Unless you're the ultimate Lush addict, you probably haven't heard of Lush Lessons. The Lush lessons are taught by an instore-trainer, where they will teach you all about the products, show you a step by step routine, as well as answer any questions you may have. The lessons take place at the event space on the 1st floor of the flagship store overlooking the busyness of Oxford Street. The best thing about these lessons is that they're completely free and totally interactive. Don't think you're going to just sit and listen, oh no! Unlike any other lesson you've been to, you will be welcomed to try the products.

Each lesson is about a different set of products such as hair care, make-up, exfoliation or skincare, which is the lesson I attended. The event space is beautifully presented with a table filled of products and ingredients, which you're free to explore.

JUST TELL US WHAT HAPPENS!

Though I had tried samples of the skincare, I hadn't used a full range and was eager to compile my own routine. The lesson begins with a mention of their ethics; none of the ingredients or products are tested on animals, and all ingredients are brought ethically, which are made into beautifully handmade, fresh and 100% vegetarian products. One of the things I learnt that evening is that Lush has, I guess you could call it, a set of rules which they use when they're talking about your skin:

1. We sell Good Skin not dreams.
2. We work with your skin to be the best it can be and support it's natural functions.
3. We focus on ingredients that give benefits to the skin, not products for a "skin type".

This is great as it's not 'one type fits all', and you can buy products best suited for what you want to improve not how you generalise your skin. Using the interactive screen for visual aid, he discussed about how our skin works, the different layers of our skin and the skin cycle. We are encouraged to listen to our skin and work with it. Even though Lush provides products for a full daily routine, we should get to know our skin and find a routine that works for us individually. I know personally, my skin always changes depending on daily activities and the weather.

SO WHERE DO WE START?

Now to the fun part! The first step in a full skincare routine is the cleanser. Using a cleanser is a great way to remove any dirt or make-up, and helps the skin to breathe. We were given two cleansers to try on our hands; 9 to 5 and Ultrabland. 9 to 5 has a much lighter consistency and is more like a cleansing milk. The key ingredients are fresh dove orchid extract, which gently cleanses the skin, and almond oil, which helps keep your skin hydrated. Ultrabland is based on an ancient Greek formula known as "cold cream". Its key ingredients are beeswax, which is cleansing and moisturising, and almond oil, which is filled with vitamin E, and gives you a healthy glow. It also contains honey, which as well as being antibacterial and soothing, it's also a natural humectant, which means it attracts and preserves moisture.

Next was the fresh cleansers. What I love most about these, compared with the liquid cleansers, is each of the fresh cleansers includes a natural exfoliant which gives your skin a gentle scrub, which is very important in skincare (I'll talk more about that later). We were given a piece and in the palm of our hand, added a little water and mixed into a paste. Even though they're fresh, they last about 3 months, but you'll finish this within that time period with daily use. There are 6 different fresh cleansers, but at the lesson with sampled Angles On Bare Skin. AOBS uses ground almonds as a gentle exfoliant, and lavender oil and rose absolute to calm the skin. Another important ingredient which can be found throughout the skincare range is kaolin. Kaolin helps to cleanse the pores and exfoliate dead skin cells from the surface of your skin.

WHAT ABOUT THE FACE MASKS?

If you have been to Lush before, you would have noticed these colourful bowls situated in a bed of crushed ice. These are of course their fresh face masks. All made with fresh ingredients, so fresh they need to be stored in your fridge and last around 2/3 weeks. The face mask we tried was a new discovery for me, Mask Of Magnaminty, which is a little shocking for me as it is one of their best sellers. Ooops! Unlike the fresh face mask, MOM lasts for 4 months, so if a face mask isn't consistent in your skincare routine, this would be a better option.

The scent is given away in the name, but yes, it does smell of mint. This is a deep cleansing mask, and contains both kaolin and honey (we've already discussed their amazing properties above). The scent comes from the peppermint, which is cooling and invigorating on the skin, and the ground aduki beans which gives your skin a light polish and can help stimulate circulation. You can even use this on your body, so you can feel beautiful from head to toe. This is my favourite product from the evening!

If you're a regular at Lush and have accumulated a load of black pots, bring back 5 clean pots and you can receive a free fresh face mask! A great way to help recycle and it's pretty good on your skin too.

DO I REALLY NEED TO USE A SCRUB?

The only answer to this question is yes. I mentioned at the start that at the beginning of the lesson he mentioned the skin cycle. It takes about 28 days for your skin to shed and if you don't exfoliate to remove the dead skin cells, this can cause blockages leading to breakouts. Not good! The next product we tried was Ocean Salt, which is a worldwide bestseller. It's made up of fine and coarse sea salt, which of course removes the dead skin, plus avocado butter to nourish. There is also fresh organic lime extracted in vodka, yes I did just say vodka. The limes contain an enzyme which naturally brightens the skin, and the vodka is great for toning. Rinsing this off, your skin feels so soft and polished, but still moisturised.

All of the exfoliates in Lush products are all natural and use no microbeads. Microbeads are a plastic which ends up polluting our oceans.

WHAT IS A TONER?

This is a stage that many people miss out. Toning helps to refresh the skin, and remove any cleanser or face mask left over. Lush toners come in two forms, toner water or a toner tab. With the toner water, you can spritz straight onto your skin, or use a cotton pad. We tried the Tea Tree Water, which helps to fight away spot causing bacterias with its antibacterial, antifungal and antimicrobial properties. When trying this in the lesson, it's crazy to think that even though I had tried all the products above, my cotton pad did not come off clean. The Tea Tree Toner Tab, again, has the same properties mentioned for the water, but the tabs are for days when your skin needs some extra comfort. Drop the tab in a bowl of hot water, and as the tab fizzes away, the steam is absorbed straight into your pores. You can even bottle the water and use after!

THE LAST THING IS TO MOISTURISE, RIGHT?

Moisturising is a great way to help provide your skin with nutrients. We were given Gorgeous to try, which contains neroli oil, evening primrose oil and avocado oil. These are 3 special ingredients as they penetrate the dermis and are absorbed straight into the skin. The dermis is the layer of skin underneath the epidermis, which is the outermost layer. Neroli is the only essential oil which has been scientifically proven to increase serotonin. This is such a luxurious product.

Once all our questions were answered, the lesson sadly came to an end. I left with the smoothest hands and a book full of knowledge, (and ideas for a pretty good post too).

BUT WHAT IF I CAN'T MAKE IT TO A LESSON?

Another service I love at Lush is their skincare consultations. This takes place on the shop floor where you'll be one-on-one with a Lushie. You can sit down together and have a good old chat about your skin; any issues you have, anything you want to improve, or even if you want to start a completely new skin routine. From the information you provide, they'll put together a beautiful personal slate of products they think will help benefit and improve your skin.

They'll talk through the routine that will suit you and best of all, you can try out all the products either on your face or hands. As you're trying the products, they'll discuss with you the benefits, ingredients and any other concerns you may have. You can purchase any products you love, or take home some samples to test before you buy. This is a lovely personalised service and you'll leave knowing how to help your skin.

Let me know in the comments below if you've attended any of the lush lessons. If you have tried any of their skincare products, share your favourite below.