What Is Natural?

65% of people believe a personal care product labeled "natural" should contain 95% — 100% natural ingredients. *

Most contain far less.

At Burt's Bees, we hold to the highest standards of natural. Truly natural personal care products are the healthiest and most effective products out there for you, the environment and The Greater Good. And we think you should know what you’re buying.

Natural Ingredients

Natural ingredients are profoundly effective, inspiring to your senses, better for the environment and most beneficial to your overall well-being. Natural ingredients nurture our skin and hair with wholesome nutrients that our body chemistry is familiar with, actually working in harmony with our bodies. Since studies show that 60% of what we put on our skin gets absorbed into our bodies, choosing natural ingredients instead of potentially harmful synthetics just makes sense.

Natural ingredients must come from a renewable/plentiful resource found in nature, with absolutely no petroleum compounds. This includes ingredients found in fauna (animal), flora (plant), and minerals. Rest assured, though, the animal part is substances like beeswax and honey.

Plus, natural ingredients work. It's no surprise that many synthetic ingredients are inexpensive chemicals modeled after natural ones. For example, willowbark extract contains salicylic acid, a natural exfoliant that can make the skin smoother and clearer. Other brands choose to use the synthetic alternative because it is cheaper and easier to produce. However, we go straight to the natural source for our ingredients and end up with a product that works better with your body.

Natural Processes

Ingredients are only one part of what makes a product natural. Equally important is how those ingredients are processed.

We prefer to use minimal processing or what we call "Kitchen Chemistry." This approach, including processes like distillation/condensation, extraction/steamed distillation/pressure cooking and hydrolysis, maximizes purity without any negative effects on the ingredients. Simply put, it helps keep natural ingredients natural.