No to Biofuel with Lush Portsmouth - Headhuntress's Best Shopping In Southsea and Portsmouth

I never paid much attention to Lush before as I have a highly tuned commercial filter - and I just presumed that their lovely candy colours and richly scented shops were all the product of canny marketing along with lots of fake perfume and what I supposed was unnatural bath bombs!

So, it wasn't until recently after avoiding the new shiny Lush shop in Cascades like the plague last year, that I discovered just how amazing they really are.  My husband and I were searching for companies in December that do not test on animals.  We were shocked to discover that most of the major cosmetic giants cannot categorically state that they are against animal testing - not even Boots can guarantee that none of their components have been tested on animals!  And we all know that poor Anita Roddick, God rest her, sold her soul when she was bought out by by evil bunny torturers - L'Oreal.  No, I'm not worth it..... And yes, boycott Bodyshop, they might not test on animals - but their owners - where all the money is going - very much do!

To my surprise on the list of cruelty free peeps was Lush.  So, I paid them a visit and was delighted to discover that they had moved on from the familiar bath bombs and squidgy soap and were dealing in lotions and potions for the face and hair now too.  I was an immediate convert, spurred on by the enthusiastic vibrant staff in our local store.




On my first visit I was told by one of the lovely sales assistants that the owner of Lush doesn't even drive a car and is a vegan.  That was me sold.  What great marketing.  Ahem. Filter?  What filter?  Anyways, as I as saying.  I have been a convert ever since and love putting the old "Gorgeous" moisturiser on packed with skin treats such as orange blossom and good oils, safe in the knowledge that no rabbit has had to lose his eye balls for my vanity.

The "Biofuel isn't the answer" campaign is just another in the list of relevant and important issues that  Lush and Lush Portsmouth are bringing to the attention of the public.  It is of course partly great marketing but there are serious issues which can be dealt with with the help of consumers.  Look at Stella, Paul and Linda McCartney's "Meat Free Monday" campaign, where just giving up meat for one day a week can have a huge impact on the planets resources.  What I want to bring to your attention now though is that using palm oil for fuel, glue, cornflakes, chocolate, biscuits or anything is seriously bad news.  It's a cheap resource but it will cost us the Earth if more rain forest is cut down in order to supply the demanding Western world and money making fat cats like Nestle (boycott them too!)

Look in to my eyes....

I am particularly fond of the rain forest in Borneo, it's where my indigenous tribe Bidayuh family live and my ancestors are from  - hell maybe there's a little bit more orangutan in my DNA then most people's and because of that, this issue is very close to my heart.  I am privileged enough to have met rescued orangutans face to face as well as seeing them in the wild and believe me, when you meet them, they have a look of all knowing wisdom, catch their eye and it's like someone is staring right down in to the belly of your soul.  It's a humbling experience. They don't deserve to die so that we can run a few more cars cheaply and buy a pack of digestives for 39p instead of paying more.

 Not only is it cruel and unfair for these endangered animals amongst many other species some maybe not even discovered and named yet to lose their habitat. But the rain forest are like the very lungs of our planet.  Without it we cannot breathe.  The rain forest around the World including the great Amazon churns out life giving oxygen and are responsible for more than 40% of the oxygen in the atmosphere. It is also estimated that if we carry on chopping the rain forest down at the rate that we are doing, then in just 40 years time it will all be gone.  I don't know about you but I quite like breathing.

Watch the video above based at our Lush Portsmouth to see what you can do to help.