Cosmetics company Lush says it is deactivating some social media accounts until the platforms “take action to provide a safer environment” for users.

The company said its Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and Snapchat pages will be shut down on Friday.

The policy will be implemented in all 48 countries in which Lush operates.

However, the company will continue to operate on Twitter and YouTube “for now” as it seeks to “build better communication channels elsewhere”.

The retailer previously closed several of its social media accounts in the UK, but said he found himself “back on the channels, despite the best of intentions.”

He said he had decided to restore “limited use of the channels we had put in mothballs”, to offer service to customers during the coronavirus lockdowns.

Lush said the “severe effects” of social media were barely recognized and compared the situation to when “climate change has been ignored and belittled for decades.”

The company has four million followers on its Lush Cosmetics North America Instagram page and 1.2 million on Facebook.

“I have spent my entire life avoiding putting harmful ingredients into my products. There is now overwhelming evidence that we are being put at risk when we use social media,” said Mark Constantine, co-founder and CEO of Lush.

“I’m not willing to expose my clients to this damage, so it’s time to get it out of the mix.”

Lush said he hopes the platforms will introduce “best practice guidelines” and international regulation will be turned into law.

“As the inventor of bath bombs, I put all my efforts into creating products that help people unplug, relax and pay attention to their well-being,” said Jack Constantine, Lush’s chief digital officer and product inventor.

“Social media platforms have become the antithesis of this goal, with algorithms designed to stop people from scrolling and keep them from turning off and relaxing.”