Let’s Talk About Burt’s, Bay-bees

Let’s Talk About Burt’s, Bay-bees

Does anyone else remember reading InStyle in the mid-90’s and remembering distinctly that Cher declared her favorite lip balm was this little yellow tube from a beekeeper in Maine named Burt? Or did I just make that up?

Regardless of Cher’s personal lip balm preferences, I’ve been a fan of Burt’s Bees for at least 20 years or so now. It started with the iconic lip balm, the original formulation of which is still my personal fave, despite the fact that there are now more than 20 flavors, and astonishingly, two of them actually sound pretty good — Matcha & Honey, and Dragonfruit Lemon, to be specific. I tried the Blueberry Chocolate flavor ages ago, and it was not my jam.

Part of what appealed to me besides the natural formulation (I love that they still include that little % natural label on the front of each product package), was the fact that Burt himself was a farmer and the products were perfect for my grandparents, who also happened to be actual farmers as well. I loved seeing the almost-empty jar of the Almond & Milk Hand Cream by my Mimi’s favorite chair where she could massage her stiff fingers after her bath at the end of the day, the Res-Q ointment on my Pop’s sink on the back porch to patch up any scrapes and scratches from a day herding cattle, climbing in barns, and setting tobacco as the fall days got shorter and more golden.

What’s more, Burt’s Bees always seemed somehow less aggressively gendered than pretty much every other skincare line out there — I loved buying their Baby line for shower gifts, regardless of whether the soon-to-be mama knew the baby’s sex, because the packaging is in shades of neutral and yellow. I also didn’t feel weird about giving the Hand Salve to my IT professional then-boyfriend now-husband to soothe his cracked knuckles during the winter (he still keeps a tin in his bag to this day).

The Clorox Corporation acquired Burt’s Bees in 2008, which I didn’t realize until later on after the product lines exploded into more targeted facial skincare, makeup, hair care, and even pet care. Frankly, I’m not too mad about it, either — the brand appears to be thriving and is one of the few go-to natural brands available in most grocery and drugstores at an affordable price point. Apparently they’re also part of an initiative from Clorox to be more sustainable — and it appears as though they’ve been delivering on it.

As I’ve been working on transitioning to more natural & sustainable products in my wellness routines over the last year, I so appreciate having Burt’s Bees as an affordable, accessible option. Here are my top three products, which have been some of my faves for several years now:

Sensitive Skin Facial Cleansing Towelettes: Look, I know we’re supposed to shun face wipes now, and I am looking for a biodegradable option that *also* works for sensitive skin, so if you know of one, holla at me please. Until then, I’m sticking with these simple, effective wipes to get face gunk off before working out or before micellar water if I’m too lazy before bed (which is more often than not these days, let’s be real here). I previously used the OG White Tea wipes, and I’ve tried the Grapefruit and Cucumber versions, but the hypoallergenic & fragrance-free Cotton Extract wipes have worked for me for actual years.

Aloe & Shea Butter Body Lotion for Sensitive Skin: I have tried SO MANY body lotions over the years, and so often they are too greasy, don’t absorb quickly, too heavily fragranced, or don’t moisturize for more than a couple of hours. This stuff, however, gives me all the goodies my skin needs without all the extra stuff it doesn’t. I use it for my hands and body in the summertime, and it doesn’t leave any kind of film behind. It also doesn’t smell completely terrible like some fragrance-free products, too; just clean & fresh.

And my all-time ultimate Holy Grail Hand Cream, the Ultimate Care Hand Cream with Baobab Oil: I’m more than a little obsessed with keeping my hands well-moisturized to prevent me from gnawing at my cuticles when anxiety strikes, and this cream is hands-down (lol) the best I’ve ever used. If it ever gets discontinued I will literally cry and maybe have to stage a protest. It’s super-emollient and nourishing, including for nails and cuticles, and it absorbs extremely well compared to other intense hand creams I’ve tried. No fragrance again, but also no unpleasant odors, and I can always see a marked improvement in my hands’ overall appearance as well as healing up my raw, raggedy cuticles after a particularly stressful week at work. I got this tube almost exactly a year ago, and I’m almost out — with a new tube ready to replace it immediately.

I have a bad habit of brand-hopping, especially when I’m trying out new products or routines, but there are some brands and some products to which I’ll stay true. I might try out some of their new Brightening skincare products, but those top three will be my faves forevermore. They’re functional, affordable, and best of all, effective — what more could you ask for?