Mint is a genus of plants that includes many different herb species. Fast growing and quite resistant, anyone with a herb garden knows that mint will spread everywhere very quickly if left uncontained. This fast propagation has allowed the spontaneous and natural creation of many mint hybrids over the centuries. At Lush, we use a few of these varieties, such as peppermint (Mentha x piperita), wild mint (Mentha arvensis, also called Hakka in Japanese), and spearmint (Mentha spicata).

Most mints contain menthol in different proportions. Menthol is an aromatic compound that gives the herbs their distinctive scent. The stronger the aroma, the higher the menthol content. Extracts such as essential oils contain a lot of it as they are very concentrated.

Not only is it super fragrant, but menthol is also known for its cosmetic properties for the skin, scalp and mouth such as:

-Cleansing properties
-Cooling sensation
-Comforting feel
-Helping to maintain healthy-looking hair
-Stimulating yet soothing effect
-Freshening breath

To harness the power of menthol, Lush uses wild mint oil and lots of peppermint – fresh, dried, in oil or absolute form. With these species, our products get a strong minty scent and a refreshing effect. Spearmint, on the other hand, has a very different profile. Indeed, it does not contain menthol but has high levels of carvone and limonene, giving the oil a still minty, but also anise-like and sweet scent, with citrus notes.