Clorox bought Burt's Bee's

[Chile Pepper]

I find the scents they use are too strong.

This is one of my pet peeves--perfume in everything, from our facial creams to our toilet paper and everything in between. It's a form of pollution. If I want to smell like a perfume, I'll buy a perfume. Which I don't, indicidentally--it would interfere with my wine tasting. One of my top criteria for using a product is whether it is unscented.

I'm clearly not a Burt's Bees user, but that is sad news about Tom's of Maine.

[OakLeaf]

Better Botanicals is still clean... I think (hope). Dang, I was just going to buy some more Burt's Bees citrus facial scrub, too.

[Thorn]

There was an article in Sunday's NYTimes business section on this. Apparently the company has been on the block for a couple of years. From the article, the implication was that they run as a separate entity and continue to push green production practices.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/06/business/06bees.html

[SheFly]

My DH made me stop buying Burt's Bees products some time ago. They are anti-recreational use land owners. What this means is that even though they have very large land holdings in Maine, they will not open any part of those lands to recreation (including MTB). In fact, they even closed trails that already existed.

So, this news doesn't really affect me as much.

SheFly

[Brandi]

There are a lot of good points here. From being happy about it (employment reasons) to not happy about it.
I myself really like to support the samll businesses. I also understand that sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. And I hope that what Thorn says is true that they will keep the same values.
Now as far as what Shefly said about the land use...is it possible that they might be trying to preserve the land from overuse? I know where I live there are a lot of area's that get closed from overuse. Sometimes for a very long time to get the natrual flora to come back. I am just asking. I know area's here on the central coast that have been closed for all the 14 years I have lived here cause they have just been used to the point of almost no return.

[Brandi]

I just read this article and found it very interesting. What an odd couple they were. So now I am confused. I want to support large companies trying to change but.....I am just not sure? http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/06/bu...&ex=1199854800
It seems the larger the company the more things fall through the cracks. The control part seems to go down hill. This is from personal experience with things I have bought in the past. I don't know it confusses me.

[tulip]

I used to live next to Roxanne when she first moved to NC. She drove a 1985 Honda Civic wagon, even though I know she could have upgraded. She eventually did (my friend bought the Civic). I visited the second (I think) plant they had in Raleigh. Seemed pretty darn big to me. I never did like the products--too greasy and heavy and fragrancey for my skin, but I like their labels.

Can't blame the business-owner for being successful. The best way to make sure of the products we buy is to either make them yourself or buy them directly from the makers (small scale, like at farmers markets). That's not always an option, either because of time, know-how, availability, or quality. I do what I can to live lightly, but I don't agonize over it. I used to, and it made me quite worried all the time. I lightened up, and I'm happier.

[Jo-n-NY]

If you want to replace your Burts Bee's products with a small company for lotions, bath products and lip balm, try Canus. Although the lip balm is made of beeswax, the lotions and body products are made from goats milk which creates a wonderful product.

~ JoAnn