This week’s episode of Inside The Factory explores the handmade production processes at Lush’s bath bomb factory in Poole, Dorset.
At the factory, which is part of Lush’s wider manufacturing estate in Poole, over 14 million bath bombs are produced fresh, by hand, each year.
Inside The Factory, airing on BBC2 on Sunday January 28th at 8pm, visits several of Lush’s manufacturing departments, following the journey of the brand’s best selling Intergalactic bath bomb. For the first time, Lush gives viewers an in-depth look at the production processes of their bath bombs, from the raw materials used, to inventing fragrances, producing product moulds and pressing the world-renowned bath bombs before sending them out to stores.
In the UK Lush produces 532,000 Intergalactic bath bombs, by hand, every year. During the episode host Gregg Wallace learns all about the cult favourite, the inspiration, what makes the fizz, and how the combination of colours and lustre creates sparkling, swirling ‘bath art’. While Intergalactic is the star of the show, the episode also reveals the story of how Lush has been creating unique bath bombs since they were invented by the brands co-founder and manufacturing director Mo Constantine in 1989.
Despite the Lush’s global success, with over 40 million bath bombs now produced across 7 global factories each year, reliance on machines is minimal, and being handmade remains at the centre of production processes.
In the UK, 120 of Lush’s 669 Manufacturing staff work in the brand’s bath bomb department – or the ‘Ballistics Room’ as it is called by Lush workers.
During the episode, Gregg Wallace meets the people at the heart of the operations, discovering the techniques and skills they need to create the perfect bath bomb – and just what the benefits of using a bath bomb are for the body and mind.
Mo Constantine, Lush co-founder and manufacturing director said: “At Lush, we are incredibly proud to be the inventors of the bath bomb, and proud of how Lush Manufacturing still produces our bath bombs fresh, by hand, every day in our own factories. Every bath bomb Lush sells has been given a huge level of care and attention by our manufacturing team, and we’re looking forward to letting viewers see just how much goes on behind the scenes to create their bathing experiences.”
Lush’s episode of Inside The Factory airs at 8pm on BBC2 on Sunday 28th January, with the episode available on BBC iPlayer after the show has aired.
Intergalactic (£6) is a swirling galaxy bath bomb containing a mix of refreshing peppermint and grapefruit oils. Find your nearest Lush store here.
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