The beauty and cosmetics industry is a $12 billion a year business, and it is no surprise to see how that came about. It seems like more and more household beauty brand names pop up on a yearly basis. Think of it: Lush, Dove, Neutrogena, Urban Decay, Revlon, Garnier, Avon… the list goes on and on. We all like to look our best and to take care of ourselves in a way which agrees with us. Personal care products are in high demand, and some of them are bare essentials.

Burt’s Bees is one of the U.S.’s more moderately-sized companies, but it manages to make a splash nonetheless. It just goes to show it is not the size of your company that counts, but how you use it. Or, in other words, the quality of your products. Get ready to get stung by the Burt’s Bee right here in our Burt’s Bees Company Review!

History And Origins Of Burt’s Bees

So, how did they get started? The company was founded in the 1980s. 1984, to be exact. Burt Shavitz was a man with a honey stand. Roxanne Quimby was a painter. Their paths crossed one summer, and Quimby decided to use Shavitz’s unused beeswax to create candles. They went through the various fairs and arts & crafts shows, and they went on to the bottle and sell honey together. From then on, the duo went on to produce other beeswax and honey-related products.

In 1989, the duo got its first big break and expanded its business. It was around this time that Quimby found a book on personal care, written in the 19th century, and decided this would be a great angle for the business to shoot for. This proved to be a wonderful idea and a fabulous career move. Today, one of Burt’s Bees most famous products is the Burt’s Bees lip balm, which has stayed consistently popular ever since it was introduced in the early 1990s. Just shows what you can do when two great minds get together.

In 1999 the company went digital and began offering its products to the entire world. In 2002, they launched their baby product line, their first shampoo, and their first toothpaste. Burt’s Bees is considered by many to be a standard by which other natural companies can and should be judged. Their goal has always been providing their customers with the best natural products around, and it has been successfully doing that for over 30 years. Let’s delve a bit deeper into the Burt’s Bees line of products.

Burt’s Bees Product Overview

Bees – The source of beeswax.

Burt’s Bees’ catalog is broken up into several categories: nutrition, skin care, lip care, makeup, hair and body care, and baby. The company offers products such as their world-famous beeswax lip balm, argan coconut facial cleansing oil, hibiscus apple night cream, and peach willow pore scrub. These are just a few of their bestsellers, and they serve as an example of the type of products this company produces. They are all about nature and the greater good. You gotta love that!

Burt’s Bees Herbal Blemish Stick Review

The target of this product is adults with acne or different types of skin discoloration. It is a stick which contains 10 active ingredients, including calendula, tea tree, and eucalyptus. Obviously, it is a very oily product, but it does have a very positive absorption rate. It flows into the skin quickly and easily, and it has a great effect on spots and blemishes of all kinds.

It can be applied up to several times a day, but it wholly depends on the kind of day you are having and where you are headed. In other words, it matters whether you are outside, inside, in the sun, at the pool, etc. One ingredient which I suppose had to be included is denatured alcohol. It is an ingredient which forms the basis of many cosmetics and beauty products and is probably the only negative thing about this item.

The best thing about this stick is that – in most cases – results can be seen even after a day or two. The blemish stick goes to work immediately and manages to reduce and ultimately get rid of many types of bumps, spots, and pimples. Obviously, there are different types of skin and different types of people. I’m not saying this will work every single time, for everyone. But it does work, and it’s worth trying if you are suffering from these kinds of issues.

Burt’s Bees Lipstick Review

At the beginning of 2016, Burt’s Bees released an exciting new line of lipsticks. The first thing you’ll notice about these lipsticks is that they do not dry out your lips. This should already by some indicator as to the quality of these items. Burt’s Bees have always been upfront about their ingredients and their love for everything natural, and these are no different.

I am a long time user of their chapstick, and I had no doubt that their lipsticks would be just as hydrating, just as natural, and just as popular. The series includes 14 shades, and they range from the seemingly-colorless Nile Nude to the loud color of Scarlet Soaked. There is a lot to work with here, and much like the beeswax lip balm, it is a great little item to have in your purse. It lasts a moderate amount of time (8 hours, give or take), and it lends itself to much day-to-day makeup looks. A very on-the-go kind of product, which is also moderately priced at $9.

We’re proud to announce that our #lipstick packaging won a 2017 WorldStar award for #sustainable packaging design! https://t.co/mL388HuOsM pic.twitter.com/ymfXYzBc1w

— Burt's Bees (@BurtsBees) December 6, 2016

Burt’s Bees Tinted Lip Balm Review

Lip care is part of what has made Burt’s Bees so famous. This company is notorious for its moisturizing and nourishing lip products. The company’s tinted lip balm is all about giving your lips a hint of color (there are six different ones), along with up to eight hours of moisturization.

In other words, your lips will look great and feel great when you use this product. Part of the ingredients in this balm are coconut oil, shea butter, beeswax, sunflower seed oil, and rosemary extract. Soft, silky, and doesn’t stick, which is what separates it from some of the other balms out there. It goes on easy and keeps you protected.

Burt’s Bees Eye Cream Review

Thankfully, there are several eye creams to choose from. These creams are meant to smooth out skin, to hydrate, to brighten, and to treat those with sensitive skin. The skin around the eyes is pretty sensitive as it is, so if you are going to use any kind of product, it is probably best that you use some of Burt’s Bees natural eye creams.

I have used two of these cremes in the past. One of them – the renewal smoothing eye cream – was very convenient but not too practical for me. I didn’t like the way it went on, and I didn’t like the fact that it tended to wear off very quickly. It may be just me (as I said, different people have different skin), but I did not enjoy using it.

The second one I used was actually great, and that is the intense hydration eye cream. This is one which I absolutely loved for the drier parts around my eyes. It goes on easily – I put it on morning and evening – and it gets the job done, just the way I wanted it.

I stopped using eye creams for a while, but if I ever go back to using them on a daily basis, this is one which I will be returning to. Two thumbs up for hydration! It does have a few ingredients which I would rather do without, to be honest, but I trust Burt’s Bees in that sense. I’ve been using their products long enough to know that they usually are as natural as can be, so I “forgive” them for using a few less-natural ingredients here and there.

Burt’s Bees Chapstick Review

Okay, this is going to be very short. I love Burt’s Bees lip balms, in any shape or form. From the original natural beeswax stick to the more exotic flavors like pineapple or pink grapefruit. This is what made Burt’s Bees so well-known, and for good reason. These chapsticks are a must have, especially during the winter, when the winds dry you up and you find yourself searching constantly for something which will moisturize your lips and keep them moisturized.

These chapsticks are effective, moderately priced, and a life-saver. I thoroughly hate having to walk around with dry lips, and this product is one which I recommend to everyone. Pick a flavor and roll with it. Available in single, double, and four-pack.

Burt’s Bees Lip Shimmer Review

Burt’s Bees Lip Shimmer.

When you leave the house with this product on your lips, there should be no doubt in your mind – your lips stand out. Using Burt’s Bees shimmer guarantees that your lips will be looking their finest, with a combination of essential oils and wax.

Your lips absorb these ingredients with ease, and won’t leave them feeling all oily. It is a great way to get the moisture and hydration your lips need, and it comes in 14 shades to match any ensemble. It softens and nourishes like many other lips care products from Burt’s Bees. Ingredients include sunflower seed oil, shea butter, elderberry oil, black currant seed oil, and rosemary extract.

Burt’s Bees Hand Salve Review

Available in a small or large tin, Burt’s Bees hand salve is perfect for dry, cracked hands. Like lips and other areas, our hands are almost completely exposed. In certain types of weather or other conditions, this may cause hands to dry up and become irritated. Hand salve to the rescue!

It has a moisturizing formula full of oils, herbs, and beeswax – an natural salve perfect for working hands which need to be maintained. Ingredients include olive oil, eucalyptus, lavender, and sweet almond oils. I only use hand creams in the winter time, because that is when I need it the most. You can actually use this product all year-round, so if you have hands which are prone to dryness – meet your savior!

Burt’s Bees Shampoo Review

Burt’s bees has shampoos for adults and babies. There are several different kinds of shampoo in Burt’s Bees’ catalog, and I haven’t tried them all. I never tried the baby ones, for instance, but I did try one or two of the adult ones. Their shampoos are made with ingredients such as avocado, mango, baobab, and other ones which are designed to give your hair shine and moisture like no other.

Hair care products, like skincare, greatly depend on you and your scalp/hair type. It could very well be that what works for one person’s hair will not work for another, which is why it is a very personal choice. Do your research, get to know your hair and scalp a bit more intimately, and you will be able to figure out which one of these shampoos is the best for you.

It never hurts to do some trial and error runs. At any rate, these are also natural, but not natural. I could do without some of the ingredients, like fragrance or sodium benzoate (a preservative). I understand that some of these are there so the product will have a longer shelf life, but still.

Is Burt’s Bees Cruelty-Free? Does Burt’s Bees Test On Animals?

Burt’s Bees: Cruelty-Free

Burt’s Bees is indeed cruelty-free, but not vegan. They do not test their products on animals, but some of their items contain milk, honey, and lanolin, which come from animals.

NOTE: Now that Burt’s Bees has expanded its operation to China, there is a chance they will not remain cruelty-free for long. The Chinese are notorious for their post-market animal testing, so stay alert if you steer clear of such products.

Check out our Rimmel and That’s It reviews while you’re here at Maple Holistics!

Conclusion

Overall, Burt’s Bees is a great company and a trusted source of 99% natural products. Some of their products actually say 99% natural on the label. This varies from one product to another, so take care and take a good look to see that what you are buying is what you want.

Regarding the effectiveness of their products – there are no complaints. Again, this may change from one person to another, but generally speaking – Burt’s Bees delivers. Their products live up to their claims, mostly, and they are not too pricey. Definitely a good way to go.

This is a company which has been providing the American public (and now the world) with high-quality cosmetics and beauty products, and it is so good to have them around. Even if you don’t want or need anything – get that chapstick! You’ll thank me later.