Burt of Burt’s Bees has left us for greener pastures, but his legacy remains, says Diana Clarke.
It’s not often that you hear about the co-founder of a billion-dollar cosmetics corporation living in a turkey coop and dedicating his life to protesting consumerism, but that is exactly how Burt Shavitz spent his enriched 80 years. A bearded man from Maine who passed away early last year, Burt was an eccentric soul. A nature lover, a wisecracker and, of course, an exceptional beekeeper, Burt kept true to his roots and love of the simple life, bowing out of the Burt’s Bees juggernaut in 1999 with an extra US$130,000 ($203,000) in his pocket. The corporation was sold to Clorox in 2007 for US$970 million, where Burt’s shared its sustainability practices with the company, who went on to develop an effective sustainability program within months of the Burt’s acquisition.
The namesake of Burt’s Bees started out selling home-grown honey from the back of his pick-up. Things started to change when, in 1984, a Maine local artist Roxanne Quimby was hitching for a ride, and Burt pulled over to offer a lift. The two hit it off instantly and soon became partners, both in the personal and professional sense, with Roxanne extending Burt’s business by crafting and selling candles made from excess wax from his hives.
In 1991 Roxanne decided to use the wax for a new purpose. Capitalising on the bountiful health benefits of beeswax, she perfected a beeswax-based lip balm recipe from a 19th century Farmers Journal, and the Burt’s Bees lip balm legacy was born.
And what a legacy it is. From turning a US$20,000 profit in their first year of business, to the mogul status that Burt’s Bees holds today, the company sells a lip balm every two seconds worldwide, and enjoys over 300 million sales each year.
Following on from the success of Burt’s balms, new products emerged. A crowd favourite is Intense Hydration. This range lets our skin imitate the hydration process of its star ingredient, clary sage, a botanical that can thrive in the harshest of environments due to its ability to retain moisture. The range includes five products, from cream cleanser, to a lotion, eye and night cream, and finally a treatment mask, that, when used together, hydrate the skin and reduce the appearance of fine lines in three weeks.
Meanwhile, the lip balm that started it all has barely changed. The conditioning and anti-oxidising effects of the beeswax repairs chapped lips and keeps skin soft and smooth, and a hint of peppermint oil gives that renowned Burt’s tingle. For the fashion focussed wearer, Lip Shimmer adds a lush, sultry hue. In knowing that we ingest a percentage of our lip cosmetics, it is comforting to know Burt’s lip colours include only natural ingredients.
These products are an environmentally friendly choice. True to its namesake’s eco-warrior image, Burt’s sends no waste to landfills, reuses and reclaims water, and has just committed to sourcing only renewable palm oil for its product line by 2020.
Burt’s is selling over 30,000 balms a day, but you’re still buying the 100% natural, eco-friendly, nutrient-packed product of the man whose face is proudly emblazoned on the packaging. Burt Shavitz’ legacy lives on.
