Last Updated on April 9, 2021 by Eco Elsie
Burt’s Bees is one of the few companies that is completely cruelty free. This is because they do not test their products on animals. But also because none of their ingredients are tested on animals. Nor do they allow third parties to test on animals.
One impressive cruelty free aspect of Burt’s Bees is that they do not sell in countries where animal testing is required. For example, until very recently, any cosmetic products imported into mainland China had to be tested on animals. This was required by law.
More brands are going to be labelled as completely cruelty free because China is getting rid of this law. But, these companies still sold their products in China when animal testing was required.
Despite the potential to make more money, Burt’s Bees never sold their products in China. So they always have been cruelty free.
There have been claims that Burt’s Bees products were not cruelty free as they were available online in China. But Burt’s Bees have since clarified that products bought online bypassed the requirement for animal testing.
Is Burt’s Bees Vegan?
Unfortunately, no. Burt’s Bees products are all natural and the company makes a big deal about being cruelty free. But their products are at their heart non-vegan. This is because the entire company revolves around using bees’ wax.
Items such as beeswax are an interesting topic in veganism. A lot of people consider veganism to be purely not eating or drinking meat or animal products. But this is more accurately described as being “plant-based”.
While it can be difficult, true veganism attempts to avoid any use of animal products. This includes substances such as beeswax and honey.
This is because the mass production of beeswax and honey requires the farming of bees. These bees are kept in artificial hives and forced to produce these products.
Another reason why beeswax and honey aren’t vegan is because they are produced as food. Removing beeswax and honey from the bees is depriving them of their food source. This is considered to be an exploitation of a creature that is already in danger due to pesticides.
That said, Burt’s Bees do make every effort to ensure their products are produced in the best environments. Burt’s Bees source their beeswax from four family run farms in East Africa. These farms collect beeswax from “wild-crafted” bees.
This means that the beeswax is foraged from wild bees. Rather than from mass-produced commercial sites. This is a much more ethical way of harvesting beeswax.
But, it still involves taking beeswax from bees. So it cannot be considered completely vegan.
Is Burt’s Bees an Ethical Company?
This will depend on your own personal ethics. If your primary concern is around products being tested on animals, then yes, Burt’s Bees is an ethical company.
Burt’s Bees have never allowed any of their products or ingredients to be tested on animals. Even when doing so could have allowed them to increase their profits. This is a rare display of a company placing principle above profit.
But, if you are a strict vegan and believe the use of any animal products to be exploitation, then you will consider Burt’s Bees to be a wholly unethical company. This is because, as mentioned above, beeswax is not a vegan substance.
If you are concerned about sustainability, then you can safely use Burt’s Bees products. Burt’s Bees are very environmentally friendly.
Burt’s Bees are a zero-waste company and have not sent anything to landfill since 2012. They are a certified carbon-neutral company and try in every way to be sustainable and environmentally friendly.
But, like many small cosmetic companies, Burt’s Bees are owned by a large corporation. This corporation is Clorox. Clorox produces cleaning products that haven’t always had a great impact on the environment.
But, they are making strides in supporting sustainability and becoming more eco-friendly. So, it’s still safe to say that Burt’s Bees are an eco-friendly company.
Does Burt’s Bees Test on Animals?
Absolutely not. Burt’s Bees unequivocally do not test on animals. They never have, and we will be very surprised if they ever do.
Burt’s Bees make a huge point about not testing on animals. They do not test on animals themselves. They also don’t use any ingredients that have been tested on animals and do not work with third parties that test on animals.
It takes some work to ensure that every step of the manufacturing process is devoid of animal testing. So this is an impressive effort by Burt’s Bees. The entire ethos of Burt’s Bees is to produce products that have as little impact on the natural world as possible.
Burt’s Bees have also never sold their products in countries that require testing on animals. This is another impressive example of their company ethos.
That said, their products are entirely based around the use of animal byproducts. As mentioned above, beeswax is not considered to be vegan. So, whether or not they are a company that is essentially good to animals is up for debate.
Are Burt’s Bees Products Toxic?
Nope! Burt’s Bees products are designed around being good for you and for the planet.
Burt’s Bees products are marketed as being entirely natural and nontoxic. But this isn’t just a marketing ploy to appeal to what is now a more environmentally conscious society.
Burt’s Bees products are free from parabens, talc, synthetic fragrances, phthalates, SLS, and silicone. These are all ingredients that are found in a lot of cosmetics.
Their levels of toxicity and whether or not they are all actually toxic are up for debate. But none of them are in Burt’s Bees products. Just for your peace of mind.
Burt’s Bees is non-toxic down to its very origins.
As mentioned above, the beeswax in Burt’s Bees products is produced by wild bees in East Africa. These bees are on four specific family-run farms. These farms are free from pesticides and other harmful chemicals.
