Do we like them?

Do we like Lush?

Handmade, fresh cosmetics, soaps and bath products sold in its own shops and online; based in Poole, Dorset, UK.

Our score: 7 out of 10. Mostly yes. Its animal-rights record is strong and it's open about its supply chain. Labour, donation and ingredient questions keep it from a top score.

Lush was started in Poole, Dorset, by trichologist Mark Constantine and his wife Mo, along with other co-founders. Most sources date it to 1995. Mark is still the CEO, and the company is privately held.

Ethical Consumer says animal rights is where Lush really stands out. Its profile also marks it down on environmental reporting, toxic chemicals, human rights and supply-chain management. It lost marks for not disclosing what it pays its directors.

On supply chains, Lush said in 2014 that it would stop using mica from India because child labour was widespread in that industry. Its ethical buying head has said making sure every product is free of slave labour is close to impossible.

There have been rows too. The Good Shopping Guide reports anti-union comments on Lush's North American staff website in November 2020. It also reports calls for a boycott of Lush UK after it gave £3,000 to A Woman's Place UK, a group that has been accused of transphobia.