A tribute to the man behind the Burt's Bees

Whether you're a beauty addict or not, you've probably used Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm at some point in your life. From its iconic yellow packaging, peppermint scent, and the tingling sensation it leaves on your lips, the balm is a classic, having been released in 1991. The man behind it, Bart Shavitz, was more than just that. A leader in the natural products category, his passion for bees and the environment has left a lasting mark on the beauty world.Whether you're a beauty addict or not, you've probably used Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm at some point in your life. From its iconic yellow packaging, peppermint scent, and the tingling sensation it leaves on your lips, the balm is a classic, having been released in 1991. The man behind it, Bart Shavitz, was more than just that. A leader in the natural products category, his passion for bees and the environment has left a lasting mark on the beauty world. As a beauty editor, I've always loved Burt's Bees products, especially their cucumber and sage cleansing towels, Carolina Coast lip crayons, and their coconut foot cream. I've been a fan of the brand for years, but I must admit that I had no idea that Burt was a real person until the day I headed to a meeting with a Burt's representative. Wild white beard and train hat. The man whose face was imprinted on the product, the eponymous Bart! came to life in the lobby of my office building. After nerding out and asking him for a picture, we sat and talked, and I learned that Beeman (as he liked to be called) was living a modest life in rural Maine with his dog. He was a beekeeper by trade who loved to use sustainable practices and make natural products. What I liked about Bart was that despite the rapid growth of his company (from selling products at craft fairs in the 1980's to being bought by Clorox for $925 million in 2007), I can say that he stayed true to himself and his From his appearance to his lifestyle, the success of his brand has not changed him. This is a rare thing in today's world. A few years after meeting Burt, I was fortunate enough to be invited to the company's headquarters in Durham, North Carolina, where I toured their laboratory. I've been to many R&D facilities in my life, but this one was different. Everything that was produced there was sourced from nature. That meant tracking down natural shine ingredients such as daisy extracts as moisturizers, or discovering that clary sage could enhance the skin's ability to hydrate. Creating a product is not so easy when chemicals are removed from the equation, but Bart never took the easy way out. During my visit, the company was working on their Renewal line to target wrinkles. After much trial and error, they discovered that the combination of apple and hibiscus plumped and tightened the skin. I tried the serum and the texture felt silky and after a few weeks my skin felt supple and visibly smoother. I left the lab with a true appreciation for the brand and its effective, affordable, unpretentious and practical products. As well as the bees that produce some of the healing ingredients in the brand's formulas. The tour of the headquarters became even more interesting when we were able to see the observation hive, home to over 15,000 bees, the largest in North Carolina. Its purpose is to educate visitors about how important bees are to human life and the environment. As we say goodbye to Bert, his passion and respect for the environment will live on. And his products serve as an important reminder that sometimes the best solution to a problem, such as a beauty-related one, is a simple one.