How a Soap Company Grew By Welcoming Diversity

Carleen Pickard is the Advocacy & Activism Manager at Lush Cosmetics North America, leading campaigns focused on human rights, animal protection, and environmental justice. She first joined Lush in 1997, left to work with social justice organizations for two decades, and returned to the company nearly ten years ago.

In recent months, we’ve seen a rise in scapegoating of newcomers and refugees — with claims that immigration is to blame for housing, job, and affordability crises. These claims are not only unfounded, they’re dangerous. Two of every five Canadians are either immigrants or children of immigrants and the rich society that we celebrate in this current patriotic climate is due to the multiculturalism we experience on a daily basis.

In 1997, Lush Cosmetics’ Canadian presence began along the Fraser River on the territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) people in Vancouver, BC. I was a recent university grad working in a bakery and took a chance on an unknown U.K.-founded business that sold soap that looked like cheese and peddled fragranced balls that fizzed in your bathtub. We mixed, chopped, whizzed and cooked ingredients into fresh face masks in a cross between a bake off show and a mad scientist lab, which was actually  in a converted horse stable. Before the “start up vibe” was a thing, we had it. As our manufacturing capabilities grew, we quickly opened several retail shops in Vancouver and set our sights eastward.

I traveled to Toronto in the spring of 1998 to set up another factory, including sourcing equipment, raw materials suppliers and staff. Here we rented a vacant hair salon and bought up dough mixers, cooling racks and other “trade secret” equipment. I sourced the fresh fruit and vegetables from local organic grocery shops. And to recruit staff, I went to the local immigrant and refugee resettlement centres around the GTA.

In 1997-98, Canada welcomed refugees from those fleeing the conflict in former Yugoslavia as well as Southeast Asia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka — just under 50,000 from around the world. Another 390,200 people immigrated and made Canada their new home. Despite Canada’s commitment to immigration, one of the most challenging things for newcomers to establish in Canada is work experience. At the time, we were able to offer steady part- and full-time jobs to folks, in a welcoming environment. We didn’t require English fluency or many formal qualifications — just a willingness to get your hands dirty and go home smelling great. Work hours were flexible and if people needed time off for appointments to fix paperwork, family care or even other job interviews, they had it. We were supportive and excited when people moved on to positions closer to their previous fields of work.

That was then, this is now — and as we approach our 30th anniversary, it’s no exaggeration to say that Lush’s success has been built on the dedication, excellence, and hard work of immigrants and refugees to Canada. What began as a mutually beneficial arrangement revealed something even more powerful: our workforce diversity has become one of our greatest strengths.

With Lush’s expansion into the U.S. in 2003 and with Toronto now serving as our primary manufacturing facility for over 250 shops across North America, everything is much grander. Positions are formalized and permanent and Lush has become a career for many. Four iterations since we converted the hair salon on King St, our three facilities in Etobicoke employ around 700 people, which doubles and sometimes triples during holiday production. We remain a first employer for many individuals—no prior or 'Canadian experience' required. With consistent partnerships with newcomer centres via Employment Ontario and WorkBC, we take pride in fostering a workplace committed to our motto “All Are Welcome. Always”.

In those manufacturing and distribution facilities, nearly 20% identified as working on permanent resident, refugee or asylee visas. Across our business — over 3,000 staff in Canada and the U.S. — 13% reported an Asian nationality of origin, including the Philippines, India, and Vietnam. After English, the most commonly spoken languages were Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese, according to our 2024 demographic survey. Diverse lived experiences throughout our business keeps us inspired and engaged, and we’re committed to more representation at all levels of our organization.

We are just as much shaped today as we were in our early days by the experiences and perspectives of newcomers and refugees to Canada. The diversity that lives within Lush is what makes this business innovative and marked by near-constant growth, including our employees’ roles in creating observance ranges such as Día de Muertos, Eid, Diwali and Lunar New Year. Earlier this year, in response to the increasing hostility to diversity, equity and inclusion, we renamed three of our beloved bath bombs just that: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

It is because of our experience that we are deeply concerned about the rise of scapegoating of refugees and newcomers in Canada. The Canadian government’s proposed Bill C-2 echoes this rhetoric by seeking to weaken refugee protections and restrict access to asylum, despite our obligations under the Charter and international law. A broad coalition of nearly 200 concerned organizations have called for the withdrawal of Bill C-2 and we’re proud to stand with them.

We know we are a country which welcomes newcomers and fosters an environment to thrive. Public opinion polls have consistently demonstrated that Canadians have a positive view of immigration and we are known around the world for embracing and celebrating our diverse and multicultural society — we can and we must maintain this standard. Look around your community and imagine what it would be like without all the cultural richness newcomers have brought.

At Lush, we see that richness every day — in the languages spoken on our production floors and retail shops, the flavours of shared lunches, the stories behind each team member’s journey, and the collective pride in building something beautiful together. Our growth didn’t come just from clever products or smart marketing. It came from opening our doors wide — and truly meaning it.