How Green are Lush products?

Rosamundi

Under EU law all cosmetics have to be labelled using INCI names (International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients) which makes the common name sound chemical eg: coconut oil would be Sodium Cocoate

Cosmetic testing on end product cosmetics was banned in the EU (not just the UK) in 2004 and the ingredients testing has been phased out with a total ban coming into effect 11/3/2009.

Cosmetics under the EU legislation also include wash of products (soap, shower gel, bath stuff) and any creams, lotions and lip balms

Soap is basically a mixture of fat and or oil which has been saponified (turned into soap) by a strong alkali usually sodium hydroxide (caustic soda).

Most commercial soaps use beef fat (Sodium tallowate) as the base as it is cheap and easily available and sell the glycerine by-product off to the baking industry to again off-set the cost of production.

Lush soaps are made using melt and pour bases. A melt and pour base is a premade soap base, sometimes referred to as glyercine soap, which is available commercially from such companies like Stephensons (http://www.stephensongroup.co.uk/).

These melt and pour bases are unscented and uncoloured and are just waiting for these additions to be made. Many artistic soaps can be made using M&P as it can be melted and reworked several times and in several ways dependant upon the moulds used.

Most handmade soaps are made using the cold process method (CP) whereby a certain amount of sodium hydroxide (this is determined by the oils used as each oil needs a different amount) is added to a melted oil mixture, which too can be coloured and scented.

For those wishing to try to make their own soap I can recommend joining a Yahoo group - UKSoaping (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/UKSOAPING/) which has a collection of recipes not only for soap but for bath bombs, household cleaners and general toiletries or to purchase/borrow the The Handmade Soap Book by Melinda Coss which has some nice clearly written recipes - however be prepared once bitten by the soapmaking bug it's adictive.

Gigervamp

I second joining UKSoaping to anyone who's interested in making their own soaps. I've been a member for a few years.
Also, Melinda Coss runs soapmaking courses in the UK and France several times a year which she advertises on UKSoaping.