Ingredient

Geosmin

Octahydro-Dimethyl-4Alpha-Naphthol

Petrichor – a poetic word, pride of the English language – attempts to encapsulate the wonderful smell of rain falling to the ground after a dry spell. By using geosmin we, at Lush, also try to pay homage to this very particular scented moment.

Nature’s curiosity

Geosmin, from the ancient Greek geo (earth, ground) and osmḗ (odour), is an aromatic compound that smells of damp soil. It gives beets their earthy taste and springs their ‘nature-full’ scent. Dormant in the ground, it can be reactivated by rainfall and fill the air. The human nose is said to have an unusual sensitivity to geosmin and is able to detect it even when diluted in large quantities of water or over long distances. This would undoubtedly be a primitive ability that allows humans to find water in unknown environments.

What are the benefits of geosmin?

• Reassuring and mystical earthy scent.
• Uplifts the mood and brings calm when inhaled.

Patent pending

At Lush, we never rest (is that why we keep creating sleep-inducing products?), and we love new concepts and outside-of-the-box inventions. Helen Ambrosen, co-founder of Lush, microbiologist and notorious runner, has created or inspired many products for sports fans. Looking more closely at muscle recovery, she helped create a whole range with restorative magnesium. By pushing the research even further and adding her love for cold baths in the English Channel, she imagined a new type of bath bomb which combines the benefits of a cold water bath, geosmin, salt and magnesium (in the form of Epsom salts).

Tests have been carried out on a considerable number of people practising daily physical activity and showed the effectiveness of these new bathing products. Testers were very satisfied and reported improvements in their mood, sleep quality and muscle recovery. Thrilled by these results, Lush filed a patent to protect Helen’s invention.