Ingredient

Vanilla Pod

Vanilla planifolia

It takes time and expertise to transform a vanilla orchid blossom into a gnarled dark-brown pod that infuses your LUSH product with a comforting scent. 

Where do we purchase vanilla pods?

At Lush UK manufacturing sites, we buy the pods from the Ndali farm in Uganda, with whom we've had a long-standing relationship. It is a curing facility that purchases green vanilla beans from the Rwenzori Farmers Cooperative Union. The cooperative enables farmers to maintain fair prices throughout the market’s fluctuations.

As the vanilla orchid grows on vines that climb trees and naturally needs shade to thrive, it works well within an agroforestry system. It can be cultivated alongside other high-value crops, such as plantain and cocoa trees, which helps diversify crops and incomes and improve biodiversity.

With seven manufacturing sites across the globe, this information may vary depending on where your Lush products were made.

What is a curing facility?

When they grow, vanilla pods look nothing like the pods you find in supermarkets. They are long, yellow-green beans with no particular scent. To become a fragrant spice, they must undergo a maturation (or curing) process of 3 to 6 months, which usually includes four steps, but this can vary from place to place. First, they must be soaked in hot water and then sweated in a warm environment. Then, they are left to dry for several weeks, and finally, they are packed in boxes to develop their aromas. With time, care, and the right temperatures, the pods can really achieve a complex and fascinating fragrance.

Is there a vanilla pod perfuming your recently purchased bath product? After fully enjoying your bathtime, collect the pod, dry it and reuse it in your future baths! Vanilla is great for the skin and mind; read all about its many benefits here.