Lush rolls out bath bomb to support Sumatran Orangutan Society

Lush, a company that produces bath, body, and shower products, is supporting the Sumatran Orangutan Society (SOS) with a limited-edition bath bomb, Orangutan. All profits will be used to support conservation actions in West Toba.

The bath bomb contains regenerative Sumatran dark patchouli oil from Sumatra and inside each bath bomb is a ticket that will invite the bather to immerse themselves in the sounds of the Sumatran rainforest. A QR code to a webpage allows customers to download a soundscape recorded to connect them deep within the forest at West Toba.

The soundscape includes sounds of the wildlife in the forest – gibbons calling, monkeys chattering, birds singing – and the incredible orangutan's long call. Listeners will be immersed in the sounds of the rainforest.

Lush funded a study to map orangutan habitats in Sumatra in 2018. From the study, West Toba was identified as a critical area of the Sumatran rainforest for the preservation of endangered megafauna, including Sumatran orangutans, Sumatran tigers, gibbons, hornbills, and sun bears.

There is a forest corridor connecting the habitat of orangutans and other wildlife in this biodiversity hotspot, and forest-edge communities. Together with frontline partners, SOS and Lush are supporting conservation actions to safeguard this vital ecosystem.

Cadi Pink, Lush, supply chain impact and environmental impact, said this next campaign in partnership with SOS marks a vital step towards the protection of Sumatran orangutans, tigers, and other megafauna.

"Much of our work over the last decade has been centred around the regeneration of the natural world and communities so both can prosper. With the introduction of regenerative methods of farming such as agroforestry, we hope to explore ways that forest-edge communities can grow crops and protect precious species at the same time," Pink said.

Meanwhile, SOS director Helen Buckland said the campaign will help ensure that orangutans can thrive in the wild, whilst connecting Lush’s customers all over the world with the orangutans’ incredible forest home.

"West Toba is one of the most important areas of rainforest on the planet and, thanks to this partnership, we can empower forest-edge communities to protect it for the future, so people, orangutans and the planet can thrive," Buckland said.

SOS needs to raise vital funds to kick off the long-term protection and regeneration of forests in West Toba. The funds will be spent on conservation initiatives that the communities of West Toba, SOS and their frontline partners have co-created. The two objectives are securing a wildlife corridor between forests to reconnect orangutans and other endangered megafauna and safeguard their future; and giving forest-edge communities in West Toba the tools they need to plant the seeds of truly sustainable development.