Lush introduces an SPF 30 sunscreen made from fair trade honey and shea butter. It also features softening, organic, cold-pressed sesame, jojoba and evening primrose oils. It also contains a subtle illuminating pigment for a luminous, good-face look.
Fighting against animal testing
In formulating this cream, Helen Ambrosen has weighed the pros and cons of sun protection. For decades, she and Mark Constantine, also co-founder of Lush, have debated whether or not to formulate sunscreen. They knew it was an important public health measure, but at the same time they were concerned about the environmental impact and possible side effects on human health.
Natural and fair trade ingredients
Shea butter is a popular ingredient in moisturisers and lotions because it is nourishing and gentle. It also contains oleic acid, a saturated fatty acid that is compatible with the sebum our skin naturally produces, which means it absorbs well and makes it easier for other ingredients to be absorbed.
Lush buys the shea butter from a women's cooperative in Ojoba, Ghana. In Ghana the Frafra are subsistence farmers; what they grow is for the family, not for sale. They harvest small pieces of land during the rainy season and thus keep reserves for when the drought comes, known locally as the famine season, because at that time virtually nothing grows. The Ojoba cooperative, which now numbers 400 women, has become a reliable source of income throughout the year. Now they can sustain themselves even in the lean season and stay in their community, close to their families. There is no longer any need to migrate.
This cooperative was able to take advantage of an area full of shea trees and the wisdom of the women of the community, whose skills had been acquired generation after generation. Among these skills is that of processing the butter by hand, a traditional and efficient method. Through their work in the cooperative, the women raise enough money to pay for their children's school fees and health insurance, and have access to a micro-finance system where they can apply for funds to set up their own business.