A natural skincare and cosmetics company founded in Maine in 1984, Burt's Bees began manufacturing beeswax-based candles and hand salves from the byproducts of co-founder Burt Shavitz's honey business. In 1991, the company produced its first lip balms, which today are its bestselling products. All contain natural emollients and flavors or fragrances from aromatic plants. They are free of parabens, sulfates, petrochemicals and phthalates.
Plant-Based Formula
Burt's Bees lip balms and creams contain natural emollients from plant sources to moisturize the lips. Sunflower seed oil, coconut oil, sweet almond oil, castor seed oil, tocopherol (Vitamin E), soybean oil and canola oil prevent chapping and windburn. Lip balms also contain fruit flavors or fragrances from plant extracts like peppermint.
Beeswax and Honey
Bees create beeswax in the cells of their honeycombs during the honey-making process. In Burt's Bees balms, beeswax emulsifies the plant emollients into a solid form. When applied to the lips, beeswax moisturizes and creates a barrier against cold and dry air to preserve the skin's suppleness. Honey, the specialty ingredient in Burt's Bees Honey Lip Balm, moisturizes and adds a sweet, mouth-watering flavor to the lips.
Mango Butter
Mango butter, the eponymous ingredient in Burt's Bees Nourishing Lip Balm with Mango Butter, comes from the kernel of the Mangifera indica fruit. Similar in color and texture to cocoa butter, mango butter moisturizes and lubricates the lips.
Acai Berry
Grown deep in South American rain forests, acai berries are stuffed with antioxidants, vitamins and healthy omega oils, which may alleviate symptoms of some chronic diseases, though the Mayo Clinic reports that research is still inconclusive. Burt's Bees Rejuvenating Lip Balm with Acai Berry claims cell-regenerative properties, a sweet flavor and dark purple color that imparts a berry-like tint to lips.
Pomegranate Oil
Like acai berry, pomegranates are packed with antioxidants. Though its health benefits haven't been proven, the Mayo Clinic suggests pomegranate juice may lower cholesterol and slow the aging process. Burt's Bees Rejuvenating Lip Balm with Pomegranate Oil contains antioxidants called polyphenols that protect skin and hair from environmental pollution.
Titanium Dioxide
The active ingredient in Burt's Bees Sun Protecting Lip Balm with SPF 8, titanium dioxide occurs naturally as a mineral called rutile. Lifeguards often apply titanium dioxide as a sunscreen: the whitish mineral creates an opaque light-reflecting barrier on the skin. This lip ointment may leave white traces on the lips, so use sparingly when you plan to be out in the sun for an extended period.
Clove Oil
Extracted from the fruit of the tropical Eugenia caryophyllus tree, clove oil acts as a natural anesthetic and antiseptic that numbs the pain of toothaches. It appears in Burt's Bees Medicated Lip Balm as a soothing ingredient to the basic moisturizing formula that warms chapped, sore lips.
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