Are LUSH Products Worth the Price?

I’m a total LUSH fangirl. I love their products, I love their stores and I will rave about my positive experiences with LUSH to anyone who will listen. So, imagine my surprise when I realized I’ve never shared WHY I love their products so much on the blog. Sometimes the obvious content ideas just slip our minds!

I’ve had a never-ending battle with my skin since middle school. In high school, I was introduced to LUSH and was instantly a fan due to their clean & effective products. Afer I started adding their products to my everyday routine, I began noticing a drastic difference in the texture of my skin. My biggest switch was from a drugstore brand toner that contained alcohol to the LUSH Tea Tree Water Toner. OMG, I was like a whole new person! Go check your toner right now, and if it contains alcohol, seriously consider making the switch.

Here’s why…

Alcohol is super overdrying for the skin. If you have oily skin this may sound appealing, but hear me out, because alcohol strips your skin, it actually makes your skin overcompensate and produce even MORE oil. When you use a toner containing alcohol morning and night, you are continually stripping all of the good & bad oils from your skin twice a day. You need a product that is gentle, effective and won’t over-strip your skin. (In addition to the LUSH tea tree water, here are some other of my favorite alcohol-free toners: 1 // 2 // 3)

Their toner isn’t the only reason I obsess over LUSH. The summer after my sophomore year of high school, I traveled to New York City to study at LIM College. The heat of the city coupled with air pollution led to TERRIBLE breakouts and sent me scurrying into LUSH on the Upper East Side. There I was introduced to another amazing LUSH product, the Ocean Salt Face & Body Scrub. From there, my obsession grew because I have absolutely loved every single one of their face products that I have tried. Below I shared more of my current favorites that I have tried.

My Favorite Lush Products

Ocean Salt is one B.A. exfoliator. It is definitely not hard to see why this product is one of LUSH’s best sellers. This one scrub exfoliates with a mix of fine and coarse sea salt, coconut oil and avocado butter to soften the skin. In addition, there is also lime extract and vodka to brighten and tone the skin.
Cosmetic Warrior is one of my newfound favorites I was introduced to in Italy. I went into the store in Florence looking for the Ocean Salt Scrub and was quickly directed to this mask to aid my recent sweat-induced breakouts. This gentle & fresh mask moisturizes with egg whites (yes, this one does have to be refrigerated) and honey to smooth and tighten pores and cleanses with garlic and tea tree oil. This product smells very strongly of garlic, so don’t put it between your nose and lips if you’re sensitive to smells.
Cup o’ Coffee is a great mask to have in the winter months to fight a dull complexion. This mask is working double time to simultaneously cleanse and exfoliate to reveal your glowing complexion beneath the dryness. Now, I will warn you that this product has an extremely strong coffee aroma you can’t miss. If you’re prone to headaches from strong smells, avoiding putting this product between your lips and nose.
Tea Tree Toner is my LUSH og and #1 go-to toner. This balancing toner for oily skin is a complexion game changer. Unlike other toners, this product does NOT contain alcohol that leaves your skin feeling stripped and dry. Instead, you’ll find a mixture of tea tree, juniper berry and grapefruit water that will leave your skin looking and feeling luminous and fresh, while also keeping oil in check.

LUSH Q&A

How long do their products last?

There is a sell by date on each and every LUSH product to help promote freshness. To give a timeline example, I purchased the Cosmetic Warrior mask in Italy on July 12th. The mask was made on July 2nd and the sell-by date on the packaging was July 30th. Typically you’ll find this same 3-week timeline true for most of their fresh products.

If this is a turn-off for you, think about it this way… According to LUSH’s website, 65% of their products are self-preserving. This means when you actually use the product, you are not being introduced to synthetic preservatives, but rather natural ones like honey. Using self-preserving techniques can warrant a short shelf-life, however; the result is that customers are purchasing the highest quality products possible. You can read more about preservatives here…

Are LUSH products worth the money?

YES! In my opinion, they are worth every penny. I’ve come to expect that I have to pay more for natural products that actually benefit my skin. Although LUSH’s prices might seem high at first, when you compare pricing to other all-natural brands (Tula, S.W. Basics, etc.), LUSH is in the same ball-park, or even less expensive than other options. Plus, I haven’t found another brand on the market that can compete with LUSH’s promise for fresh quality.

What are the cons?

I addressed one con in the first question about shelf-life. However, there is definitely another con if you are a huge LUSH fan like me. Some of my favorite LUSH products aren’t available for purchase online. For example, my favorite fresh masks have to be refrigerated and therefore are only available for purchase in store. This is a total bummer if you don’t live anywhere near a store.

Are LUSH products actually effective?

100%, yes! Effectiveness is one of the reasons I purchase LUSH products time and time again. Anytime I am experiencing a series of bad breakouts, I know I can turn to my Cosmetic Warrior mask, and the breakouts will be gone in a few days. It is amazing to have products you can rely on that never disappoint.

This post is in no way sponsored by LUSH.