Lush Co-Founder Mark Constantine Embraces 'Woke' Label, Urges Disagreement on Social Issues to Shop Elsewhere

In a recent BBC "Big Boss Interview" podcast, Lush Cosmetics co-founder Mark Constantine openly embraced the term "woke," describing himself as an "over-achiever and a nerd" who takes pride in the label often used pejoratively against social activists. Constantine, who founded the vegan cosmetics retailer in 1994 alongside his wife Mo, reiterated that Lush's business model integrates advocacy for environmental causes and LGBTQ+ rights. The company is well-known for its support of transgender people and broader LGBTQ+ visibility.

Earlier in 2025, Lush partnered with trans-led organizations TransActual and My Genderation to launch a campaign reaffirming commitment to transgender rights following a controversial Supreme Court ruling on single-sex spaces. The brand subsequently ended its collaboration with Download Festival after the event announced toilets would operate on the basis of biological sex, prioritizing inclusive spaces for transgender people. Constantine told the BBC, "I like being woke," and advised those disagreeing with Lush's social justice practices, "shouldn’t come in my shop."

Constantine's comments extended to Lush's activism on the Gaza crisis. In September 2025, specifically on September 3, the company shut down all over 100 UK stores, factories, and its website for one day in solidarity with Palestinians facing starvation, displaying signs reading "Stop starving Gaza, we are closed in solidarity." Lush's website statement read: “Across the Lush business we share the anguish that millions of people feel seeing the images of starving people in Gaza, Palestine.” The action cost the business approximately £300,000 in lost revenue, yet Constantine affirmed on the BBC that customers opposing his pro-Palestine stance "shouldn’t come into my shop" because "I’m going to take those profits you’re giving me and I’m going to do more of that." He emphasized compassion as non-political: "I’m often called left wing because I’m interested in compassion. I don’t think being compassionate has a political stance."

Constantine's position stands in contrast to a growing trend among major corporations scaling back diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives amid political pressures. In the US, brands including Target, Walmart, Ford, Lowe’s, Harley-Davidson, and Jack Daniel’s have abandoned DEI policies following campaigns by figures like Robby Starbuck and shifts under the Trump administration, which eliminated such programs from government and military sectors. Constantine commented on a similar case involving Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Jerry Greenfield, who resigned in September 2025 after claiming Unilever silenced the ice cream brand's activism on LGBTQ+ rights, racial justice, climate issues, and Palestine support. Greenfield stated: “Standing up for the values of justice, equity, and our shared humanity has never been more important, and yet Ben & Jerry’s has been silenced, sidelined for fear of upsetting those in power.” Constantine advised: “If you’ve sold your business to someone else, I think you’re asking a lot for them to do everything you want. What should Ben and Jerry have done? They should never have sold.” Ben & Jerry’s other co-founder, Ben Cohen, responded positively: “I’m not ‘asking’ for anything,” expressing appreciation for Lush's values.

Lush, privately owned with 869 outlets in over 50 countries and £690 million annual turnover, continues ethical sourcing and activism under Constantine's leadership at age 73. He also critiqued upcoming UK inheritance tax changes effective April 6, 2026, which end full exemptions for family businesses beyond £1 million, warning of risks to independent enterprises. For LGBTQ+ advocates, Constantine's unapologetic support signals resilience for transgender people and inclusive policies amid backlash. Lush's actions highlight a model where business aligns with compassion, challenging customers to align their spending accordingly.