Burt's Bees
Learn more about our scoring →
About Burt's Bees
Burt's Bees represents one of the most recognizable natural personal care brands in the mass market, built on a foundation of beeswax-based formulations and responsibly sourced ingredients. The brand has maintained Leaping Bunny certification for its finished products since 2008 while expanding from iconic lip balms into comprehensive skincare, baby care, and body care collections available at major retailers nationwide.
As part of the Clorox portfolio since 2007, Burt's Bees benefits from corporate-level sustainability infrastructure including verified renewable energy commitments, water stewardship programs, and packaging innovation initiatives. This parent company relationship provides access to resources for climate action and environmental reporting, though creates complexity around global cruelty-free policies as Clorox maintains different standards internationally.
The brand's sustainability performance reflects both strengths in verified animal welfare standards for finished products and environmental stewardship, alongside significant challenges including PFAS detection in makeup products that led to legal action questioning natural claims. Recent developments include packaging circularity innovations and continued investment in conservation programs, positioning Burt's Bees as a leader in accessible natural beauty with ongoing concerns about ingredient transparency and chemical safety verification.
The Good Stuff
Where Burt's Bees appears to be making meaningful progress. We cross-referenced these findings with multiple independent sources.
Leaping Bunny Certified Finished Products
Maintains cruelty-free certification for finished products and formulations since 2008 through Leaping Bunny verification, ensuring no animal testing on final products
Verified Water Stewardship Excellence
Achieved 14% reduction in water withdrawal intensity with third-party assurance and comprehensive site-specific risk assessments demonstrating measurable environmental progress
Packaging Innovation Initiatives
Reports 88% recyclable or compostable packaging with pioneering refillable paper-tube lip balms and comprehensive take-back programs advancing circular economy principles
The Reality Check
Areas where the publicly available data gets murky, incomplete, or concerning. We're transparent about the limitations of our analysis.
PFAS Detection and Legal Challenges
Independent laboratory testing detected PFAS 'forever chemicals' in makeup products, leading to class-action lawsuit challenging brand's '100% natural' marketing claims
Parent Company Policy Complexity
While products maintain Leaping Bunny certification, parent company Clorox does not maintain consistent cruelty-free policies internationally, creating market complexity
Chemical Safety Verification Gaps
Ingredient screening processes lack independent third-party safety certification, with PFAS detection raising concerns about comprehensive chemical safety protocols
Burt's Bees'
Impact Aura
A visual representation of Burt's Bees' positive impact
across People, Planet and Animals
Each colored area represents the brand's performance in that sustainability category. The size and intensity of each blob corresponds to their score—larger, more vibrant areas indicate stronger performance.
Our Research
Key findings from our comprehensive analysis of Burt's Bees' sustainability performance across People, Planet & Animals impact.
Positive Impact on People
Research Highlights
- Independent safety databases indicate most products achieve low hazard ratings for individual ingredients
- Laboratory testing detected PFAS 'forever chemicals' in makeup products leading to class-action lawsuit challenging natural claims
- Supply chain oversight includes 100+ documented site visits but traceability reporting lacks recent updates
- Social impact demonstrates $89M in combined charitable giving through parent company Clorox foundation programs
- Marketing claims follow ISO 16128 natural origin calculations but lack independent verification of '100% natural' assertions
Evidence Strength
Mixed documentation with strong social impact funding but significant concerns over PFAS detection and legal challenges to natural claims
Positive Impact on Planet
Research Highlights
- Climate commitments verified through parent company achievement of 100% renewable electricity and science-based targets
- Water stewardship demonstrates 14% reduction in withdrawal intensity with third-party assurance and site-specific risk assessments
- Packaging reports 88% recyclable or compostable materials with 9% reduction in virgin material usage based on brand reporting
- Refillable product launches include paper-tube lip balms and TerraCycle take-back programs for circularity
- Chemical responsibility practices avoid some restricted substances but PFAS detection raises ingredient screening concerns
Evidence Strength
Excellent third-party verification for climate and water initiatives, packaging progress based on brand reporting, significant gaps in chemical safety verification
Positive Impact on Animals
Research Highlights
- Leaping Bunny certification for finished products since 2008 despite parent company Clorox not maintaining cruelty-free status
- Animal-derived ingredients including beeswax, honey, and lanolin are core formulation components across product lines
- Wildlife conservation includes documented pollinator protection programs though recent outcomes lack public updates
- Sustainable sourcing participation through Global Shea Alliance and RSPO but recent audit reports not disclosed
- Conservation funding contributes to $89M in environmental grants through verified foundation programs
Evidence Strength
Strong product-level cruelty-free verification and conservation funding, complexity around parent company policies and China market sales
See the Receipts
We don't just make claims—here are the official certifications that prove Burt's Bees' sustainability commitments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Burt's Bees sustainable?
Burt's Bees demonstrates strong performance in verified environmental stewardship through parent company Clorox's renewable energy commitments and water reduction programs. However, PFAS detection in products and legal challenges to natural claims indicate significant areas requiring improvement in chemical safety verification.
Is Burt's Bees cruelty-free?
Burt's Bees maintains Leaping Bunny certification for finished products since 2008, ensuring no animal testing on final formulations. However, parent company Clorox does not maintain consistent cruelty-free policies internationally, creating complexity around global market policies.
Are Burt's Bees products natural?
While Burt's Bees follows ISO 16128 natural origin calculations, independent laboratory testing detected PFAS 'forever chemicals' in makeup products, leading to legal action challenging the brand's '100% natural' marketing claims.
Is Burt's Bees carbon-conscious?
Performance indicates strong climate commitments through parent company Clorox's verified achievement of 100% renewable electricity and science-based emissions targets, demonstrating measurable carbon reduction progress.
Does Burt's Bees offer refillable products?
Yes, Burt's Bees has launched innovative refillable paper-tube lip balms and TerraCycle take-back programs as part of advancing packaging circularity and reducing single-use product waste.
Are Burt's Bees ingredients safe?
Independent safety databases indicate most individual ingredients achieve low hazard ratings, though laboratory testing detected PFAS 'forever chemicals' in makeup products, highlighting significant concerns about comprehensive ingredient safety verification.
Does Burt's Bees sell in China?
Given parent company Clorox's international operations and varying cruelty-free policies globally, consumers should verify current China market policies directly with the brand to understand testing requirements in different markets.
Ready to Shop Burt's Bees?
Find Burt's Bees products through our trusted retail partners
Brands That Score Better
The Bottom Line
Burt's Bees demonstrates verified environmental stewardship and maintains product-level cruelty-free certification, while facing significant challenges including PFAS detection leading to legal action and parent company policy complexity that requires careful consideration of global market practices.
Compare Brands
See how Burt's Bees stacks up against similar brands