Writer
Amber Baker
Since launching a new range of soaps via the #LushLabs, we have been flooded with questions about soap and exactly how and why we’ve been raising the bar (if you’ll excuse the pun). You take soap seriously (we like that) so read on to find the answers to all your burning questions
Burning Questions
What’s changed?
You may have noticed that our soaps now say “new formula” on the website. What does this even mean? Well, it refers to the soap base being used in these soaps as well as the ones released for #LushLabs.
The #LushLabs soaps use a blend of Fair Trade organic cocoa butter, extra virgin coconut oil and organic castor oil, a soap base that no longer needs to use SLS (a surfactant that creates foam) or sodium stearate (the ingredient that makes the soap solid). We can make this base in-house which means it is guaranteed to be palm free and we can have complete control and traceability of the ingredients used to create it.
Our inventors have also been experimenting with all kinds of lovely new ingredients and techniques. From the maple and birch waters replacing water in Komorebi and Birch Sap, to adding dove orchid petals straight into Aster La Vista soap, each one is unique, innovative and a completely new experience.
The new All Year Round soaps (Karma, Sea Vegetable, Honey I Washed the Kids and all the other classics you know and love) use a soap base of rapeseed and coconut oil. This base is one that we buy in from a reliable supplier who we have a close, long standing relationship with. Just like the #LushLabs soaps, there is no longer any need to use SLS or sodium stearate in these soaps! Yay!
Weren’t you already palm free?
We have been fighting the use of palm oil for a long time and our soap base (the starting point for all soaps and what gets mixed with other components and essential oils to create a complete soap) has been palm free since 2006. Unfortunately however, there were concerns that the SLS and sodium stearate we were using in the soaps was derived from palm oil so we’ve been working to eradicate this. Thankfully, we have figured out a way to ensure that we no longer have a need for SLS in ours soaps and the sodium stearate that is in a few has been replaced with a palm-free version. Hooray!
We are always looking into new alternatives for palm-derived ingredients and now we are closer to being free from palm oil than ever before.
Why have you put propylene glycol back in?
Propylene glycol is a solvent added to soaps to help the ingredients combine and give the product a nice consistency which means it is easy to lather. The reason propylene glycol was taken out of our soaps in the first place is because we discovered it was a petrochemical. That’s not something we wanted on our skin so we got rid of it and replaced it with sorbitol in 2014. Feedback from our customers told us that these soaps tended to be quite hard and difficult to lather so we continued developing them. We have since sourced a vegetable based propylene glycol and are using this instead as it’s much nicer on the skin! You can find out more about this here.
Will I notice the difference?
We are confident that you will! The new formulas mean that the soaps themselves are softer on the skin and foam really well. With a lovely soft lather, nice fluffy bubbles and fragrance that lasts, you are certain to enjoy the experience of using the soaps from start to finish.
We love your feedback so please write a review! Tweet, Instagram or Facebook us using the hashtag #LushLabs, give Customer Care a call on 01202 668545 or send us some good old fashioned snail mail and tell us what you think!
If we’ve missed anything or if you have any other questions, get in touch. We’d love to hear from you!