We’re a social company at heart. We love to talk to our customers on the shop floor, listen to them via our customer care teams, and want to use appropriate online platforms to interact with our Lush community around the world. 

Social media comes in all shapes and sizes. Generally, when we speak about social media, we’re referring to online platforms that allow the sharing of ideas and information, spaces to build communities and create virtual networks. They’re online ecosystems of like-minded people. And there’s nothing wrong with this.

But when we encourage our customers to meet us, as a brand, in any of these spaces, we want to be sure they are safe spaces. Where users can trust their privacy and data to be protected, where they won’t be shown content which negatively impacts them, and where all are welcome, always. 

How have we got here?

In 2019 we switched up our approach to social. We wanted to talk less and listen more. To ignite conversations and passions, not chase likes and shares. We wanted to encourage our audiences to find Lush in spaces where they, and their data, would be safe online.  

In 2021, the Facebook Files were released by Meta whistleblower Frances Haugen, and they confirmed our fears about the negative impact of social media. According to the report, 13.5% of young girls who used Instagram in the UK had an increased rate of suicidal thoughts. 

The algorithms were also reportedly responsible for the spread of misinformation and violence in developing countries. 

Worst of all, the report stated that Meta knew how to address these issues and chose not to. 

So, in 2021, we made the decision to step away from Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and Snapchat and tried to articulate why in our Anti-Social Media Policy. 

We chose to stay on YouTube, Pinterest, LinkedIn and Twitter because, at the time, we felt these had much stronger content moderation systems. Since 2023, we have also come off of Twitter / X.

In 2023, we partnered with The Future Laboratory, a foresight consultancy, to publish the Digital Engagement Report. We asked 12,000 people globally what they really thought about social media. 

Nearly half (49%) believe social media platforms don’t do enough to protect users from harm, while the majority in the UK (63%) and Japan (53%) don’t think they do enough to moderate extreme viewpoints. What’s more, 65% don’t want their data used for commercial benefit and 75% went as far as to say that brands should leave platforms that are unethical.

Our stance has been reported on by press and commentators, and we once again find ourselves in 2025 discussing why we made that move, due to recent events. These events reinforce our belief that certain social media platforms are not designed to serve people, protect users, or safeguard truth. They are instead built to make the Big Tech ‘broligarchs’ richer and further their own agendas, to maximise clicks, likes and shares – even at the cost of misinformation, misuse of user data, toxicity, and public trust.  Whilst we continue to monitor the legislative changes, we remain committed to not paying these Big Tech owned platforms for access to their services and instead divest our time, money and resources towards building our own.  

We’ve faced a lot of public support, but also criticism. Why did we stay on some platforms and not others? We didn’t have all the answers then, nor do we claim to have them all now, but is that a reason not to do anything? 

No plan is perfect, but inaction maintains the status quo.

As part of our digital divestment plan, we also began reinvesting – not in these social media platforms – but in people. We recognise the power of authentic connection and want to shift our focus to working directly with partners, charities, content creators and other talent. These partnerships are built on fair compensation and a shared belief in the power of genuine word-of-mouth marketing about products and campaigns we all feel passionately about.

The landscape of word-of-mouth promotion has evolved significantly over the years. It’s no longer just friends, family or colleagues recommending products in everyday conversation, as consumers, we actively seek word of mouth recommendations and reviews from those we trust in the digital space too.

One of our ‘competitors’ was reported to have spent an astounding 13.36 billion Euros on digital advertising and promotions last year. We know we can’t compete with that, nor do we want to, but we do have to find ways of staying visible, reaching new audiences, keeping connected to customers and elevating the opportunity for customers to choose Lush over mainstream cosmetics filled with ingredients that are not good for the skin, animals or planet and don’t have the wide reaching impact a purchase of a Lush shampoo bar, soap or giving product might have.

Although we make the decision not to have a brand presence on certain social platforms, we understand that the grassroots charities, partners, campaigners, customers, or creators we work with, may have built their communities on them. For many people social media is a lifeline to a world they may not be able to participate in otherwise.  So we will work with people on the platforms they feel safe using.  For us, these aren’t simply one-off transactions, they’re meaningful long-term relationships with people who genuinely love Lush. Our paid influencer strategy revolves around an ambassador-style model, where we collaborate with a core group of content creators whom we have been working with for years. Where there’s a natural fit for them to speak on specific topics, we fairly compensate them for that content.

Another part of this reinvestment has gone towards Friends of Lush, a new initiative where creators, customers, anyone in our community, share their love for Lush online. Think of it like a community-driven ambassador program designed for content creators who authentically share our passion and values. Lush ambassadors can take on exciting tasks, earn kudos, and in turn unlock exclusive rewards and benefits from Lush.

Where we can, we will continue to invest in, and encourage our audience onto our owned platforms. That’s why we’ve been investing in our app. We have the most engaged customers there and we’ve seen a growing number of customers opting in for push notifications to stay up-to-date. We are working on new features like customers being able to hear directly from their favourite store, improving the relationship between the customer and shop at that local level. 

We remain flexible in our approach and are prepared to evolve as we respond to world events, new legislation and new information as it becomes available.