Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics (and Skincare): why paying more for organic products is worth it.

I was introduced to lush when I went on an exchange program to USC (University of Southern California), because back then we didn’t have a Lush shop in Thailand yet. We went shopping and I walked pass this wonderful smelling store and I had to pause to look what’s inside. My friends told me they sell bath and body and face products that you can find nowhere else. Back then I only experimented with some face masks, and I loved it!

The real obsession began when I went for my Masters degree in London. It was colder than LA, and thus I needed some thicker body and face creams. That’s when I decided to explore Lush more thoroughly. And that was when I was introduced to their body creams, body conditioners (I’ll explain what those are later in case you don’t know), bath bombs, massage bars, and everything you can think of that will make you happy in the bathroom.

From then on I began trying so many of their products, and was hooked to several. When I had to leave to come back to Thailand, half my luggage was Lush products. Seriously.

So what makes Lush so special?

Lush products are handmade in small batches to ensure the freshest quality, and their ingredients are ethically sourced from the best quality materials. They are 100% vegetarian, they are completely against animal testing. They are basically the most ethical company you can think of. And the most environmental friendly.

They encourage recycling their packaging (you can bring back 5 pots to exchange for a fresh face mask). They also come our with Naked products (products that don’t require packaging at all) that come in bars. I mean they have shampoo bars, massage bars, henna bars, and other things you don’t think they can make into bars, but they can.

Their employees are probably the happiest people on earth. I have never met anyone who was grumpy or un-knowledgable about their products. Everyone i met knew about the products and ingredients really well and they are super helpful.

I literally went to the shop once a week when I was in the UK, because it was fun for me. I can kill off 2-3 hours just wandering in the Lush Oxford Street Flagship store every weekend. I was THAT much in love.

And now that Lush is available in Thailand, I’m just super happy! Although the products are made in Japan and shipped here (because our country is too hot to product many of the products), I’m glad we finally have the store.

The prices are a bit too over the top for Thai consumers - I mean they are already expensive relative to the cost of living in western countries, and adding shipping cost to that made it even more expensive here relative to our cost of living. But seems like true Lush lovers are not reluctant to spend on their favourite item at all (me included). I mean I think my happiness of using the products are worth the price I’m paying, and when there’s a sale, I stock up like mad. And that’s why I started to write this blog, cause I stocked up on so much Lust stuff haha.

Lush Dream Cream, Ro’s Argan, American Pie

Let’s start shall we? Where do we start? I’d like to start with the body scrubs. I have tried their sea salt scrubs, sand scrubs, scrub bars, and many others. In this blog I will only write about 3 that I am currently using.

Lush Shower Scrubs, Body Conditioners, Body Lotions.

First up is Magic Crystals. The name itself is already captivating right?

This is their newest additions to the scrubs offering. Magic Crystals.

Let’s begin with the official description, which is really entertaining to read:

“Magic needn't only be cast with a flick of a wand or a twitch of a nose, magic can come in a tub in the bathroom. Hop in a hot shower and let the warm water dance across your skin before scooping out a handful of this scrub. Warming and stimulating aniseed oil accompanies fine sea salt and Epsom salts to brighten, buff and polish skin while fresh rosemary and sage infusions cleanse and tone. Rinse off and let menthol crystals, peppermint and spearmint oils to leave cool tingles up and down your skin like the remnants of magic recently cast.”

I feel like this scrub is the most gentle in all of the scrubs I’ve tried from Lush. My boyfriend says it smells like toothpaste, which it does, because of all the menthol and spearmint and peppermint in it. As I live in a hot country, I love everything that is cooling. I use this scrub after I play tennis. It’s such a relaxing spa session after hours in the sun.

The beads are from fine sea salt and Epsom salts. They are great for the environment!

Next is Ocean Salt, my first ever Lush scrub. I feel like this one is the most abrasive, as there are real flacks of sea salt in it. So I only use this for my legs (which are pretty scaly).

Here’s the official description:

Limes steeped in vodka, grapefruit and lashings of salt go into this invigorating face and body scrub.

Sea salt is rich in minerals and is excellent for scrubbing and buffing skin. We also add rich, silky avocado butter, coconut oil and seaweed absolute to keep your skin soft, smooth and conditioned.

If you feel you need a good scrub down, apply to dry skin and rub all over using circular motions, or for a more gentle buff, use on damp skin.

Not sure if you can see here, but the scrub flecks are larger in this one. Although the label says its a face scrub as well, I feel like this is way too abrasive to use on my face.

Next is your most generic body scrub. Generic, but se special with all the real sea salt, minerals, and such a alluring scent.

Official Description: An exfoliating shower scrub that can also be used to wash, volumise and add shine to hair. Packed with mineral-rich sea salt, Rub Rub Rub can be used as a gentle scrub on wet skin, or on dry skin for a really good buff before you get in the shower. Sea salt, a natural antiseptic as well as exfoliant, is combined with lots of lemon juice to leave your skin feeling rejuvenated and it also adds shine and volume to hair

I have to admit I have never tried it on my hair. Because I have my favourite hair conditioner from Lush which I will use until I die. Find out what is it below.

My boyfriend also loves this scrub, so I had to stock up during the sale haha. I actually bought sth like a liter of this during the sale lol I don’t think I’ll run out of body scrubs in a long while . . .

Such playful colors to enjoy in the shower right?

I will include the Lip Scrub here as well under the Scrubs category. This is the Sugar Plum Fairy Lip Scrub. Actually there are many flavours to choose from, but I like this one the most.

Official description: Have a sweet tooth? This sugary treat was made for you! With a sweet, candy-like flavor that's true to its name, Sugar Plum is one delightful lip scrub. Fine castor sugar gives lips a gentle exfoliation and hydrating organic jojoba oil leaves them feeling soft, smooth and supple. The best part? Licking off the delicious sugar once you're through!

Yea Lush says you can eat them, and yes I’ve tried. They are like fruity sugar. Lips feel exfoliated too. It’s a great natural product.

OK here’s another closeup shot.

Next are all the bottled stuff : Shampoo, Conditioner, and Shower Gels.

Lush Shampoos, Conditioners, Shower Gels.

Lush has so many shampoos, both liquid and bar once, but I only use one: Rehab Shampoo

OK let’s start with the official description: “Say Yes! Yes! Yes! to a stint of hair therapy. Let cooling peppermint oil and fresh fruit juices detox locks that need a little love and get your hair ready to go, go, go! The cleansing enzymes in freshly squeezed pineapple, kiwi and papaya juices will be your friend and put your hair back on the mend all in the time it takes to belt out a classic tune. A herbal helping of stimulating peppermint, rosemary and lavender oils calm and refresh your hair and scalp, leaving hair so shiny you'll never say No! No! No! to rehab again. When you ain't got seventy days, work through wet hair before rinsing away to reveal healthy, happy tresses. Always keep a bottle near”

I don’t only keep one bottle near, I keep two lol. I stocked up in case it runs out. I just can’t live with this shampoo. It has peppermint (remember when I told you I love everything that’s cooling?). Yup so this shampoo gives a slight cooling feeling, which feels so great for my scalp! But no worries, it’s not THAT cool, just a tiny bit to make me feel refreshed. This is the only gel shampoo I use from Lush (I have used Shampoo bars as well, but I won’t review them now).

Ok next is my favourite item from Lush. Literally my favourite. If i can only pick one product from Lush to use for the rest of my life, it would be this. The American Cream Conditioner.

Here’s the official description: “A strawberry-loving, milkshake-scented cheerleader for silky Hollywood hair. Warning: has been known to bring boys to the yard. Indulge in this rich and divinely perfumed hair conditioner for shiny, addictively sweet locks you'll want to swish all over town. Fresh strawberries gently cleanse the hair, while a splash of orange juice encourages the cuticles to lie flat and reflect more light for seriously gorgeous gloss.

Relaxing clary sage and lavender ensure your scalp gets plenty of pampering too, calming things down with honey water. A mouthwatering strawberries and cream perfume is the cherry on top of the cake, it's likely to leave your hair (and everyone else) wanting more.”

I know you might be wondering how can hair conditioner be “milkshake scented” right? Well technically it doesn’t small exactly like milkshake but I guess the people at Lush think this is the closest comparison.

It’s actually pretty hard to describe this scent. It feels creamy and sweet. Strawberries and vanilla and sage and lavender does the job. I once went to see the doctor after I washed my hair, and he asked what perfume I was wearing because he loved it so much. I was like, erm I think you might be talking about my hair conditioner. I gave him a small bottle to give to his wife on Christmas so he can smell it when she washed her hair haha.

Lush American Cream Conditioner and Shower Gel

Over the time, there has been limited edition products of the American Cream scent, like the American Cream Body Lotion, or the American Cream perfume, but they were limited edition or something special from Lush Kitchen. Note: Lush Kitchen is only in the UK where they make super small batches of exclusive stuff and can only be ordered online. So you see why I am SOOOOOOO happy now that Lush came out with a new permanent American Cream product, the American Cream Shower Gel.

This is the same scent as the Hair Conditioner, but let’s read the official description anyways. “Cleansing fresh strawberries and sweet vanilla absolute go together like rama lama lama ka dinga da dinga dong. If you're into cat-eye glasses, rock 'n' roll and strawberry milkshakes with whipped cream, this shower gel is the stuff your dreams are made of. You won't be stranded at the drive-in after washing with tempting benzoin, softening carrageenan extract and herbal clary sage. In fact, you’ll be left hopelessly devoted to this shower gel.”

Well I love this shower gel. I use it in combination with the American Cream conditioner and the scent is two times stronger! haha

The next shower gel I have is Sleepy Shower Gel. This is filled with ingredients to make you sleep better and deeper, mainly lavender. I use this shower gel when I shower before bed.

Here’s the official description: Sleep, drift to sleep, Sweet tonka counts the sheep,
Lavender shakes the dreamland tree,
And from it fall sweet dreams for thee.

After a long day, relax into a soothing, softening wash of oat milk and carrageenan extract. If sleep eludes you, the sheep keep escaping or sweet dreams are feeling distant, shower with calming lavender flower infusion and lavender oil to ensure you sleep tight. Ylang ylang oil washes away worries and allows you to sink into bedtime, or start your day, with serenity.

And that’s it for shampoos and shower gels.

Next are the face masks! Lush has MANY face masks both fresh once and non-fresh. Lush’s fresh masks are to be kept in the fridge and used within a month after purchase.

ButI won’t write about them here, rather Im’ writing about my favourite mask: Mask of Magnaminty

This was the first mask I tried from Lush and I immediately fell in love! When I was a student my face was super oily, like super super oily, and this mask really helps absorb oil. It also has a cooling sensation while applied, and thus it was perfect for hot days (and hot climate like Thailand!). When I wash it off, I rub in circular motions, and it turns into a face scrub as well! It’s my holy grail face mask.

Here’s the official description: A mint

y, multi-purpose mask with a mixture of gentle yet effective ingredients, including honey and kaolin, to help you maintain your magnificent skin.

Easily smoothed over the skin, this mask is made with peppermint oil to stimulate, marigold oil and chlorophyllin to treat the skin; evening primrose seeds and aduki beans to gently exfoliate as you wash it away. There’s mineral rich kaolin to nourish, honey for its antibacterial properties, and we used just the right amount of peppermint oil to stimulate blood cells under the surface of your skin and leave your skin looking bright and refreshed.

This marvellous mixture also comes in self preserving form too, which means it keeps itself clean without the help of synthetic preservatives. Choosing between them is simply a matter of preference. The original formula dries more thoroughly when applied, while the self preserved version has a higher honey content so is thicker and remains wet. The differences aren’t monumintal, just choose the texture you prefer.

The paste is green with brownish flecks and is quite thick. But it’s not to spread on my face at all. I wash it off once it dries down.

See?

And here’s a photo of me wearing it ;)

Lush Body Scrubs, Body Conditioners, Body Lotions

OK Next are the body lotions! Strangely enough, most of Lush lotions come in a pot, rather than in a bottle. I only have Softy, which comes in a bottle.

First up is my favourite body lotion from Lush : Dream Cream . I love the smell, the texture, just pretty much everything about it. The results are amazing. My skins feels so soft after using this lotion. Like, you can tell the difference, it’s just that good.

It also comes in a self-preserving formula, which means there are no added preservatives, but the formula comes out a little differently and makes it more thick, and I felt like it was too thick for my liking so I stuck with the added preservatives formula.

Official description:

Softer than freshly-laundered clouds and a gentle oat milk rain; this herbal delicacy has the consistency of cool liquid silk.

Light, cooling and easily absorbed into the skin, the combination of calming chamomile, organic, extra virgin olive oil and creamy, Fair Trade, organic cocoa butter quickly soothes and softens.

Sweep all over the body to bedew your skin with fields of soothing lavender and Turkish rose to lull your skin back to tranquility. Feel serene and petal-soft from top to toe.

Dream Cream is also now available in self-preserving form, which means it keeps itself clean without any help from synthetic preservatives. The new version feels a little creamier on application, but the benefits remain the same.

As you can see, it’s not that thick, but it’s super moisturising.

And since I love it so much, I had to stock up during the sale! I even bought one for my mom (who wanted a body cream at that perfect time) and she loves it too!

Next is Sleepy Body Lotion. The name sounds familiar right? Because its the same scent as the Sleepy Shower Gel that I mentioned earlier. Actually the Sleepy Body Lotion came first, and people loved it so much that Lush decided to make it into a shower gel as well.

Lush Sleepy Shower Gel and Sleepy Body Lotion

Here’s the description of the Sleepy Body Lotion:

You'll sleep well after dipping into this dreamy lotion, made with a gentle oatmeal infusion, calming lavender flower and comfortingly sweet tonka absolute. A rich, malty and floral perfume conjures up visions of sugar plums and hot drinks topped with whipped cream while the heavenly ministrations of creamy Fair Trade organic cocoa butter and delicate lavender water cool and enrich the skin. Blanket your body in this lovely lotion before stepping into soft pyjamas for snuggly nights beside the fire.

I”m telling you, using this lotion right after you’ve just showered using the Sleepy shower gel just intensifies the scant and make it last much longer. Great combination for when I shower right before I go to sleep.

The lotion has a slight lavender tint, and is not so thick

Moving on to something fruity! This lotion is called Once Upon A Time. This smells of green apples. It also has a very “Lush” smell. By which I mean that whenever I use this, I immediately think of the smell when I walk pass the Lush store. It’s that smell. The Lush smell.

OK here’s the official description: Once upon a time, a magical Christmas fairy had an idea. He took the apples from a special tree and turned them into an apple infusion to refresh skin. A drop of almond and organic jojoba oils were added to moisturise. All of a sudden there was a swish of a magic wand and the mystical potion was filled with organic illipe and murumuru butter to leave skin soft all over. When this special potion was presented to the rest of the land everyone rejoiced and they all lived happily ever after.

The paste is also not thick. It has a slight green tint to it. After application, I feel like this one is lighter than Dream Cream.

And because it was also on sale, I just had to stock up!

Lastly is the Softy Foot Lotion. I actually bought this for my boyfriend, because his feet were cracking up so bad. As it turns out, I also love it too. I always ask him “what are you using” whenever he’s putting on his socks. And he’d? say “the lush foot cream”.

I think the reason why I like this scent so much is because of the lavender in it. I mean it’s got lavender, sandalwood, and bergamot. Who doesn’t love that combination?

Official description: A gentle lotion to get your feet back into tiptoe condition. Rich cupuacu and Fair Trade organic cocoa butters are a dream to rub in, while marshmallow root and almond oil soften. A beautiful blend of lavender, begamot and sandalwood essential oils, this softy will have you putting your best foot forward in no time.

And because it was on sale too, I had to stock up for my bf!

OK lastly is something very unique to Lush. I have never seen this kind of product anywhere else before, and I’m quite sure if there were one, Lush would have been the first store to introduce it. The Body Conditioners.

Now I bet there are many of us who don’t know what a body conditioner is. Is it a body lotion, or a hair conditioner? The answer is: its a combination of those two things. It is a body cream which you use in the shower, like how you use a hair conditioner. Right before you finish showering, massage the paste into your skin. Then rinse and that’s it. It will stay on your skin like a hair conditioner and its pretty much as moisturizing as putting on a body lotion after the shower - but more convenient. Everything is all done in the shower. No need to pull up your sleeves to put on body lotion.

Just one note, when you towel dry your body, don’t rub on your skin or the paste will be rubbed away. Just dab dab your skin with the towel.

First up is Christingle Body Conditioner. Doesn’t that blue colour cheer you up already?

Here’s the official description:

If you want a tingletastic start to the morning, this body conditioner is mint for you.

Menthol crystals will tantalise from the tips of your fingers to your toes, brightening skin.

Peppermint and spearmint oil will wake up the senses, so you're ready to mingle.

Organic jojoba oil is super moisturising while murumuru and Fair Trade shea butter condition and protect your skin from the icy winter weather.

Cover skin with the feeling of crisp snow and tingle all the way into Christmas day.

What I love about this blue thingy is the peppermint and spearmint in it. After i finish showering, there’s a cooling sensation immediately and it lasts for about 40 minutes. I think it is great for hot and humid countries. However, I don’t think this will be good in cold weather, cause it will just make you even colder after you finish showering!

Also on another note, it does have a very strong mint scent, that my boyfriend says “smells like toothpaste”, so I think you should try this instore before buying. I have also noticed that this product isn’t available in the Lush UK or US site. Maybe it’s only available only in hot countries.

Next is Buck’s Fizz Body Conditioner. I love the official description:

You gotta pop the top,
And then you gotta shower down,
‘Cause if you believe that the Fizz can cheer you up,
Make the bathroom your playground!
And soon you will find,
That fresh grapefruit, Brazillian orange and lime,
Are waking your mind up!

A bucks fizz breakfast boost packed full of organic jojoba and Kalahari melon oils. Uplifting Brazillian orange oil and pink grapefruit decoction help your morning go off with a bang, or should that be pop?

This one is orange! And it has a fruity scent. You can literally smell the grapefruit, orange, and melon.

Next is Snow Fairy.

Official description: Candy floss water sets the scene, evoking the excitement of enchanting fairgrounds and disappearing bites of sugary fluff. To enter this otherworldly carnival, you need only step into the shower. Smooth the rich, buttery conditioner over your entire body and as you do, you’ll rise above it all on a ferris wheel of saccharine, fairy tale sweetness. Organic cocoa butter, mango and avocado swirl together to hydrate and soften the skin. When you're ready, rinse off and return to earth.

To be honest I only bought this because it was on sale. And to be honest I don’t really like it. It smells heavily of candy floss, just too sweet and too cherry-like for me (I hate the small of cherry because it reminds me of a medicine I used to take when I was a kid). But if you like candyfloss, go for it.

Next is American Pie Body Lotion (limited Edition).

Now if you can guess, this sounds familiar doesn’t it? Well this scent is in the same family as the American Cream range, and of course I had to buy it! And since it’s limited edition, I had to stock up on it as well.

Official description: Who can resist a dessert? You’ll be left wanting more after lavishing this deliciously moisturising body conditioner all over your body. Rich lashings of Fair Trade shea and murumuru butter sink into skin and hydrate, while delectable scents of fresh strawberry infusion and vanilla absolute linger - the icing on the cake. Clary sage and benzoin resinoid combine for an extra helping of creamy comfort.

This one is quite light, compared to other Lush body conditioners in my opinion.

Whenever I wash my hair and use the American Cream Conditioner, I always use the American Cream Shower Gel followed by this Body conditioner so all parts of my body smell the same! Even though the scent isn’t 100% exactly like American cream, its close enough. Seriously I need the American Cream Shampoo and American Cream perfume next. Waiting for those to be launched!

I mean come on, Lush has a whole shelf of perfumes. Most of them are made from existing popular scents. When will you start selling American cream!? I know for a fact that they made it in the Lush Kitchen for a limited time but that was after I left London and it was never launched again. I’m so sad.

And lastly, my favourite body conditioner of all time. Ro’s Argan.

I first tried Ro’s Argan when I was studying in London. I was super into rose scented products at the time, and the Lush people recommended this to me. At first I was reluctant to try a “body conditioner” but I finally gave it a try. And I was hooked since then. The Damask rose smell is just super alluring and the scent sticks to me skin all night (I shower in the evening).

OK Let’s look at the official description: Pick the finest rose absolute and rich brazil nut oil, entwined with cypress leaf and vanilla pod infusions. Exquisite beyond compare. Beautiful Damask roses fragrance the skin, while hand-churned shea butter from Ghana lavishes your body in luxury.
Gather a luxurious handful and sweep all over the body, then gently rinse and pat dry for sensationally soft skin.
Sumptuous, smooth conditioning is provided by marrying Brazil nut oil with opulent argan oil.
Damask rose petals are picked at dawn in Senir, Turkey, when their exquisite scent blooms strongest. The rose absolute and oil obtained from these petals soothes and calms skin.

I feel like Ro’s Argan is quite heavy, compared to other Lush body conditioners. But that’s a good thing! My skin feels super moisturising!

And here’s family photo of my body creams and conditioners.

Man I just love all these vivid colours in the pots!

And I almost forgot! Because Lush is the most environmental friendly store in the world, they of course encourage recycling! So once you’ve used up all the products, you can bring back 5 empty pots to exchange for a Fresh Face Mask for free! Isn’t that amazing? This also lets me try different fresh masks at the same time too. It’s a great policy.

Lush also has many other interesting products like bath bombs and bath soaps. However I don’t own them at the moment because I don’t have a bath tub. I usually take them on vacations with me and use the bathtub at the hotel. It just makes the vacation even more relaxing!

There are also various gift sets for every occasion. And they always come out with new sets for special occasions all the time.

However I have to warn you that, buying the set doesn’t mean that you get the products at a bargain. Normally when you buy sets, the individual products come out to be cheaper right? Well it doesn’t work with Lush. The price will be equal to buying them individually, but Lush thinks this is already a bargain because you get extra pretty packaging.

I that’s it I guess. I’ll muster up the courage to write another Lush post once I try more products. I hope to review the fresh face masks, perfumes, soaps, and bath bombs as well.