Burt's Bees

Q: Are Burt's Bees products different from other 'natural' products?
Q: How does Burt’s Bees define natural?
Q: What isn't 'natural' in your products?
Q: Do your products contain synthetic fragrances?
Q: Do your products contain artificial colours?
Q: What is the difference between a salve and a crème?
Q: I have sensitive skin. Can I use Burt’s Bees products?
Q: Are your products hypoallergenic?
Q: Are Burt’s Bees products suitable for people with nut-allergies?
Q: Are your products non-comedogenic?
Q: How do I determine the expiration date of a particular product?
Q: Are there any products that are not recommended for use when you’re pregnant?
Q: Are there any products that are specifically good for use while pregnant?
Q: Do you test on animals or use ingredients that have been tested on animals?
Q: Do Burt’s Bees products contain animal-derived ingredients?
Q: How does Burt's Bees cultivate their beeswax?
Q: Is beeswax good for your skin?
Q: Where is your honey and beeswax from? And where is it made?
Q: Where are Burt's Bees products made?
Q: Is Burt real?
Q: I heard you were owned by Clorox now. Is that true?
Q: Why did you discontinue a product?
Q: Do you offer any products in big value sizes?
Q: How many products are there in the UK & where can I buy them?
Q: Are all the products derived from bees?
Q: With all the news about bees dying, do you foresee any problems in the future getting hold of bee products? What is your policy about this?

Q: Are Burt's Bees products different from other 'natural' products?
A: Yes, indeed! The term 'natural' is used very loosely today, especially in personal care products. Many companies use petroleum-based ingredients, like mineral oil, chemical additives, and preservatives, but call their products 'natural' because they add a few botanical extracts. Burt's Bees is different. We do not use cheap fillers, mineral oil or chemical preservatives. To better educate you, we list a percentage natural for every product we make.

Q: How does Burt’s Bees define natural?
A: Any substance harvested from nature, then isolated and purified by a variety of environmentally responsible techniques such as filtration, fermentation, distillation, and expressing. Our products average 98% natural with over half at 100%, and we’re working on the rest!

Q: What isn't 'natural' in your products?
A: Products that are less than 100% natural may contain the following ingredients in concentrations of a fraction of a percent. They are added to stabilize or enhance the product, or simply to comply with regulations.
- Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E) and Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A): Synthetic vitamins with extended shelf life that benefit the skin.
- Alcohol Denaturants: Required by law for products containing alcohol (derived from yellow corn).
- Chelating Agents: Added to soap to provide foaming action when used in mineral rich hard water.
- Sucrose Stearate: An emulsifier made from sugar and vegetable oil.
- Phenoxyethanol and Chlorphenesin: Paraben free, non-formaldehyde donor preservatives necessary for safety and product stability in our body butters.

Q: Do your products contain synthetic fragrances?
A: The term "parfum” or “fragrance" on our labels may indicate the use of natural (essential oils), synthetic, or a combination of ingredients. Burt's Bees makes every attempt to exclusively use blends of natural oils in formulating our scents which sometimes results in us using over fifteen different essential oils. However, on certain occasions, it may be necessary to use synthetic ingredients in our fragrances in order to sufficiently mix the fragrance with the product formula base and to keep the product stable. We are working to make each and every product 100% natural however, and our target for this is the end of 2010.

Q: Do your products contain artificial colours?
A: No, we use only natural colours in our personal care products and cosmetics. Some of these colours are beta-carotene, chlorophyll, titanium dioxide, mica, iron oxides, and carmine.

Q: What is the difference between a salve and a crème?
A: A salve is a solid, highly-emollient substance that can also act as a barrier. It is transparent and weightless on skin. By definition a crème has the look and consistency of “cream” and is absorbed quicker and leaves less residue on the surface of the skin.

Q: I have sensitive skin. Can I use Burt’s Bees products?
A: The pure, natural ingredients used in Burt’s Bees products are gentle on your skin and used by people with all skin types, including sensitive skin. Specifically, the Baby Bee range and the Soothingly Sensitive Body Lotion with Buttermilk and Aloe are specially formulated for people with sensitive skin. However, we recommend that you carry out a precautionary patch test when using a product for the first time, as no ingredient (or combination of ingredients) can be 100% guaranteed for every single person.

Q: Are your products hypoallergenic?
A: There is no defined methodology to test for allergic reactions in beauty products nor does the law regulate use of the term 'hypoallergenic.' Consequently, we do not position our products as hypoallergenic. We do, however, conduct safety tests for all of our products as part of our product approval process. We conduct these safety tests with women and men as they use the product. Our products contain safe and effective ingredients that have withstood the test of time including beeswax, botanicals, and essential oils. Our products do not contain petroleum-synthesized fillers and artificial preservatives that may irritate the skin.

Q: Are Burt’s Bees products suitable for people with nut-allergies?
A: Many of our products do contain ingredients that come from nuts, such as shea butter, coconut derivatives, almond derivatives, and apricot kernel oil. If you have a nut allergy we would recommend that you contact your doctor before using any product that contains any of these ingredients.

Q: Are your products non-comedogenic?
A: Yes, the natural ingredients we use such as beeswax and plant oils do not clog the pores so will not contribute to blackheads, pimples, or cosmetic-related acne. We never use potentially comedogenic ingredients like mineral oil, petrolatum, paraffin, and red dyes that are commonly found in many cosmetics.

Q: How do I determine the expiration date of a particular product?
A: All products have a shelf life of around 3 years if unopened. Once opened they do have a lifespan and this is marked with a “period after opening” symbol like this one, which shows how many months you have to use the product from the date you first open it. The majority of our products have 12 months from opening.

Q: Are there any products that are not recommended for use when you’re pregnant?
A: Some of our products contain small amounts of essential oils, so if you are pregnant we would advise that you consult your doctor before using any of the following products; Therapeutic Bath Crystals, Peppermint & Rosemary Body Wash,

Q: Are there any products that are specifically good for use while pregnant?
A: During pregnancy skin can become more sensitive as it stretches to accommodate a growing baby. Veins can become more prominent and pigmentation may occur. The Mama Bee product range uses the best natural ingredients to care for skin during pregnancy and beyond helping to maintain softness, suppleness and elasticity to minimise the appearance of stretch marks. These products are Mama Bee Belly Butter, Mama Bee Leg & Foot Crème, and Mama Bee Nourishing Body Oil

Q: Do you test on animals or use ingredients that have been tested on animals?
Burt's Bees does NOT conduct product or ingredient tests of any kind on animals. We operate a Fixed Cut-Off Date (FCOD) of 2004, which sends a clear message that we are not prepared to profit from animal tested ingredients. The FCOD is widely accepted by animal welfare organisations as the Gold standard of cruelty-free commitment. However we are committed to ensuring we only sell products that are safe and work as they should do, so we conduct safety tests with willing volunteer men and women using our finished products - not ingredients.

Q: Do Burt’s Bees products contain animal-derived ingredients?
A few of our products contain ingredients derived from animals, such as beeswax, royal jelly, milk, and carmine.

Q: How does Burt's Bees cultivate their beeswax?
A: Bee-assured - our beeswax harvesting processes are cruelty-free. The process protects the bees' normal production cycle. The bees first produce a wax honeycomb where they can store their honey. The honeycomb then is capped off and the bees move on to build another big hive. When that's full, the bees are moved to a new location to start all over again - which ensures the normal cycle of nature.

Q: Is beeswax good for your skin?
A: Beeswax is extremely good at sealing in moisture which in turn helps to keep skin hydrated. It is also very soothing when skin is irritated or damaged. Honey is one of nature’s greatest humectants - which means it moisturises while allowing the skin to breathe. It has a very high sugar concentration which attracts and holds on to moisture. Honey also has a high mineral, amino acid and vitamin content to help keep skin healthy.

Q: Where is your honey and beeswax from? And where is it made?
A: Currently we get all our beeswax in rural areas of Africa where the beeswax is wild crafted and sourced in a socially equitable manner. Wild crafted means that the bees utilise pollen from forest flowers and aren’t near crops sprayed with pesticides. This allows us to obtain a more consistent, pure form of beeswax.

Q: Where are Burt's Bees products made?
A: Over 95% of our products are made at our manufacturing plant in Durham, North Carolina (USA). We do have a couple of products made by other respectable American manufacturers.

Q: Is Burt real?
A: Yes of course! He’s still living in Maine, off the grid with his best friend, Pasha, a golden retriever. In 1984, Burt Shavitz, a beekeeper, met Roxanne Quimby and together they established Burt’s Bees. The company started out selling beeswax candles, a by-product of Burt’s beekeeping business.

Q: I heard you are owned by Clorox now. Is that true?
A: Yes Burt’s Bees is now owned by The Clorox Company. This partnership has seen the two companies moving toward greater things together. Clorox executives have tapped the brains of Burt’s Bees employees on everything from reducing, and eventually eliminating, animal testing, to reducing waste, greening its buildings and marketing its new range of earth-friendly cleaners. And Burt’s Bees has benefited from Clorox as much as Clorox has learned from Burt’s Bees. The partnership has allowed Burt’s Bees to expand and develop new products, and into new markets, as well as helping Burt’s Bees streamline its organisational structures and distribution networks.

Q: Why did you DISCONTINUE a product?
A: As we continue to increase our innovation, Burt’s Bees will periodically review our current product lines and it will become necessary to “weed our natural garden”.

Q: Do you offer any products in big value sizes?
A: At this time, we do not offer big value sizes of our products. We purposely present our products in smaller portions so you finish the product while its delicate ingredients are still fresh.

Q: How many products are there in the UK & where can I buy them?
A: There are over 100 products in the range. You can find them in Waitrose, John Lewis, Boots, Debenhams and selected independent stores nationwide, as well as right here at www.burtsbees.co.uk

Q: Are all the products derived from bee ingredients?
A: Bees are at the core of everything we do. Burt’s Bees are experts at harnessing the amazing benefits of bees, either directly through beeswax, honey and royal jelly, or indirectly using plants which are pollinated by bees.

Q: With all the news about bees dying, do you foresee any problems in the future getting hold of bee products? What is your policy about this?
A: We hope not! The health and welfare of bees are extremely important to us. Our concerns about Colony Collapse Disorder are at the heart of our commitment to research both in the UK & USA. In fact we are supporting a brand new research programme being launched by the University of Sussex which will look at honey bee behaviour with the aim of educating people about honey bee habits and how best to support the growth of colonies in the UK and elsewhere.