goes into their products and how much of an impact they’re making on being conscious. It’s such a shame to see someone choose to put someone else down in order to lift another company up.
There’s a lot of people who don’t want to believe this is true, or even denying it. The thing is though if you truly want to follow a true clean way of eating, and also only using truly non toxic things on your body pretty much most things are going to be toxic, many things you typically eat and use will have to go.
Sure Lush puts ingredients on the list but so do pretty much many other cosmetics and body care stuff. Just because it has a list of ingredients means nothing. It can still be toxic.
Lush might say the ingredients are “safe” but so do many who are claiming that saturated fat is not a problem or claiming GMO’s are safe which we all should know by now is not safe or healthy.
Suck it up. You can stop using Lush products and find something that is not toxic, or you can keep using toxic, chemical laden Lush. The choice is yours.
Okay A Gmos ARE safe there are a ton of studies that you can google that are REPUTABLE, and B can you show me any studies that ARE RELIABLE and can be repeated. My dad has worked for Monsanto and Bayer for over 20 years and has always allowed us to eat Gmos and get vaccines ( I assumed you are an anti vaxxer as , if you aren’t good for you). Organics are way worse than Gmos anyway, the farmers can use old fashioned pesticides and can use severly outdated methods which could hurt you more than any Gmo would. So please, think about what you post online before you actually post it. Please email me if you have any questions, or ya know use the internet. [email protected]
Emilia? The FDA? Hmm. They are part of reason why food dyes, HFCS, and a bunch of other garbage is in foods. You expect people to want to believe them for the safety of cosmetics and body care? I don’t think so.
Nowadays everything no matter where they come from, causes cancer or some kind of disease. Maybe Lush is not 100% toxic chemicals free, but at least they do not test on animals which is way more important to me. They have vegan products and all their bottles are reusable and biodegradable. We have to choose on our every daily products the ones that suits best our values and way of living. Unfortunately we have to choose one things over others, I can not tolerate plastic so I prefer products like Lush.
we love & totally agree w. this Vani!
aligns w/ our, “know your beauty” philosophy, the foundation of our ethics, it means 1st understanding then accepting even embracing :-0, ourselves for who we really are, no negative self-talk about being “less than” esp. not comparing ourselves to media’s standards of “beauty.” we must take & own our power, especially women, including that over our health & well-being.
we encourage reading the entire label (natural, with natural, scientific – none of these words means anything!) most companies straight up lie, & can we talk about healthcare & pharmaceutical industries?!
check out any of our videos at: YouTube/sukiskincare, or Suki’s blog, sukiscoop.com – she just put a similar post up about the many ways a product called LipSense – lies to us. check out our list of ingredients to avoid here: bit.ly/toxicthings & thank you again for your blog!
know your beauty! 🙂
xo – teamsuki
Ok, for all of the people bashing food babe for speaking the truth about lush cosmetics, do better research. I do not agree with everything she says, but I completely agree with her this time. Especially after reading where someone claimed that the lush cream cured her baby’s eczema, that is hard to believe. I have eczema and like many others with eczema, I am allergic to parabens. There are parabens in that cream so people with eczema should not rush out to buy it. Lush has a lot of potential, they just need to remove the chemicals and they could have a really good product line.
lol. looks like Lush got all their employees to leave comments.
Plenty of people dont care what nasty chemicals they use on their skin, which is why Lush and many other companies still sell lots of these chemical soup products. That doesnt negate the risks of those chemicals tho. And if people want to keep their head in the sand, thats their choice and maybe they will get cancer, maybe they wont. But im not using any of that garbage.
Why bash Lush? If you don’t like their ingredients do buy it. NO reason to bash Lush. Lush does not promote their products as all natural. They do say handmade. HANDMADE DOES NOT MEAN NATURAL if you idiots can’t want to assume Handmade means natural that’s not Lushe”s fault. That is yours.
i’m so glad i did a little more research before buying anything from lush. i thought that they only used all natural fragrances and so i was super excited and ready to spend all my money. good thing i didn’t, that would have been a big trip to the doctor.
I know, right!?!?!? Imagine the unseen reproductive damages the bath bombs create …….. UTI’s kidney infections infertility and even pelvic inflammatory disease (and with PID can and most often comes necessary and in some cases, emergency, surgery!!!). Legitimately safe pure clean naturally-derived essential ingredients in our cosmetics hygiene and personal care products MATTER 🙂 <3
What goes on our skin eventually (if not immediately!) goes into our bodies!!! The responses I get (from most) is: “Organic” is too expensive and not worth the “hype” ……. ” and “Ohhh I’ve been using these products for “forever” and I’m not dead yet!” It’s not only frustrating to hear but shocking! People’s priorities seem to be in purchasing and owning the next high priced technical device that just came out etc etc etc etc rather than into safe nontoxic organic foods and products that they consume and care for themselves with. WOW! I’m speechless at that ideology ………!!!
Vani Hari aka “The Food Babe” is a true and genuine blessing to us ALL!!! 🙂
Everyone’s skin and preferences are different, so head to your local shop for a personalized skincare consultation. Thanks for sharing this informative blog.
I hate to be hating on this because it is not in my nature but I don’t think any of this is true! I’ve seen the bath bombs being made from scratch and it is completely natural! The biggest thing is that I have very sensitive skin but in all the lush bath bombs that I have used (and that’s plenty!) my skin has never been irritated, in fact, it makes my skin feel better! So please don’t go hating on Lush because people like it and you want your blog to get attention!