Lush

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Acrylates / Lauryl Acrylate / Stearyl Acrylate / Ethylamine Oxide Methacrylate Copolymer

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Acrylates are chemical compounds proven to be safe for cosmetic use. They have slightly different functions depending on their composition, but they are predominately used in gel-based products.

Copolymer compounds create a water-repellent base for products with waterproof qualities. They act by creating a thin flexible film that prevents water washing the product away.

Ethylene oxide is a key raw material in the production of surfactants and detergents adding to their foaming and skin-conditioning qualities.

We use this as a base in The Big Tease styling gel. It conditions the hair by coating it with a thin film.

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Agar Agar Gel

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Agar Agar (Gelidium cartilagineum) comes from a species of seaweeds classed as ‘agarophytes.’ These are found in the seas of Japan, the Mediterranean, Europe, America and Africa.

They possess fine-fronds, giving them a tufted appearance, which also branch into solid segments. Their colors vary from pinks to deep reds and purples. These colors camouflage their chlorophyll.

When the seaweeds are collected, they are then laid out on a beach, bleached and dried. To obtain the gel like solution, the seaweed is boiled in water and filtered. This is then dried in the sunlight and prepared into bars, flakes or fine granules.

Japanese innkeeper, Minoya Tarozaemon, first encountered Agar in 1660. These types of ‘agarophyte' seaweeds have been cultivated in Japan since 1769.

Agar has been used as a culture medium for bacteria since the 1880s, when Robert Koch discovered its usefulness. It is used in the food industry, medicine, dentistry and forensics.

A teaspoon of agar powder will create a jelly from a cup of liquid. This gel is softening and moisturizing for both skin and hair.

We use agar agar gel in our Retread triple-strength hair conditioner, which holds together the other ingredients to revitalize damaged, colored, frizzy and thick curly hair.

Seaweeds contain up to twenty times the elements of land plants.

We suspend clays and exfoliating granules in the gel-like structure of agar for our Love Lettuce Fresh Face Mask. The gel softens the skin, balancing the cleansing action of the other ingredients.

In the creamy Veganese conditioner, we use the gel for its softening action on the hair follicles. It also acts as a thickening agent in the product.

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Almond Butter (Prunus dulcis)

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There are two types of almond (sweet and bitter), but we use the sweet one (Prunus dulcis). The almond is a fruit and a part of the plum family. The almond tree is a medium-sized tree, native to the Middle East and North Africa. Its white blossom is captivating and beautiful, inspiring many legends.

Ancient Egyptians valued the almond for cosmetic purposes.

The ancient Greeks and Romans used to eat almonds to counter the effect of alcohol.

Almond butter is made from raw or toasted almonds.

Our almonds originate in the warmth of California, one of the largest almond growing areas in the world.

The almonds themselves have to undergo several different processes before they are finally made into almond butter. They are shelled and sorted into groups of those suitable enough to become butter.

Almond crops are very susceptible to weather, achieving larger quantities in sunny climates. The trees themselves don't produce almonds for the first three or four years of their lives and will be productive until around twenty-five years. To produce the almonds, the flowers need to be pollinated and many of the producers keep beehives to encourage this.

Almond butter is a very rich blend. It exfoliates gently and is incredibly softening.

In our Aqua Mirabilis body butter, the almond butter softens and polishes skin.

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Aloe Vera

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Aloe Vera is a desert plant that belongs to the lily family. It grows well in dry soils and is native to East and South Africa. The fleshy leaves are sharp and serrated with white spikes; they contain a clear gel harvested for its healing properties.

Aloe is thought to be one of the oldest remedies, noted for its beneficial qualities in Egyptian, Roman, Chinese, Greek, Italian, Algerian, Moroccan, Arabian, Indian and Christian history. Cleopatra is known to have massaged it into her skin and it appears in Anglo Saxon medical texts, having been brought to Europe in the 10th century.

In modern times, aloe was found to be more effective than any other method in the treatment of radiation burns.

Aloe soothes itching and reduces redness; it is excellent in calming sunburn or redness caused by the cold. It softens the skin and helps to protect it.

We use the gel from the aloe leaf dried, and then add it to water to obtain its original strength. This is a very effective ingredient for cooling and soothing the skin. It is particularly good in after sun products. The skin is cooled and redness fades away.

Aloe gel is excellent for all skin types, soothing and re-hydrating dry skin, and it is used in our Aqua Marina cleanser.

Our Breath Of Fresh Air toner contains aloe vera gel. It is a soothing, gentle spray, which both cools and cares for the skin.

In bath products, aloe soothes the skin as the warm water bathes the body, making our Honey Bee Bath Bomb, a gentle calmative for troubled skin.

We use the dried ground aloe leaf to make the extract. The dried aloe leaf is warmed with water and put straight into a whole range of skin-softening products from moisturizers to soaps. We use aloe extract in Honey I Washed the Kids soap to calm and soothe the skin.

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Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate

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Ammonium lauryl sulphate is a surface-active agent or surfactant. Surfactants are partly water-soluble and partly oil-soluble. This allows oil and water to mix.

Above a minimum concentration, a surfactant organizes into a structure that can trap the oil-based dirt from the hair, allowing it to be rinsed away.

The foam allows the hands to work the shampoo through the hair more easily.

Sulphates became widely used in the 1930s, and they started the development of the modern shampoo industry.

Sulphates are obtained by means of catalytic reduction of fatty acids, such as those in coconut oil and palm kernel oil.

Ammonium lauryl sulphate is an excellent cleanser for hair, replacing soap as the traditional cleanser.

Soap used to leave the hair feeling dry and rough, where ammonium lauryl sulphate cleanses the hair thoroughly, leaving it conditioned and softer.

We use ammonium lauryl sulphate in our I Love Juicy, Rehab and Cynthia Sylvia Stout shampoos to clean the hair.

Our Ultimate Shine solid shampoo bar uses this surfactant to cleanse the hair.

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Apple Juice

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Apple (Pyrus malus) is the most popular and widely cultivated temperate-zone fruit tree. It belongs in the Rosaceae family and is thought to have originated in Western Asia and Asia Minor, where carbonized apples dating from 6500 B.C. have been found. Apples have been cultivated for at least 3,000 years and thousands of varieties now grow around the world.

The trees produce white or pink flowers and their fruits vary from bright red to yellowish green. The fruits of most varieties are edible. Their textures can be crisp, tender or floury and flavours range from tart to sweet.

The Romans introduced apples to Europe and spread knowledge of their use to local people. During the Roman conquest of Britain, officers planted apple orchards inside their walled gardens. Eventually, apple trees spread to native villages and became well established.

John Chapman, a preacher and nurseryman, was responsible for greatly influencing the spread of apple cultivation in America. Within his lifetime, he became the legendary ‘Johnny Appleseed’ due to the volume of nurseries he planted and the seeds he gave away. Apples are now inseparably linked with American culture, giving rise to the famous adage, “as American as apple pie.”

Today, the largest exporters are France, Italy, Hungary, Argentina, Chile, South Africa, and the United States.

From Adam and Eve to Greek mythology, apples have featured in the legends of many countries, both as a delicious fruit and a symbolic representation of temptation.

Apple juice is squeezed from fresh fruit and added to our products immediately. In combination with cleansing ingredients, the juice de-greases the skin with its gently astringent, acidic properties.

Skin softening ingredients in the product ensure the skin is left soft, clean and refreshed. We use cartons of apple juice when making some of our soaps.

We use apple juice in Temptation soap from our Retro Range, and we use the organic variety in Demon in the Dark soap, too.

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Aduki Beans (Phaseolus)

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Aduki beans (Phaseolus angularis) are known as azuki, adsuki and asuki. They have been grown and eaten in both China and Japan for millennia, and they are known as ‘King of Beans.’

The English name – aduki – comes from the Japanese, ‘azuki,’ meaning good health.

The beans are dark red with a thin white line down the ridge. They have a nutty flavour, and can be prepared fresh, dried or mashed into a candied paste.

Ground aduki beans remove dead skin cells when used on the skin as an exfoliating powder. They polish the skin, leaving it healthy and renewed.

We use aduki beans dried, whole, or ground.

Ground aduki beans absorb excess dirt and oils from the skin in our Mask of Magnaminty face and body mask.

In our Wiccy Magic Muscles massage bar, the aduki beans are like firm fingertips working to relieve muscle pain and tension. They help to stimulate areas where circulation is slow and work well with the warming effects of the other ingredients.

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Alkanett Extract (Alkanna tinctoria)

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Alkanna tinctoria is known as orchanet, dyer’s bugloss and Spanish bugloss.

It is considered a weed and grows in similar sorts of places or wastelands.

A red dye (extracted from the root) was used in Central and Southern Europe as a dye to stain wood, and for colouring medicines.

Alkanet is said to be both an antiseptic and an anti-inflammatory.

It is a beautiful pink in color.

We soak alkanet in almond oil or castor oil to extract the color. This extract is then used in skin or haircare products.

The extract is used in the Imperialis skin cream to help create a rich, soothing treatment for the skin.

We use the extract to add a pink color to our Helping Hands hand cream.

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Almond Milk (Prunus dulcis)

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There are two types of almond (sweet and bitter), but we use the sweet one. The almond is a fruit and a part of the plum family. The almond tree is a medium-sized tree, native to the Middle East and North Africa. Its white blossom is captivating and beautiful, inspiring many legends.

Ancient Egyptians valued the almond for cosmetic purposes. The ancient Greeks and Romans used to eat almonds to counter the effect of alcohol.

When crushed and infused in water, almonds yield lovely milk, which is created as the almond oil combines with the water. Traditionally, almond milk was used as a drink to treat inflammation of the skin from the inside out.

Our almonds originate in the warmth of California, one of the largest almond growing areas in the world.

The almonds themselves have to undergo several different processes. They are shelled and sorted into groups of those suitable enough to become oil. They are processed into crude oil and different grades of refined oil are then produced.

Almond crops are very susceptible to weather, achieving larger quantities in sunny climates. The trees themselves don't produce almonds for the first three or four years of their lives and will be productive until around twenty-five years. To produce the almonds, the flowers need to be pollinated and many of the producers keep beehives to encourage this.

Almond milk is excellent when used to soften and moisturize. We use almond milk in our Celestial skin cream for just this purpose; it makes the skin feel beautifully soft and nourished.

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Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Crosspolymer

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Ammonium acryloyldimethyltaurate/beheneth-25 methacrylate crosspolymer is a copolymer of ammonium acryloyldimethyltaurate.

A polymer is a large molecule made of repeating units (monomers).

It stabilizes emulsions and creates a produce with light cream-gel texture, which isn’t tacky to touch.

Our super strength The Big Tease hair gel contains this material; it allows the hair to be styled to the extreme and stay there.

It is a popular ingredient in sun creams and ‘anti-aging’ lotions.

This crosspolymer has very good adhesion to the hair and skin.

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Angelica

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Chinese angelica is a herb from the Apiaceae family.

It was used medicinally as an antiseptic, antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory.

We infuse angelica in boiled water; we then strain the mixture and use it in our Flying Fox shower gel for its antibacterial and antiseptic action.

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Apricot Oil

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The apricot tree (Prunus armeniaca) is widely cultivated in the Northern Hemisphere. Thought to have originated In China and South East Asia, it then spread to Armenia and Europe.

The tree came to England during the reign of King Henry VIII.

The apricot tree’s fruit is delicious and full of nutrients.

It is difficult to obtain fresh apricots all year round, so it is prudent to use its dried form.

The kernels inside the stone yield a rich, nutritious oil.

The velvety oil is cold-pressed from the stones of apricots. They can yield 45% of their weight in this oil.

Apricot oil is rich in vitamin A and assorted minerals.

In our Lip Service lip balm, it softens, seals in moisture and is an effective emollient.

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African Marigold Oil (Tagetes erecta)

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Our African marigold oil is made from the tagetes plant (Tagetes erecta). It is from the species also known as American or Aztec marigold.

Native to Mexico, North America and South America, it produces beautiful yellow or orange flowers.

The Aztecs held Tagetes erecta and other varieties of the Tagetes plant in high esteem. Erecta was used for ceremonial and medicinal purposes and Tagetes lucida was used to flavour the original, spicy hot chocolate drink chocolatl.

Mexicans use erecta, and other types of marigolds, in their ‘Dia de los Muertos’ celebrations.

It comes from the same genus as the dahlia and the daisy (Asteraceae). It should not be confused with Calendula officinalis, the common marigold.

The oil is distilled from the flowers and used in cosmetics, medicines and fragrances.

It has an herbaceous scent and helps to keep products fresh, acting as a natural preservative.

According to modern research, the African marigold possesses antibacterial, antifungal and antioxidant properties. It is said to reduce skin blemishes and inflammations.

We use African marigold oil in our Ambrosia shaving cream to help keep skin free of blemishes caused by shaving.

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Allspice Oil

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Allspice also known as pimento Clove pepper and Jamaican pepper. In Jamaica Pimenta officinalis is an important crop; when the trees are in bloom, their scent fills the air and the plantations are referred to as “ pimento walks”.

The Pimenta officinalis tree is part of the Myrtle family, in summer it produces purplish black round sweet berries (these are not related to the capsicum garden peppers pimientos). The leaves of this tree are infused for tea.

These berries were first introduced to Europe in 16th Century, when an English botanist John Ray considered their flavour to be a mixture of cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg.

The allspice berries are full of fragrant oil that is distilled from the dried unripe fruits. This oil is pale yellow, smells sweet, warm and spicy and has antiseptic and antioxidant qualities.

Allspice oil is used in perfumery, and as a fruit flavour. Externally it is used medicinally to treat chest infections and muscular aches and pains. Ground allspice berries are used to make medicines more palatable, in liniments and plasters.

Whole dried unripe berries are used in pickling spice blends, marinades, and mulled wine. Powdered berries are used to flavour cakes, biscuits, puddings, and chutneys.

Folk medicine uses allspice berries as a digestive aid, antiseptic and for nervous exhaustion.

We use allspice oil in our spicy Chai shower gel for both its antiseptic quality and for its warm spicy aroma that blends well with the ginger and cinnamon leaf oils.

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Almond Oil (Prunus dulcis)

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There are two types of almond, sweet and bitter. We use sweet almonds (Prunus dulcis) to make sweet almond oil, and bitter almonds to make almond essential oil. The almond is part of the plum family. Botanically, they are a drupe and an ancient ancestor of large-stoned fruits, such as apricots, peaches and plums.

The bitter almond tree is a medium-sized tree with pink blossoms. It is native to the Middle East and North Africa, but now grown in the Mediterranean and California.

Almond essential oil is also known as natural benzaldehyde because the finished perfume material is made up of around 99% of it; bitter almond oil is distilled from the kernels of apricots and bitter almonds.

Sweet almonds and bitter almonds are related, but the key difference between the two is the absence of amygdalin from the former. Amygdalin is used to make cyanide. The final essential oil is not dangerous, but the distillation of it is very involved, as cyanide gas is released during the process. This is neutralized during the process and no trace of it is left in the oil.

Almond oil is unscented and excellent for the skin. It is emollient, demulcent and nutritious with a high vitamin E content. It is smooth to apply and leaves a silky feel to the skin. When applied to hair, it adds shine and softens the entire hair shaft.

Ancient Greeks and Romans used almonds to counter the effects of alcohol; Egyptians used almonds for cosmetic purposes.

We use almond oil in our Charity Pot to protect your skin and leave it silky smooth.

For its emollient and moisturizing properties, we use almond oil across our entire range, including: You’ve Been Mangoed, Prince Triple Blossom, Love Lettuce, Celestial and our Fair Trade Foot Lotion.

Bitter almond oil smells nutty, characteristic of almonds, and can be used to create almond, fruity and cherry notes in a perfume.

This oil adds to the sweet strawberry scent of our Mrs Whippy Bath Bomb.

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Ammonium Laureth Sulfate

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Ammonium laureth sulphate is a surface-active agent or surfactant. Surfactants are partly water-soluble and partly oil-soluble. This allows oil and water to mix.

Above a minimum concentration, a surfactant organizes into a structure that can trap the oil-based dirt from the hair, allowing it to be rinsed away. The foam allows the hands to work the shampoo through the hair more easily.

Sulphates became widely used in the 1930s and they started the development of the modern shampoo industry.

They are obtained by means of catalytic reduction of fatty acids, such as those in coconut oil and palm kernel oil.

Ammonium laureth sulphate cleanses the hair, leaving it clean with beautiful shine.

In our Curly Wurly shampoo, it creates a rich lather and works with the other ingredients to gently cleanse the hair.