Lush co-founder Rowena Bird talks 30-year business journey and biggest takeaways

Inside Retail: Prior to launching Lush with your fellow co-founders, can you briefly describe your professional background? Rowena Bird: Before co-founding Lush, I worked as a beauty therapist. My passion for cosmetics and ethical beauty began early, and I was fortunate to join forces with like-minded individuals Mark and Mo Constantine, Helen Ambrosen, Liz Weir, Karl Bygrave and Paul Greeves. Together, we originally founded Cosmetics to Go, a mail-order cosmetics company. While that venture ultimately came to an end, it paved the way for the creation of Lush in 1995. IR: How has your background aided you in your transition as a brand founder?  RB: My experience as a beauty therapist gave me a deep understanding of skincare, ingredients and how products interact with the skin. Beyond that, my experience working directly with customers helped shape Lush’s customer-first approach. I understood the importance of experience, education and ethical sourcing, things that became fundamental to Lush’s identity. This foundation was invaluable when developing products and establishing the customer-centric ethos of Lush. IR: What inspired you and your co-founders to launch Lush? RB: After Cosmetics To Go faced challenges, we still had so many ideas and a desire to create innovative products.We also realized that due to our natures, we were basically unemployable by anyone else. We are inspired and passionate about our love of natural ingredients, a commitment to cruelty-free cosmetics and a belief that beauty should be fun, effective and kind to both people and the planet. We wanted to challenge the industry by reducing waste, using minimal packaging, and ensuring transparency in sourcing. We also felt there was a gap in the market for truly fresh, handmade products and, where possible, unpackaged products that put ethics at the forefront. So, in 1995, we opened our first Lush shop in Poole, England, and the rest is history! IR: How does it feel to have been with this company for 30 years? RB: It’s incredibly fulfilling to see how Lush has evolved over the past three decades. From our humble beginnings to becoming a global brand, the journey has been both challenging and rewarding. In all, the founders have worked together for over 40 years, so 30 years is nothing. IR: What do you think are the biggest differences in the beauty/personal care industry from when you first launched Lush to today? RB: Ethical practices such as sustainability and transparency are more mainstream now.Consumers today expect brands to behave in a certain way, whereas when we first started out, being environmentally aware and not testing on animals wasn’t necessarily the norm.Sadly, I also think the industry has become a lot more synthetic and “scientific”. The saddest thing I see is that younger consumers are using very chemically-based products and I worry for their skin’s long-term health. Fads are a huge thing, it is no longer a simple case of cleansing, toning and moisturizing, where in fact, using the correct products for your skin means you don’t need much more. IR: In what ways has Lush adapted itself to keep up with the needs/interests of its current consumer base? RB: We strive to be relevant to our customers. We want to ensure we have a product for their every need, our ultimate aim is to serve the customer and to ensure they can come into one of our shops and find exactly what they need, on any given day. We love to listen to customers to find out how they want to feel, how they want their hair and skin to look and then find the appropriate product for their needs. When it comes to product development, we listen closely to what our community wants. And of course, we continue to champion activism, using our platform to support causes that matter to our customers, like animal rights, human rights and environmental justice.IR: What piece(s) of advice would you give to those trying to navigate this competitive industry? RB: Stay true to your values, prioritize quality and listen to your customers. Authenticity and commitment to your principles will set you apart in the beauty industry. Have fun! It’s often quite challenging, so you have to love what you do and have a real passion for it. Build a supportive team around you. Never be frightened to employ people better than you. Whatever you do, be the best you can be and do the best you can do. IR: What have been your biggest takeaways over the course of running this company?RB: The importance of innovation, ethical integrity and the power of a dedicated and highly skilled team. Embracing challenges and staying committed to our mission has been crucial to our success. Be relevant to your customer and listen to your customer, it is not always about what they want but what they need! IR: If you could go back in time, what piece of advice would you give yourself before launching your brand?RB: Embrace flexibility and be prepared for change. The journey is unpredictable, but staying adaptable and true to your core values will guide you through. IR:  What can we expect to see next from Lush in 2025 and beyond? RB: We have a lot of exciting limited-edition launches and collaborations in the pipeline, including our new approach to giving products, Keystone Giving, the sale of products that will be funding different projects in priority landscapesThese projects will include regenerating landscapes for threatened wildlife, protecting a keystone species and developing human-focused solutions too, from addressing human-wildlife conflict to supporting sustainable livelihood opportunities. Keystone species are those that help hold an ecosystem together or species that have a disproportionately large effect on their natural environment relative to their abundance. We’re also expecting some exciting updates to our retail shops, which is always a joy to see.