LUSH....

Despite the occasionally over-enthusiastic sales people, I really rate Lush for their general philosophy on organics, recycling and animal testing. Lush products have minimal preservatives and packaging and they tend to use mostly organic ingredients.

I was puzzled as to why they are not listed on www.gocrueltyfree.org/companies.php as a PETA approved 'no animal testing' organisation so I wrote to them to find out why and they actually had a plausible explanation. They sent me a fact sheet on Lush's stance on testing, which explains their Supplier Specific Boycott Policy. It explains the benefits to this policy, which is different from the Fixed Cut-off Date policy employed by the Humane Cosmetics Standard. Lush are not included on PETA's approved list because of this policy difference but they are actually specifically mentioned on the Go Cruelty Free website as a recommended retailer and cites the same explanation for their exclusion from the BUAV (British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection) list.

Lush products use minimal packaging which makes a refreshing change from many cosmetic's companies. Although I find some of their products overwhelming in terms of scent and underwhelming in terms of effect, they also have some great stuff.

My favourites are:

• Ceridwyn's Cauldron bath melt


• The Blonde solid shampoo (which is great for reducing packaging)


• Marilyn hair treatment


• Buffy exfoliating scrub

Lush are a great example of a company that manages to combine numerous ethical considerations at the same time, which is great for a concerned consumer as it takes the guess-work out of purchases. However, just because a shop or company is perceived to be 'good' it certainly doesn't mean they are so it is a good idea to ask questions if something doesn't make sense. It also lets them know that people are genuinely concerned and they can't just get away with vague claims about their ethical credentials.