Even into college, I suffered from acne. And not just a zit here and there…numerous, painful, inflamed acne. It was caused by hormone imbalance and stress. My poor skincare routine didn’t help, either. When I started my zero waste journey, I assumed I’d have acne-covered skin for the rest of my life. Could zero waste skincare really help my skin? I’m here to tell you it is possible to have the best skin of your life while also being zero waste! I’ve tried many brands and products. Today I’m breaking down one brand’s products. Hopefully this Lush skincare review will help you on your zero waste and skincare journey.
My family never really taught me best skincare practices. I seriously didn’t know the importance of moisturizer or what a toner was until last year. Now I realize a complete skincare regiment is vital to beautiful skin.
Additionally, I’d like to mention that no one should feel ashamed for zits. They are a natural bodily response. While my skin is much better than previously, I still get the occasional zit. I don’t cover it up and I still walk with confidence because acne is normal. I wish someone had told me I could be confident with acne when I was younger, so I’m telling you now.
Jump Ahead
Jade Roller
This “naked cleansing balm,” as Lush calls their package free face washes, is a green circular bar with brownish mung beans inside.
To use it, wet the face and the bar and rub the bar in circular movements around your face. The mung beans will feel great on your skin! Once you feel the cleanser is on most of your face, massage the cleanser into your face with clean fingers. I like to use a circular motion for this too. Remember this is a massaging motion, not a scrub. Once you’re ready, wipe away the oils with a clean, damp towel.
My face felt a bit heavy and oily, almost sticky, after using the jade roller facial bar. Yet, I loved the clean and vibrant feeling after using this bar. My face really felt bright and balanced, as Lush promises.
The jade roller was great for keeping my skin moisturized during the drying winter. However, it didn’t make a difference with my acne. The amount of oil collected on my face, in addition to my face’s natural oils, prevented future breakouts, but didn’t assist current ones.
A 0.5 oz bar costs $5.95. Previously, I used Cetaphil Pro, which cost $9.76 for 8oz. This means the jade roller bar was significantly more expensive per ounce than my previous face wash, and less effective.
Tea Totaler
The Lush floor assistant recommended both the jade roller and tea totaler to me for my skincare type, so after using up my jade roller bar I figured I’d give the tea totaler a try as well.
This milk white bar is supposed to work with your skin’s natural oils, which sounded perfect after my experience with the jade roller.
Use the tea totaler just as you would use the jade roller.
To be honest, I felt as if a thin layer of film was on my skin after washing off tea totaler with the damp cloth. I initially thought the feeling was due to my skin adjusting to a new skincare product, but a couple of months after use, the filmy feeling didn’t disappear.
Ultimately, I didn’t notice any benefit to my skin with tea totaler. Since I disliked how it felt on my skin, I wouldn’t recommend it.
Tea totaler costs the same as jade roller.
Lush Skincare Review: Is the company sustainable?
There’s some controversy over the sustainability of Lush as a company. They use parabens and other synthetic ingredients in their products, which can cause harm to animals and the planet.
Yet, they’re a vegan company with package free products. Lush will take back products with packaging to reuse, and they even reward customers who bring product packaging with a free face mask.
Ultimately, I’ve decided to stop using any Lush products. As you can tell, I didn’t enjoy my experience with their skincare products, but I did love their body butter and shampoo bar.
Lush was a fantastic company to lean on at the start of my zero waste journey. As I’ve learned more about sustainability, I’ve moved on from Lush.
Would I generally recommend Lush as a company or its products? Not anymore, no. I also recognize Lush has store locations where other zero waste and sustainable stores may not be offered. Lush might be the only option for many people wanting to adopt a plastic-free lifestyle. Thankfully with the rise of online zero waste stores, Lush is decreasingly becoming the only option.
This might not have been the conclusion you’d expect from a Lush skincare review. It’s not what I expected when I first bought their products, either.
Naturally, a Lush skincare review with only two products reviewed is not a comprehensive report. I feel confident in my recommendation to look for skincare alternatives, but I encourage everyone on a zero waste journey to make their own decisions based off what is within their realm of possibilities.
What do you think? Share your Lush skincare review in the comments below!
Part of the problem could have been wetting the bars and your face before applying. Tea Totaler and Jade Roller are not meant to be combined with water, you’re supposed to warm them in your hands then apply to the face or let it warm while rubbing directly onto the face. If you use water itll melt excess oils leaving behind the residue. I like to then remove with a warm, wet wash cloth or toner water and cotton pads! I’m not sure if someone misinformed you or what the hang up was, but that definitely has a massive impact in the product effectiveness for me.
Oh wow I definitely was using these products wrong if that’s the case! I thought the Lush employee had told me to wet the bar and my face first, but I could be mistaken. I’ve found the perfect zero waste skincare products for me now, so I likely won’t retest these, but I’ll add your comment to the post in a future post update so others can try your suggestion! Thank you for the comment.
My family never really taught me best skincare practices. I seriously didn’t know the importance of moisturizer or what a toner was until last year.
Same! Glad to hear I’m not the only one!