Lush, the fresh handmade cosmetics company, was launched in 1994 and included the same creative team who designed many amazing products for The Body Shop. In less than 20 years of its establishment, Lush has grown to a network of over 850 stores in more than 50 countries worldwide and over 6,000 employees.
From the outset, the company was keen on ensuring that they sourced their product ingredients ethically. This has become their key proposition, and together with the anti-animal-testing stance and the ethos of making fresh cosmetics, the business stands apart from most of its competitors. It does mean that the prices of their products are marginally higher, but this is offset by the unique, minimalist packaging and general vibe of the brand. When Lush looks for suppliers, they consider the whole picture; they take into account the conditions under which the workers may operate and also consider how the production of the ingredients affects the environment. For Lush, it is important that the ingredients used for the cosmetics be vegetarian, not tested on animals, and have minimal impact as far as transportation is concerned. Today, the company indirectly supports 400 women in Ghana who supply fair-trade shea butter and has stopped using palm oil from Indonesia in order to protect the natural habitat of the orangutan. They also buy directly from small farmers in Tunisia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, and Laos.

Should ethical sourcing be the default standard for all businesses?