Lush has never been just a beauty brand – it’s a cultural force built on fresh formulas, fearless activism, and a radical commitment to ethics.
At the helm of this mission in Australia and New Zealand is Caela Groenewald, Brand Marketing Lead for Lush Cosmetics ANZ, who started her journey on the retail floor twelve years ago and now shapes the brand’s storytelling across two countries.
We sat down with Caela to talk glitter revolutions, scent memories, and why Lush is less about following trends and more about creating them.
And because we know you love Lush as much as we do, we’re giving away over $1,000 worth of Lush prizes to celebrate this interview. CLICK HERE TO ENTER.
The Alchemy of LUSH – from Concept to Clean Formula
You’ve spoken previously about LUSH’s commitment to fresh, ingredient-forward formulations. Can you walk us through a recent product you championed, and how you navigated the tension between radical creativity and the brand’s strict ethical standards?
Our Delight and Decadence Massage Bar, which launched last month, is a great example of radical creativity meeting ethical integrity. It was created through our Co-Create programme by Lush staff member Shruti Vasista to celebrate Diwali. Inspired by the warm glow of festive diyas, Shruti envisioned a golden, warming massage bar that felt both luxurious and meaningful.
Sourcing the right glitter was key. We wanted the shimmer of mica without the ethical concerns around traceability and child labour, so we used our in-house synthetic mica. It delivers all the glimmer, with none of the compromise. The bar is also what we call ‘naked’ or completely packaging-free and features ethically sourced sandalwood oil from Timor-Leste, where our supplier partners with the conservation group WALHI to help protect the habitat of the Komodo Dragon. It’s a product that tells a rich story of culture, sustainability, and with a touch of razzle dazzle.
Glitter Reimagined – Seaweed Sparkle as Statement
The seaweed glitter moment felt like a turning point: playful but also purpose-driven. What was the ethos behind that launch, and how do you see it influencing the language of beauty that feels both magical and meaningful?
The seaweed glitter moment was a real turning point for us. It captured that perfect mix of fun and purpose. At Lush, sparkle doesn’t mean sacrifice. The ethos behind the change was rooted in our commitment to leaving the world Lusher than we found it, while still embracing the fun and creativity that makes beauty magical.
Since traditional glitter is often made from microplastics that harm the ocean, we worked with our Ethical Buying team to source alternatives made from seaweed and synthetic mica. Both offer the same shimmer and shine, without the environmental cost. This change wasn’t just about glitter, it was about challenging the industry to do better. We see it as an opportunity to start a cosmetics revolution, where beauty can be both joyful and responsible.
Your Curated Rituals – LUSH Edit
If your job involved only using one LUSH product for scent, one for texture, and one for mood – what would those be, and why?
For scent, it has to be Jasmine and Henna Hair Mask. My ultimate fragrance goal is to smell like a flower nymph plucked straight from a Greek myth, and this one gets me there. It doesn’t just smooth and gloss my hair, it lingers like a rich, romantic perfume thanks to the jasmine and ylang ylang. The scent also holds deep nostalgia for me. I first pinched the product from my mum’s vanity cabinet as a child. It was my introduction to the power of scent as memory, and I’ve loved it ever since.
For texture, I’m completely loyal to Scrubee. The blend of illipe, shea, and kokum butters combined with the gentle scrub of ground coconut shell and almonds leaves your skin feeling smooth and buttery—in the best way. It’s the perfect balance of indulgence and function.
And for mood, it’s all about Pansy Perfume, which is packed with uplifting bergamot oil. Known as “sunshine in a bottle,” bergamot has been shown to help boost serotonin and dopamine levels. I love how it clears the mind and instantly lifts my spirits. We’ve sourced our bergamot from a family run business in Reggio Calabria since 2005, which makes it feel even more special. It’s the scent I reach for when I want to carry a little brightness with me all day.
Brand as Beacon – Ethos, Activism & Consumer Trust
LUSH is more than a beauty label – it’s a cultural platform. As brand marketing lead in ANZ, how do you ensure the brand’s activism, ethics, and storytelling feel genuine, relevant, and not just performative?
Lush was founded by activists who didn’t want to leave their ethics at home. That spirit still drives everything we do. For Lush, ethical practice is business as usual. For me, authenticity starts with lived experience. We work directly with organisations at the heart of the issues we care about, and instead of speaking for them, we offer our platform so they can activate in their own voice. One of the ways we ensure this isn’t performative is by having dedicated internal roles like our Activism & Advocacy Executive, whose entire job is to bring advocacy to the forefront of our business and make sure it shows up meaningfully across all channels.
Internally, we champion equity through real structures like our Māori and First Nations working groups, who directly shape our external strategy. My role is to amplify those voices through brand storytelling that reflects the people and principles that make Lush what it is. When you centre community and accountability, the story tells itself, and it’s one worth listening to.
Predicting the Unseen – Trend Alchemy at LUSH
Beauty trends tend to exhaust themselves quickly. How does LUSH approach trend forecasting in a way that feels timeless?
At Lush, we don’t follow trends, we set them! Our focus is on creating products that stand the test of time, grounded in strong ethics and thoughtful innovation. Take glitter and haircare, for example: long before they became hot topics, we were already ahead. We’ve used plastic-free glitter for over 10 years and have never used silicone in our conditioners. We don’t chase what’s popular for the moment. Instead, we create products for every need, across all hair, skin, and body types—prioritising function, inclusivity, and sustainability over fleeting hype.
Our product inventors work closely with customer feedback, and that dialogue shapes what we explore next. When we notice a consistent need or desire, we build on it. That’s exactly why we’re launching Supermilk Conditioner and Shampoo later this month. Customers loved the original leave-in formula and wanted to see it expanded into a full routine, so we made it happen. Being timeless isn’t about ignoring what’s current; it’s about listening deeply, staying true to our values, and delivering products people genuinely want and need.
The Cultural Scentscape – Sticky Dates & Super Milk
Some scents break through and become cultural signals. Sticky Dates and Super Milk have taken on lives of their own — how do you think they captured people’s imaginations?
What makes Lush products so special is that every single one is crafted with its own bespoke perfume formula. We treat the fragrance in our shower gels and hair serums with the same level of care and creativity as a fine fragrance. That’s a huge part of why scents like Sticky Dates and Super Milk have taken off. They’re more than just functional, they’re full sensory experiences.
We’re seeing people looking to expand their fragrance wardrobes in creative ways, by layering scent across bodycare, haircare, and perfume to express themselves more personally and increase longevity. Our products allow people to do exactly that, in a way that feels playful and indulgent.
I truly believe that their vitality is rooted in the power of community love. In a world saturated with paid ads and polished influencer content, people are increasingly looking to real voices and authentic recommendations. Sticky Dates and Super Milk didn’t start with a big campaign, they started as customer favourites, championed by passionate Lush fans who shared their honest love online.
Word of mouth is still our most powerful form of marketing, it’s just evolved. Today, it lives on social platforms where people can share personal, joyful, and often hilarious experiences with our products. And honestly, never underestimate how much people want to smell like a snack. Gourmand scents tap into comfort, memory, and self-expression in a way that feels both nostalgic and new.
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