Lush, the UK-based handmade cosmetics brand, has spent the last 30 years redefining what it means to be a truly sustainable beauty company. While many brands have adopted sustainability as a marketing tool, Lush has embedded it into the DNA of its business. From its strict anti-animal-testing stance and commitment to vegetarian formulations to its radical departure from social media, the company has soared, while remaining steadfast in its values despite changing market trends. However, as the beauty industry evolves and consumer expectations shift, Lush faces new challenges and opportunities.

The Evolution of a Pioneering Brand

Lush’s journey began in 1995, formed by six co-founders who had previously run a cosmetics manufacturing company that supplied products to The Body Shop. The brand’s ethos was clear from the start—fresh, handmade, vegetarian products that prioritized natural ingredients over synthetic additives. This approach was radical at the time, long before sustainability became an industry buzzword.

Reflecting on the company’s growth, co-founder and Director Rowena Bird emphasizes to BeautyMatter the importance of organic expansion rather than rapid scaling. “If you do that, you can keep some semblance of hold over it and understanding of what it’s up to,” she says. “Whereas, if you’re too impatient and you start it and then you want all this mass funding to come in, you may not have a clue what’s happening in your business,” she continues.

Lush’s business model has resulted in over 900 stores across 52 countries, supported by 17,000 employees and some very potent retail partnerships with retailers like Ulta Beauty and ASOS. Unlike other global beauty giants, the brand has maintained tight control over its operations, resisting aggressive external investments. The company’s deliberate approach to growth, Bird explains, “is the key to preserving its core values and avoiding dilution of its mission.”

Despite the rise of vegan beauty, Lush remains a vegetarian company rather than a fully vegan one, partly due to its continued use of honey. This distinction, according to Bird, is a conscious decision tied to the brand’s roots. “We’ve always been vegetarian,” she says, “even when we made for The Body Shop. That was something we set out from the beginning.”

Lush’s vegetarian commitment extends beyond formulations, to its stringent anti-animal-testing policies. The company refuses to purchase ingredients from suppliers that conduct any form of animal testing, even if the specific raw material itself hasn’t been tested. “We don’t even want that tenuous link to animal testing,” Bird insists. This has made them set up initiatives like the ongoing Lush Spring Prize 2025—a biennial prize program focused on celebrating those who are regenerating ecological and social systems. “We’ve even set up the Lush Prize, awarding up to £200,000 ($248,000) every other year to fund young scientists and campaigners working on alternatives to animal testing.” Since its launch, over £1 million ($1.2 million) has now been awarded across over 70 prizes.

Life Without Social Media: A Costly but Ethical Decision

In 2021, Lush made headlines by abandoning its social media platforms, citing ethical concerns over the mental health impact of these platforms on users. The decision, Bird admits, has had financial consequences. “Our best guess is that it’s caused a 10% drop in sales,” she acknowledges. “But if you think of it in terms of morals and ethics, we don’t bear to be there. Why would you?”

Lush has instead focused on its own platforms, such as its website and app, and has deepened partnerships with ethical influencers. Bird remains resolute. “We’re investing in people rather than the platforms,” she says. “The people running these platforms do not care about you as a person—they only want your money,” she insists. Despite the financial impact, Lush’s departure from social media underscores the brand’s commitment to prioritizing ethics over profit, a rarity in the modern beauty landscape.

The Business of Sustainable Beauty

Lush’s commitment to sustainability extends beyond its products to its entire supply chain. The company sources cocoa butter from a peace community in Colombia, shea butter from women’s cooperatives in Ghana, and ingredients from small-scale farmers who adhere to fair trade and regenerative practices. “We bypass middlemen and go directly to the grower or producer,” Bird explains. “That way, we can pay more than the middlemen are paying them but less than what it would cost us to buy from the middlemen. It’s a win for us and a win for them,” she adds.

Lush has also made significant strides in packaging innovation, alongside many other brands. The company has developed solid versions of products traditionally sold in liquid form, such as shampoo bars, solid shower gels, and naked moisturizers, all targeted at reducing plastic waste. Its packaging, when necessary, is either recycled or recyclable, and customers are incentivized to return empty containers for reuse.

As independent beauty brands increasingly find themselves acquired by conglomerates, Lush’s future as a privately held company remains a topic of speculation. However, Bird makes it clear that acquisition isn’t on the table, and that they’ll remain independently owned, where they can continue to beat their own drums, holding themselves accountable for their decisions, and with full transparency. “[We], the founders, see ourselves as family members,” she says. “We do all our own little bickering, but together we have the same vision for how we want the company to be and where it’s going.”

Instead, Lush is grooming the next generation from within. “There are a lot of family members in the business now, and we’ve got people who’ve been with us for 20 years or more. We’re making sure the company stays in the hands of people who truly understand and believe in it.”

What Lush’s Approach Means for the Beauty Industry

Lush’s business model—prioritizing ethical sourcing, sustainability, and independence over aggressive expansion and short-term profits—is an anomaly in an industry increasingly driven by domineering acquisitions and fast-paced trend cycles. But while many companies look to investors and conglomerates for growth, Lush’s approach highlights the potential of a long-term, value-driven strategy.

Its resistance to social media, continued vegetarian stance, and investment in ethical supply chains suggest a blueprint for a more responsible future in beauty. Whether other brands follow suit remains to be seen. However, as conscious consumerism continues to rise, Lush’s unwavering commitment to sustainability could prove to be its biggest advantage in the decades to come.