Mythbusting Lush Skincare
Answering your most popular questions
Written by: Milly Ahlquist - Lush Communications & Product Content
Created: 24th April 2026
Read Time: 3 Minutes
Skincare Expertise provided by:
Mo Constantine, Lush Co-Founder & Product Inventor
Mark Constantine, Lush Co-Founder, CEO & Product Inventor
Claire Constantine, Lush Group Retail Director & Product Inventor
Helen Ambrosen, Lush Co-Founder & Product Inventor
Rowena Bird, Lush Co-Founder & Product Inventor
You could get your skincare questions answered by doomscrolling Get Ready With Mes and endless, glossy paid influencer ads. Or you could ask the experts. With over four decades of skincare expertise, formulation prowess, and personal and professional experience, our skincare experts offer all the answers to your burning questions (without a burned skin barrier in sight).
Not like other brands…
We don’t go in for fads, we don’t go in for fussy packaging, and definitely don’t do something just because everyone else is doing it. Our experts answer your top questions on why Lush does things differently.
Q: Why don’t you do hyaluronic acid, retinoids, peptides and collagens like other brands?
A: “How you treat your skin can leave a mark – literally – in the years to come. Many of today’s high-strength actives were once only available for use from a medical professional. Some can leave the skin in a very sensitive state, such as with increased sensitivity to the sun. Lush skincare takes into consideration looking after our customer's skin throughout all their life stages. In some instances, young people today may live as long as 100 years – so their skin needs to be healthy for that long of a life span! The best products to help you navigate this tricky time without causing more stress to your skin are those that have a gentle action that encourages the skin to function as well as it can, which may be surprisingly well, if given the chance.”
- Helen Ambrosen, Lush Co-Founder & Product Inventor
Q: Why should I care about ‘fresh’ skincare?
A: “If you enjoy fresh food in your belly, why wouldn’t you enjoy fresh ingredients on your skin? We’re in a great position to offer this, because of the nature of the formulas we use and the methods we use to put these together, which enable the richness of the ingredients to be transferred to the product and to the skin.”
- Mo Constantine, Lush Co-Founder & Product Inventor
“There is a huge movement of people looking to reduce ultra-processed food from their diets for their total body health, including their digestive microbiome. Instead they are replacing it with whole foods with minimal ingredients, excluding synthetic food ingredients including many preservatives. Why would we treat the skin, the body’s biggest organ, any differently? Cutting out ultra-processed cosmetics, and replacing them with simple, effective formulas made with whole ingredients, as you would expect a fresh meal to be made, must be better for your skin’s microbiome and your overall health. For the past 30 years and beyond Lush has been perfecting this offering."
- Claire Constantine, Lush Group Retail Director & Product Inventor
Q: I like a foaming face wash, why don’t you do one?
A: “Muds, clays, sands - you can clean your skin with all kinds of things. Our soapless cleansers, like Angels On Bare Skin, Dark Angels and Herbalism, are for people who are intolerant to soap. They’ve all got different properties. Dark Angels, for example, contains a very small amount of surfactant to lift everything off the skin. Charcoal is amazing and to have that in such a rich product with avocado oil is fantastic. Fresh Farmacy facial soap is clay-based with lots of calamine powder, so you’re not going to get a high lather but you are going to get a delicate cleansing wash. It’s about finding a way to wash that’s as sensitive to the skin as possible.”
- Mo Constantine, Product Inventor & Lush Co-Founder
Sorting fact from fiction
Rumour has it we formulate our fragrances by hand using careful concentrations of the finest essential oils, that our cosmetics are cruelty free from source to skin, and that we formulate only by the light of a full moon*…
*Not strictly true. We only formulate by the light of the moon on special occasions.
Q: Is Lush skincare okay for sensitive skin?
A: “Yes. Our skincare products have been shown to be non-irritating or very mild to use during testing with the world’s first completely animal-free testhouse. These results tell us that blanket statements about avoiding perfume, essential oils or physical exfoliants don’t ring true — it comes down to expertise in formulation and knowledge of your ingredients. Customers with sensitive skin can come to us in confidence knowing we can find the right product for their needs. We have over 40 years’ experience of working with natural ingredients and seeing their effects on the skin."
- Helen Ambrosen, Lush Co-Founder & Product Inventor
From ingredient sourcing to toxicological assessments, learn about our extensive history of testing and what makes us the first truly cruelty-free brand from source to skin.
Q: I’ve been told physical exfoliators are bad. Are they really?
A: “Exfoliating the skin helps to get rid of dead skin cells and brighten the skin. If you’re looking for something to help make you look younger, scrub your skin, use a face mask and moisturise! Everybody should pay attention to what their skin needs. Some complexions love deep-cleansing, salty scrubs; others need a gentle scrub like the almond material in Angels On Bare Skin. The size and feel of the grain plays a huge part in the effect received. You may want to exfoliate once a day or once a week. It’s about being aware of your skin and ‘listening’ to it, sensing its needs.” - Rowena Bird, Lush Co-Founder & Product Inventor
“When a Lush product physically exfoliates the skin, the action is always balanced by the addition of softening emollient butters or oils to prevent the skin from being damaged in any way but lifts away dirt and surface squames. We also pioneered the use of fresh fruit enzymes on the skin – these exfoliate without a physical action and can be found in products like Mostly and Pineapple facial wash for those who prefer exfoliating in a different way.”
- Helen Ambrosen, Lush Co-Founder & Product Inventor
Show your skin some love while you scrub. Get further top tips on exfoliating for best results.
So many products, so little time
Recommendations with staying power. Can’t get to a shop or pick up the phone for a tailored consultation? Our experts spill the tea on the products they swear by.
Q: I want to get into Lush skincare but don’t know where to start?
A: “Ultrabland, a formula first invented nearly 2,000 years ago, is the best formula for lifetime use. All the long-term staff will tell you that. We now also have four new cleansers, all based on this very gentle, very effective formula, with tailored blends of oils for specific concerns. The way you treat your skin, your eyebrows, your upper lip, eyes, neck, all will come back later with the results of the passing years. Punishing products are marketed at people who struggle emotionally with their skin, when what's required is a longer term approach with kindness and patience.”
- Mark Constantine, Lush Co-Founder, CEO & Product Inventor
Q: I know Lush does body creams for eczema, but what about for my face?
A: “I had eczema on my face when I was 21, Liz [Weir – Lush Co-Founder] gave me Ultrabland and I’ve used it every day for over 40 years. The base formula this cleanser is built on has been around for nearly 2,000 years – so it must be good! It is a classic cosmetic textbook formula that we have always made since the very beginning of the journey the Lush Founders have taken through skincare. And we love it! For very dry, upset skin, use Ultrabland or one of our four new cleansers based on this universal formula and nothing else until your skin is more balanced.”
- Helen Ambrosen, Lush Co-Founder & Product Inventor
Learn more about what makes our Dream Cream body lotion clinically proven to be suitable for sensitive and eczema-prone skin.
We’ve got so much more to share
We’ve only scratched the surface of what makes our products and our approach special. Thankfully, there are loads of ways to connect: visit us in store for a pamper or contact us for a natter. Or simply start shopping: our products speak for themselves.
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