Lush, the trailblazing beauty brand behind the shampoo bar, has unveiled another packaging revolution: Naked Mascara. In a market flooded with plastic tubes and disposable wands, Lush’s new product tackles the environmental crisis of cosmetic waste, offering a mascara that’s free from traditional packaging and full of innovative, vegan ingredients.
Why Packaging-Free Mascara Matters
Every year, the beauty industry generates a staggering 120 billion pieces of packaging, most of which end up in landfills. Traditional beauty packaging, designed for convenience and style, is notoriously hard to recycle due to its complex materials. As Stephen Clarke of TerraCycle explains, the more intricate the packaging, the less likely it is to be collected and processed for recycling.
Lush has been a pioneer in the “naked” product movement since the late 1980s, first disrupting the industry with its now-iconic shampoo bar. The brand’s latest breakthrough continues its mission to strip away unnecessary waste while delivering top-quality, ethical cosmetics.
How Naked Mascara Works: A New Way to Beautify
The Naked Mascara is a solid cylinder of product, shaped to contain itself no plastic tube required. Application is simple: wet your mascara brush, swirl it gently over the product, and apply to your lashes. Afterwards, rinse and dry the brush, making it ready for next time.
- Each mascara wand is crafted from 100% bio-based materials and is fully recyclable at home or returnable to Lush stores for responsible disposal.
- The product is available in three different wand styles: a thick wand for volume, a one-sided comb for definition, and a circular-end wand for separation.
- Four colors are offered: Orca (black), Earth (brown), Reef (coral), and Ocean (blue).
- The mascara is priced at $14, available online in the US from May 25 and in stores from June 5.
Planet-Friendly Ingredients for Healthy Lashes
Formulated with all-vegan ingredients, Naked Mascara nourishes lashes as it defines. The key components include organic cocoa butter for conditioning, Illipe and cupuaçu butters to soften, Japan wax for shape and hold, and rice bran and candelilla wax for even color distribution. Carnauba wax delivers a lengthening effect, proving you can go green without sacrificing beauty results.
“If there is one makeup product we can’t do without it’s mascara. So it is right at the top of the list to create a more environmentally friendly way to enable us to use something we know and love.” – Helen Ambrosen, Lush Co-Founder
Lush’s Wider Impact: Supporting Sustainable Sourcing
Lush’s commitment doesn’t stop at packaging. The brand also invests in ethical sourcing, including support for cocoa butter farmers in the Congo. This ensures the ingredients in every mascara bar support both people and the planet.
Small Change, Big Impact
Lush’s Naked Mascara is more than a new makeup must-have it’s a bold step in tackling the beauty industry’s packaging crisis. By making mascara “naked,” Lush invites everyone to rethink how beauty can be sustainable, ethical, and effective, one swipe at a time.
