Is Burt’s Bees Bodywash Bee-lievable?
Submitted by Beauty Brains Blog
Demi’s buzzing about Burt: Is Burt’s Bees bodywash really the bee’s knees (forgive me for the horrible pun)? It is supposedly all natural and has no harmful ingredients. I am just scared to try it because I am a very gullible person and all of their advertisements are so convincing.
The Right Brain’s stinging reply:
Burt’s bees claim to fame is that their products are “natural.” That’s a tricky claim since there are no real standards for what qualifies as a natural cosmetic product.
Unbee-lievable
Let’s take a look at exactly what good ol’ Burt says about his body wash. (By the way, in case you didn’t know, Burt’s Bees was recently purchased by the Chlorox company.) According to Drugstore.com this product is “an all-natural creamy body wash infused with oil beads to moisturize while you cleanse.” It’s also “pH Balanced, Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate Free and Paraben Free.” And here are the ingredients:
Water, Decylglucoside, Carthamus Tinctoria (Safflower) Oleosomes, Sodium Cocoyl Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Glycerin, Fragrance, Coco Glucoside, Glyceryl Oleate, Non Fat Dry Milk, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Xanthan Gum, Glucose, Citric Acid, Glucose Oxidase, Lactoperoxidase
All the ingredients in this formula can be traced to a “natural” source: Decylglucoside is a corn based surfactant that’s chemically derived, ditto for the safflower oleosomes, soy protein, glycerin, etc. Even the preservatives can be said to have natural origins.
Natural but not better
If you’re concerned about synthetic chemicals in your body wash, Burt’s Bees offers you a potential alternative. But, are they better? Well, they are sulfate free which make sense since some people find sulfates to be drying and/or irritating. (Click here to read our previous post on the sulfate free debate.) The value in their paraben free claim, however, is a bit less clear. Parabens are a touchy subject because some of them have been linked to health issues and those are being removed from cosmetics. But the two parabens most commonly used in cosmetics (methyl and propyl) have been given a clean bill of health. (Intrigued? Read more about the perils of parabens.) And just because a product claims to avoid “scary” ingredients, doesn’t mean it will clean or moisturize your skin better.
The Beauty Brains bottom line
For most people, regular body washes like those offered by Olay, Dove and Caress are perfectly fine. But if it’s peace of mind you’re looking for, then Burt may be best for you. However, be prepared to pay: a 12 oz bottle of Burt’s body wash will set you back about $8 while a larger, 18 oz bottle of Olay is only about $6.
Have you used a new product recently with great results or is there something where you didn't experience great results? We want to know about it. Register on Beauty Secrets Blog now and get published within minutes. Before posting, it is recommended that you review our posting guidelines.
