Lush Brings DIY Wellbeing into Autumn

By Emma Carrington

It can be hard to slow down and cosy up over the winter months; the buzz of summer still lingers and slowing down can be difficult and feel unnatural. Taking time to unwind and relax to take care of yourself is especially important. The long, dark nights and short days are especially uninspiring - it can be particularly hard to allow yourself breathing room.  

This season, Lush have put their wellbeing creativities to the hands of the consumer, by releasing a collection of the same essential oils that they use in their own products. Now, you can incorporate these into your own routines and lifestyle in their rawest, purest form without any of the shower gel, bath bomb, or body lotion bulk.  

Lush have released a total of 19 oils in their collection, with all of these being available to purchase in Lush spa stores, perfume libraries, and on the Lush website. A core collection of eight oils are available in all stores in the UK. These oils start at £9 for 10ml, and the most expensive product is £40 for 2ml, being neroli oil. However, the rest of the collection sits at a £9 to £25 range.  

The core eight oils are a good mix of scents as each were vastly different. They had separated the oils into two distinct moods; relaxing, sandalwood, patchouli, and lavender. They also have uplifting; bergamot, fragonia, and peppermint. Some of these scents are seen in essential oils all the time, such as peppermint and lavender. Fragonia is a surprising scent, as it’s an obscure one. It seemed to be a strange choice to be a part of the core range - especially as this scent isn't currently used in any existing Lush products, unlike the other scents. 

The greatest thing about this range is its adaptability. It is bringing the luxury of Lush into your home, - particularly the D.I.Y aspect of this range. On their website, Lush recommend using their essential oils in a diffuser, with a carrier oil, and adding a few drops to a bath. The relaxing blend was especially nice in a bath, often lavender oil is very harsh and can smell synthetic, however, the Lush version provided the upmost quality and to be a well-balanced, sleepy, floral scent, opposed to the bitterness and harsh scent lavender sometimes carries. The oils have instructions written on the boxes that include what other oils they blend well with, which is extremely helpful for a beginner. Sandalwood and lavender go particularly well together in a grounding pre-bedtime bath or diffuser.  

The essential oils are currently only sold individually as opposed to in a set, which would be a good improvement for the future, as it would make creating oil blends at home easier (as you could buy oils that go nicely together in a set.) as well as offering a potential discount. 

Another weak point in the range is the lack of a carrier oil. As essential oils should only be used in small amounts, to use them you must add a few drops to a neutral oil that will still carry their scents and benefits. Lush do not currently stock a carrier oil of any sort so customers would have to source their own elsewhere. It would be a nice addition to make this range feel more complete.  

Lush is a standout company due to their moral, political, and environmental morals within the beauty and wellness community. The brand strives for the LGBT+, making multiple campaigns for transgender inclusivity with the tagline, “I am proud of my stripes.” being displayed proudly in their storefront - a controversial display to some. A large majority of their products are 100% vegan, excluding that with use of honey and/or beeswax - which even then, is bought from small scale farms ethically. They are also very outward with their support for humanitarian rights in the Gaza strip, selling a watermelon shaped soap with all profits going directly to Palestine.  

This collection is overall exceedingly high quality, which would be expected given the hefty price, however the essential oils lack the head-aching quality that many other brands have. The wellbeing collection promoting self-care is important at this time of year and this collection marks a reminder to slow down, connect with nature, yourself, and your senses when life is overwhelming.