Burt's Bees
An American personal-care brand best known for beeswax lip balm and naturally positioned beauty products.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Burt's Bees is an American personal-care and beauty brand whose identity grew from small-scale beekeeping and candle making into a broad portfolio of lip care, skin care, body care, hair care, baby products, cosmetics, and other health and beauty items. The business was founded in Maine in 1984 by beekeeper Burt Shavitz and entrepreneur Roxanne Quimby. Its earliest products were hand-crafted beeswax candles made from surplus wax, followed by honey, furniture polish, edible spreads, soaps, fragrances, and other goods associated with beeswax and natural materials. The company developed its distinctive brand character during the 1980s and 1990s by presenting itself as an earth-conscious, natural personal-care business with a handmade origin story. A large candle order from a New York boutique in 1989 helped trigger a substantial increase in production. Burt's Bees then moved progressively toward personal care, helped by formulations and recipes inspired by historical beekeeping literature. It incorporated in 1991 and eventually made lip balm its signature product. The Beeswax Lip Balm became the central symbol of the brand and a major driver of distribution through natural-food stores, pharmacies, mass retailers, and later e-commerce. Operations moved from Maine to North Carolina in the 1990s. The company established manufacturing in Creedmoor and later relocated its headquarters to Durham, in the Research Triangle region. During this period it expanded from a regional craft business into a nationally distributed brand, adding more than one hundred products and reaching thousands of retail locations. Product development broadened into travel-size skin care, hair care, bath products, body lotions, toothpaste, shampoo, and the Baby Bee range. The company retained a natural and environmentally responsible positioning while introducing more mechanized production to meet demand. Ownership changed significantly in the 2000s. AEA Investors acquired an 80 percent interest in 2004, while Quimby retained a minority stake and a board position. The Clorox Company acquired Burt's Bees in 2007. Under Clorox ownership, the brand continued to operate as a distinct consumer brand and expanded its international distribution, marketing, product range, and retail presence. Clorox increased promotional support for the business, particularly in lip care, while reported price increases contributed to sales growth during the early 2010s. Burt's Bees later moved beyond its traditional natural skin-care and lip-care base. In 2017 it introduced a full color-cosmetics range that included foundation, mascara, eye shadow, and blush. The brand has also continued to develop baby, hair, body, and facial-care products. Sustainability remains part of its public positioning: in 2022 Burt's Bees announced a multiyear partnership with rePurpose Global intended to support recycling infrastructure and reduce plastic waste entering the ocean. In 2024 it introduced limited-edition ranch-themed lip balm flavors with Hidden Valley Ranch, adapting a social-media joke into a promotional product launch. Today Burt's Bees is an active Clorox-owned brand with distribution beyond the United States. Its competitive identity combines recognizable founder heritage, beeswax and botanical associations, accessible premium pricing, and claims centered on natural ingredients and responsible packaging or sourcing. The brand's strongest consumer association remains its beeswax lip balm, but its business scope encompasses a much wider personal-care portfolio.
History
Burt's Bees began in Maine in 1984 when Roxanne Quimby used leftover beeswax from Burt Shavitz's beekeeping operation to make candles. The founders initially worked from an inexpensive abandoned schoolhouse and sold candles and honey at local craft fairs. The enterprise gradually added beeswax-based household products, food items, and personal-care goods. A major candle order from the Zona boutique in New York in 1989 required a rapid increase in production and helped move the company beyond its local craft-business roots. Quimby's interest in historical beekeeping recipes contributed to the company's transition toward soaps, fragrances, skin-care preparations, and other personal-care products. Burt's Bees incorporated in 1991. During the 1990s, lip balm became its most important product, while the company continued to promote a handmade, natural, and environmentally oriented identity. The business moved its base to North Carolina in 1994 and established manufacturing in a former garment factory in Creedmoor the following year. Although production became more mechanized, the company continued to use its small-batch and earth-friendly heritage in its branding. A retail store opened in Chapel Hill, and distribution expanded into Japan and national American retailers. By 1998 the company offered more than one hundred products and was present in thousands of locations. Its assortment included soaps, candles, perfumes, travel-size skin care, hair products, body lotions, and bath items. An e-commerce website launched in 1999, supporting broader nationwide distribution. That year Quimby acquired Shavitz's remaining one-third interest in exchange for a house in Maine, ending his ownership role in the business. The early 2000s brought further category expansion. Burt's Bees launched toothpaste and shampoo and introduced the Baby Bee line for infant and family care. Quimby also directed company profits toward conservation, including the preservation of substantial Maine forestland and cooperation with The Nature Conservancy. In 2004 AEA Investors purchased an 80 percent interest for a reported $173 million, while Quimby kept 20 percent and a board seat. Shavitz later received compensation connected with the transaction. Clorox acquired Burt's Bees in 2007 for a reported $925 million. The acquisition gave Clorox a prominent natural personal-care platform and gave Burt's Bees access to greater marketing, distribution, and operational resources. John Replogle served as chief executive from 2006 until 2011, when he left for Seventh Generation. Nick Vlahos, a Clorox veteran, became vice president and general manager in 2011 and departed Clorox in 2017. During the early 2010s, Clorox increased advertising and sales promotion for Burt's Bees, especially its lip-care products. The brand continued to broaden its consumer proposition under Clorox. In 2017 it entered a more complete cosmetics offering with complexion, eye, and cheek products. Its lip balm became a highly recognizable mass-market item, with reports in 2018 emphasizing its exceptionally high purchase frequency. Burt Shavitz died in 2015, but his name and beekeeping association remain central to the brand's identity. In 2014 the documentary film Burt's Buzz examined the history and relationship between the founders. More recently, Burt's Bees has combined product expansion with sustainability and attention-generating collaborations. In 2022 it partnered with rePurpose Global to support recycling infrastructure addressing ocean-bound plastic waste. In 2024 it collaborated with Hidden Valley Ranch on novelty lip balm flavors derived from an April Fool's social-media concept. The brand remains an active global personal-care business owned by The Clorox Company, with lip care at its center and adjacent activities across facial care, body care, hair care, baby care, and cosmetics.
- 2024
A Hidden Valley Ranch collaboration launched
[1]The companies released limited-edition novelty lip balm flavors based on ranch-themed social content.
- 2022
A plastic-waste partnership was announced
[1]Burt's Bees partnered with rePurpose Global on recycling infrastructure.
- 2017
The brand entered full color cosmetics
[1]Burt's Bees launched foundation, mascara, eye shadow, blush, and related makeup products.
- 2007
Clorox acquired Burt's Bees
[1]The Clorox Company acquired the brand and its operating business.
- 2004
AEA Investors acquired a majority stake
[1]AEA Investors acquired 80 percent of the company, while Roxanne Quimby retained a minority interest.
- 2003
Baby Bee was introduced
[1]The Baby Bee range extended the brand into infant and family personal care.
- 2002
Toothpaste and shampoo were launched
[1]Burt's Bees expanded into oral care and hair care.
- 1994
Operations moved to North Carolina
[1]The company relocated its base from Maine to North Carolina as it scaled its personal-care operations.
- 1991
The company incorporated
[1]The incorporated business offered candles, soaps, perfumes, and other natural products.
- 1989
A major candle order accelerated production
[1]An order from New York boutique Zona prompted the company to add employees and expand manufacturing.
Products and positioning
Natural and environmentally conscious personal care at accessible prices, built around beeswax heritage, botanical ingredients, and an approachable alternative to conventional beauty products.
Lip care
Beeswax Lip Balm
The brand's signature product and most important consumer association. The balm uses beeswax heritage as a central part of its identity and helped Burt's Bees move from a regional natural-products business into mass retail. The range has supported numerous flavor and format extensions over time.
Baby care · 2003
Baby Bee
A family of infant and baby personal-care products introduced in the early 2000s. The line extends Burt's Bees' natural-positioning principles into products such as cleansing, moisturizing, and bath care for babies and families.
Skin care
Facial skin care
The facial-care portfolio includes cleansers, moisturizers, treatments, and related products. It represents the brand's expansion beyond lip care into everyday facial routines while retaining botanical, natural-ingredient, and accessible-price associations.
Personal care
Hair and body care
Burt's Bees developed shampoos, body lotions, bath products, soaps, and other cleansing and moisturizing items during its diversification in the 1990s and 2000s. These categories broaden the brand's role from a lip-care specialist to a wider personal-care provider.
Makeup · 2017
Color cosmetics
Introduced as a full cosmetics range in 2017, the assortment included foundation, mascara, eye shadow, blush, and other makeup products. The line applied Burt's Bees' natural and approachable positioning to complexion, eye, and cheek cosmetics.
Controversies
Marketing campaigns
- 2024Hidden Valley Ranch limited-edition collaboration
United States
A social-media joke about ranch-flavored lip balm became a collaborative novelty launch featuring ranch-themed flavors.
Outcome. Limited-edition product launch.
- 2022rePurpose Global recycling partnership
Global
Burt's Bees announced a multiyear partnership to finance recycling infrastructure intended to keep plastic waste from entering the ocean.
Outcome. Partnership announced; specific quantified outcome is not established in the supplied sources.
Brand decisions
2017
Burt's Bees entered full color cosmeticsProduct launchBackground
The brand had established strong recognition in lip care and natural skin care and sought to extend its proposition into makeup.
Action taken
It launched products including foundation, mascara, eye shadow, and blush.
Aftermath
The move broadened the brand's presence in beauty while maintaining its natural positioning.
2007
Clorox acquired Burt's BeesM&ABackground
Burt's Bees had become a globally distributed natural personal-care brand after the AEA investment and years of product expansion.
Action taken
The Clorox Company purchased the business for a reported $925 million.
Aftermath
Burt's Bees continued as a distinct Clorox-owned brand with expanded marketing and distribution resources.
Reported acquisition price. $925 million (2007)
1994
The company concentrated on personal careStrategyBackground
After developing products across candles, honey, household goods, and food, Burt's Bees was moving toward a more focused personal-care identity.
Action taken
The business shifted its emphasis away from its earlier mixed assortment and toward personal-care products.
Aftermath
The narrower category focus supported later expansion in lip care, skin care, hair care, and baby care.
Recent events
Burt's Bees launches cancer support campaign[4]
Reported:
Burt's Bees launched a campaign with Look Good Feel Better to celebrate and support women facing cancer, featuring Toronto makeup artist Jodi-Ann Blackwood.
Burt’s Bees apologizes over family imagery[3]
Reported:
After social media users condemned an image of a Black family with the father absent, Burt’s Bees apologized, said the choice to use the photo was wrong, and said it had removed the image from its website.
Sources4 sources
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