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The use of preservatives in beauty products has become a hot-button issue in recent years, with parabens at the heart of a larger conversation about what's safe to use. While the evidence to support the claim that parabens are harmful is actually pretty slim, many people have chosen to avoid them just in case. Still, products need preservatives in order to, you know, be preserved.
To solve this conundrum, Lush has been using food-grade preservatives that are known to be gentle on the skin. But, this fall, the brand is taking it a step further. It's taken some of its most beloved products and reformulated them so they actually preserve themselves — no additional preservatives necessary.
"Our product inventors utilized natural ingredients like honey, clay, cocoa butter, vegetable glycerin, and sea salt to create formulas in which microorganisms naturally have no opportunity to grow," explains Jeff Brown, a Lush product trainer. Additionally, the new formulas contain less water, which means the products look slightly darker and are a bit thicker, but otherwise their effects on the skin are "true to the original vision."
Of course, those natural, "self-preserving" ingredients don't mean these revamped products are going to last forever. Like the rest of Lush's line, you've got a good 14 months from the date they were made (which is clearly marked on the jar) until they're kicked. Luckily, that's more than enough time for us to reach the bottom of the containers.
Click through to see all the products Lush's has reformulated.
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