We don’t have a LUSH store where I live, which is probably for the best.
Last November, when we went to Chicago for Thanksgiving, I introduced my sister to LUSH. I obsessively sniffed every fizzy bath bomb in the store and tried stuff and daydreamed about how much I could buy if I had a ba-zillion dollars. It’s not the most expensive stuff in the world, but they aren’t at Walmart prices either.
For those of you unfamiliar with LUSH, they are known for cruelty-free, all natural hair and body products made of ingredients we can all pronounce. Some products are so fresh that you have to keep them refrigerated or they spoil. LUSH began thirty years ago (or so) with offering a handful of products through The Body Shop. Now it’s its own thing and people go nuts over their stuff.
My sister kept a mental note about LUSH, so when my birthday came around, she splurged on something I probably wouldn’t buy myself: the Big Sea Salt Shampoo. It has all kinds of natural ingredients like seaweed, lemon juice, coconut oil, and orange oil, along with the big chunks of sea salt. You pull out a small amount and massage it into your scalp, thereby producing a surprising amount of lather from a couple of kitchen ingredients.
The real magic happens after I dry my hair. It’s legitimately more voluminous, which was a wonderful surprise.
Three things I love:
1. The fragrance is unlike anything I’ve smelled in other products, and that’s a compliment. It’s noticeably un-chemical-y. It smells like I made it in my kitchen and added a few drops of essential oils for a bonus.
2. A little goes a long way. The first time I used it I wasn’t sure how much was necessary for my hair length, so I definitely used more than needed. By the second, third, and finally fourth time, I was down to a dime-size amount and it was sufficient. I’m making this thing last.
3. LUSH quality and commitment. Though I prefer cruelty-free products as a whole, I can’t always afford to be picky. Granted, you get what you pay for. I can spend $4 on an all-chemical shampoo made in mass at a factory that works decently, or I can spend $25 on something handmade with ingredients that are so fresh that they have an expiration date. I like the principle of using LUSH, and if I were able to justify incorporating their products into my budget, I’d totally do it. Until then, it’s only a treat.