Lush sees “lots of love for food-related scents” and sustainable ingredients this year

01 Feb 2024 --- Lush is well-known for its colorful take on fresh, handmade cosmetics that range from fruity bath bombs to candy-scented body products. The privately owned British cosmetics retailer is equally known for its stand on environmental and social justice.

With hundreds of stores in Europe and North America, the cosmetics company has developed a cult following over the years for many of its long-standing products, with scents greeting you as soon as you walk into the store. 

Personal Care Insights connects with Lush brand expert Erica Vega to find out what her team is focusing on this year to keep customers loyal — and informed.

As the year gets underway, it is evident that health and wellness remain paramount for consumers. How do you see that trend unfolding at Lush?
Vega: The continued blending of wellness and beauty is coming full circle. We’re not just integrating wellness into our hygiene and daily routines — the effects of continued wellness practices are shining through in our glowing skin or energy levels.

We’re seeing a massive jump in fragrance sales and innovation. It seems an affordable luxury for consumers who are back in the office. What excites you most about fragrance innovation? 
Vega: Much like painting is art for the eye or music is art for the ear — our perfumers create perfumes as art for the nose. Lush scents are almost like a band in this way — while they are wildly varied in their profiles, they’ll still have a signature nature: artfully inspired, crafted with the finest essential oils, and made without regard to trends and celebrities. They are dreams unto themselves.

Lush says food-related scents remain popular, pointing to its Sleepy product line with “calming lavender rounded out with warm vanilla and tonka bean for a more gourmand take.”We recently checked in with research firm Innova Market Insights and were told we’d continue to see more parallels in food and personal care trends, with ingredients stealing the spotlight. Your thoughts?
Vega: Trends are showing lots of love for food-related scents. Gourmand, cozy scents, sweeter candy-like ones and citrusy, refreshing ones are all good enough to eat!

Sleepy has been our most beloved scent for years and shows no sign of stopping. The calming lavender is rounded out with warm vanilla and tonka bean, making it a cuddly, more gourmand take on lavender.

Sustainability has long been seen as Lush’s mantra and purpose, and it is certainly top of mind now for many companies in the personal care and beauty sector. How has this theme evolved for Lush and impacted ingredient formulations?
Vega: Sustainability is no longer enough — we have to be regenerative! The idea of leaving the world Lusher than we found it guides everything in the business, from product formulations to what kind of lights we choose for the shops. We’re lucky to have teams of Ethical Buyers in our factories, making on-the-ground ethical decisions about which ingredients carry the highest quality and do the best for our planet.

What products do you think will come out on top this year?
Vega: Body sprays are on the rise. Refreshing, lighter and more casual, body sprays at Lush are still made with the same fine essential oil blends but can provide a more lifestyle-driven fragrance experience.

Our Super Milk Hair primer went viral — we can hardly keep it in stock. It was famous for its delicious lemony litsea cubeba, vanilla and tonka bean perfume. It’s quite similar in scent to Avocado Co-Wash Body Spray.

By Anita Sharma