Name: Sticky Dates Co-Mingle
Brand: Lush
SKU: 61757-UK

Limited Edition

MENA

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Vegan Society

EID Gifts

Vegan Shower Products

Eid Mubarak! We have the secret to save time with this wash, exfoliant and moisturiser all in one. What's not to love? Emerge from the shower clean, exfoliated, moisturised and smelling of decadent date syrup, aromatic vanilla, and sweet sandalwood.

How to use: Once skin is wet, massage over legs, arms and body to exfoliate, cleanse and moisturise. Rinse off, pat dry.

Soothing

Fragrancing

Comforting

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Natural

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Vanilla is the unmistakable, uplifting and sweet scent we all know and love.

Vanilla beans (pods) are the fruits of the orchid Vanilla planifolia. Centuries ago, one could only purchase vanilla from Mexico, as the flowers required a local bee to pollinate and grow the precious pod. Thanks to the discovery of a hand pollination technique in 1841, orchids can now be cultivated in most tropical areas close to the equator. This step requires crucial know-how and must be carried out a few hours after the flower opens; otherwise, it wilts.

Each blossom produces a single bean that is normally harvested after eight or nine months and then passes through a complex curing process before resembling the black-brown fragrant spice we all know. This process usually involves four steps: soaking in hot water, sweating in a warm environment, drying for a few weeks, and conditioning (packing in boxes) to develop flavours.

Since Madagascar, the world's first vanilla producer, stopped regulating vanilla prices in the 1990s, its trade has seen ups and downs. The latest struggles began in 2012 when very low harvests made demand higher than supply. Since vanilla is a rather rare natural delicacy that cannot be rushed, the situation quickly snowballed into crazy price increases (over 100%), poor quality and crime.

In 2016, the situation in Uganda (where we buy our pods) became critical and <a href="https://www.lush.com/uk/en/a/not-such-sweet-deal">was reported to us in an article</a>&nbsp;by Lulu, owner of the Ndali farm. Resellers and agents working on commission began buying vanilla that was not even cured properly yet. Vanilla pods must reach maturity and undergo the full curing process to obtain all the notes of their wonderful taste and smell and to avoid mould. During price crises, crops are sold far too early and pods can even be stolen from the fields before they're ripe. Farmers try to expand their crops to meet demand, and governments implement drastic measures. Eventually, when things finally calm down, farmers find themselves with too much production and prices drop tragically, as has been the case since 2019.

We love natural vanilla so much that we couldn't stop using it despite the market’s turmoil. Thanks to our dedicated team of creative buyers, we found solutions year after year and month after month. Find more information on each source in the description of the main vanilla ingredients we use:

<a href="https://www.lush.com/uk/en/i/vanilla-absolute">Vanilla Absolute</a>, a powerful extract found in perfumery and skin-soothing cosmetics.

<a href="https://www.lush.com/uk/en/i/vanilla-pod-infusion">Vanilla Pod Infusion</a>, made in-house from beans soaked in hot water.

<a href="https://www.lush.com/uk/en/i/vanilla-pod-extract">Vanilla Pod Extract</a>, for which humectant propylene glycol serves as a carrier.

Want to dive straight into our range of vanilla-scented products? <a href="https://www.lush.com/uk/en/c/vanilla-scented">They're ready for you</a>.

Ingredient

Vanilla

Cleansing

Softening

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In cosmetics, an exfoliator (also called exfoliant or scrub) is a material or a substance that helps remove the dead skin cells from the skin's surface.&nbsp;

The human skin renews itself regularly, in cycles of 5 to 6 weeks on average (although this changes with age). New cells are created in the deepest layers of the epidermis and work their way to the skin's surface. Even though they usually flake away on their own, they sometimes stick around for too long, clogging the pores and giving a dull and tired appearance. This is when an exfoliant comes in handy. Coarse materials buff and cleanse the skin perfectly. Some substances, like enzymes or natural acids, even have the properties of eating dead skin cells or dissolving what binds them together.

For decades, the cosmetic industry has been using microbeads to scrub the skin. Unfortunately, these are little plastic bits and they are so tiny that they can escape from sewer treatment plants and end up in the rivers, seas and oceans. They have been proven to contribute to global plastic particle water pollution, significantly damaging our planet’s wild aquatic life. Thankfully, microbeads were banned from rinse-off cosmetics in many countries in the late 2010s. Regardless, Lush has always preferred to use natural, biodegradable materials instead of microbeads such as enzyme-rich fruits, ground nuts, shells, bamboo stems or seeds. They are just as effective options!

Where does Lush source natural exfoliators?

Lush use many types of natural scrubs! To find out more about each of them and their suppliers, browse your Lush product’s list of ingredients and click on the ones you are interested in. This should take you to a page full of details.

If you're not sure where to start, here are our selection of <a href="https://www.lush.com/uk/en/c/body-scrubs">body exfoliators</a> and <a href="https://www.lush.com/uk/en/c/face-scrubs-exfoliators">face scrubs</a>. Let’s smooth it all!

Natural Exfoliator

Moisturising

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A staple in cosmetics, the tear-shaped almond is beloved for its moisturising oil, soothing properties and comforting scent.

Almonds are the seeds of the almond tree, which belongs to the plum family (Prunus). Its fruits share considerable similarities with those of its relatives, such as apricot and peach. These crops flourish in sunny regions, such as the Mediterranean, California, the Middle East, and North Africa. Hiding deep within the soft flesh of the fruit is a hard pit that reveals a tender almond when broken open.

There are two types of almonds: sweet and bitter. Sweet almonds, which grow on the Prunus dulcis tree, are the ones we eat. Their scent is very faint, if there's any. They can be ground, pressed into oil, or blended with water to produce milk. This explains why almond oil is often called 'sweet' almond oil. On the other side, bitter almonds (Prunus amygdalus amara) are not suitable for consumption, but they can be distilled into a fragrant essential oil, renowned in perfumery.

What are the benefits of almonds in cosmetics?

In general, almond-derived products are soothing and conditioning to the skin and hair, as well as being emollient and packed with <a href="https://www.lush.com/uk/en/i/tocopherol">vitamin E (an antioxidant)</a>.

But the benefits also depend on the type of ingredient, of course. For example:

We use a lot of almond-derived products, so don’t hesitate and browse your Lush product’s list of ingredients to click on the ones you want to know more about. And if you like a good selection, here’s one!

<a href="https://www.lush.com/uk/en/i/ground-almonds">Ground Almonds</a>

<a href="https://www.lush.com/uk/en/i/almond-oil">Almond Oil</a>

<a href="https://www.lush.com/uk/en/i/organic-almond-oil">Organic Almond Oil</a>

<a href="https://www.lush.com/uk/en/i/fair-trade-almond-oil">Fair Trade Almond Oil</a>

If almonds are your thing, you’ll be happy at Lush! We love them too. Why not take a look at our <a href="https://www.lush.com/uk/en/c/body-care">bodycare</a> and <a href="https://www.lush.com/uk/en/c/skincare">skincare</a> ranges to begin with?

Almond

Restorative

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An amazing not-so-secret ingredient for your skin and hair. We heart argan!

Argan oil is produced from the kernels of the argan tree.&nbsp;

There are a lot of vitamins in argan oil that are said to be antioxidants, such as vitamin E. Antioxidants are compounds that are thought to counteract the oxidation of the skin cells, which means they could improve the skin's appearance and strength.

Lush source argan from a variety of places. To find out more about our suppliers, browse your Lush product’s list of ingredients and click on argan oil. This should take you to a page full of details!

Argan

Save time with this date, vanilla, and sandalwood wash, exfoliant and moisturiser all in one. What's not to love?