Humble beginnings: The origin story of Lush’s global success

Lush, the beloved UK high-street retailer known for its fresh, handmade cosmetics, has an origin story as intriguing as its bright, fizzy products. 

In 1995, £45,000 of personal savings were used to create Lush, a small cosmetics shop in Poole, England. Thirty years on, the brand has grown to over 800 stores worldwide and over £800 million in annual turnover. 

From humble beginnings to global giant, here’s the origin story of Lush’s immense success. It’s a tale of being driven by purpose and overcoming life’s obstacles – something many aspiring entrepreneurs will relate to. 

So, strap in to discover how they did it.

Poole: where it all began

The story of Lush began in the 1970s, rooted in a shared passion for natural, ethically sourced cosmetics. Mark Constantine, a trained trichologist – a specialist in hair and scalp health – first met Liz Weir, a qualified beauty therapist, while working at a beauty salon in Poole, a coastal town in Dorset, England.

The two quickly discovered a mutual interest in the healing power of natural ingredients and began experimenting with homemade beauty formulations. They were determined to create effective, handmade cosmetic products using fresh, environmentally conscious materials – a philosophy that would later become central to the Lush brand’s identity.

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Their innovative lotions, shampoos, and products attracted a loyal customer base and eventually came to the attention of Anita Roddick, the pioneering founder of The Body Shop.

At the time, The Body Shop was an emerging company beginning to disrupt the mainstream cosmetics industry by promoting cruelty-free, ethical, and natural products. Roddick was impressed by Constantine and Weir’s creations and began purchasing their formulas to sell under The Body Shop brand.

Eventually, the duo became the company’s largest supplier of product formulations. Through this relationship, they gained invaluable experience in product development, ethical sourcing, and the inner workings of a modern cosmetics business.

However, the partnership eventually ended in the early 1990s when The Body Shop decided to bring product development in-house. As part of the termination agreement, Constantine and his team sold the rights to their cosmetics formulas to The Body Shop.

Restricted from reusing those exact recipes, they were left with their creativity, industry knowledge, and a burning desire to craft a new enterprise from scratch.

Cosmetics To Go

After parting ways with The Body Shop, they turned to their own venture, launching Cosmetics To Go, a mail-order cosmetics company. However, despite its creative product line, the company faced logistical issues and flooding, leading to its closure.  

Constantine spoke about the financial pressure this collapse put him under in a recent Financial Times interview. 

I had to pay the mortgage, but I’d put my savings into a house. Part of it collapsed on the back of some beach huts and they sued me. I eventually sold it for half what I bought it for, and then I had to pay the loan sharks off. I had about £45,000 left. That’s what I started Lush with. These small sums of money go a long way.

Sadly, Constantine had also faced significant financial difficulties earlier in his life, having experienced homelessness for around a year. 

I lived in the woods. I had a job but it didn’t pay enough to get the basic room, and it went on for about a year or so. I was given money by a charity, just a small sum but it made such a dramatic difference to my life.

This painful experience may have given him the resilience needed to rebuild.

The birth of Lush

Undeterred, Constantine, along with his wife Mo and colleagues Liz Weir, Rowena Bird, Helen Ambrosen, and Paul Greeves, founded Lush in 1995. 

A customer suggested the name “Lush” during a naming competition, and it reflected the brand’s identity: luxurious, fresh, and indulgent beauty.

The first Lush store opened in Poole – the same town where Mark and Liz first met – and it quickly gained popularity for its unique, brightly coloured products, such as handmade soaps, bath bombs, and shampoo bars. Many items were “naked” or packaging-free, in line with the company’s environmentally conscious ethos.

Innovation and ethics drove Lush’s expansion 

Lush quickly became known for its innovative products. For example, Mo Constantine invented the iconic bath bomb, and the company pioneered solid shampoo bars, reducing the need for packaging and preservatives. It took big players like L’Oreal and Pantene years to develop copycat products of their own. 

Lush’s purpose-driven mission to ‘create a cosmetic revolution to save the planet’ was also critical to its success. Lush’s early commitment to vegan ingredients, cruelty-free testing and sustainability resonated with consumers looking for an alternative to mainstream, mass-produced cosmetics. 

So, from its humble beginnings in Poole, Lush has expanded to 900 permanent stores across more than 50 countries, with manufacturing facilities in six, and an annual turnover of £816 million today. 

With millions of loyal customers worldwide and growing demand for ethical products, Lush’s future appears promising.

Key lessons for aspiring entrepreneurs 

The origin story behind Lush’s success offers several key takeaways for aspiring business owners: 

1. Resilience is key: The founders remained determined to create their business despite life’s obstacles and difficult financial setbacks.
2. Innovation drives success: By introducing unique products like bath bombs and solid shampoo bars, Lush differentiated itself in a crowded market.
3. Purpose-driven ethical values resonate: Lush’s dedication to cruelty-free practices, ethical sourcing, and environmental sustainability attracted a loyal customer base that allowed them to expand. 

Ready to start and grow a business of your own? 

If you have a purpose-driven business idea, 1st Formations is here to help. You can form your company online starting from our homepage, and you will be ready to trade within 24 hours.

No business idea yet? No problem. If you are still figuring out what truly drives you, check out our guide on finding your purpose. 

Thanks for reading. Please leave a comment if you enjoyed this post, and read more 1st Formations blogs to discover tips and information for ambitious entrepreneurs.