Vegan Burt's Bees: What It Really Means and What to Look For

When you see vegan Burt's Bees, a line of personal care products marketed as free from animal-derived ingredients and not tested on animals. Also known as cruelty-free and plant-based skincare, it appeals to people who want effective products without harming animals or using hidden animal parts like beeswax, lanolin, or honey. But here’s the catch—not everything labeled "Burt's Bees" is vegan, even if it says "natural" or "organic." The brand uses beeswax in many of its best-selling lip balms and creams, which comes from bees. That’s not vegan, no matter how ethically the bees are treated.

So what does vegan skincare, products made without any animal ingredients or by-products, including honey, milk, collagen, or keratin actually look like? It means the formula replaces beeswax with plant waxes like candelilla or carnauba, swaps lanolin for shea butter, and avoids any testing on animals—even in countries where it’s required by law. cruelty-free cosmetics, products not tested on animals at any stage of development are different from vegan ones. A product can be cruelty-free but still contain beeswax. And vice versa—a vegan product might still be tested on animals if sold in China, though Burt’s Bees isn’t sold there.

That’s why checking the label matters. Burt’s Bees does have a vegan line—look for the official Vegan Society logo or the phrase "100% Vegan" on the packaging. Their vegan products include the Sensitive Skin line, some lip balms like the Mango flavor, and their facial cleansers. But their classic Beeswax Lip Balm? Not vegan. Their hand cream with royal jelly? Nope. You can’t assume. You have to read.

And it’s not just about ingredients. natural beauty products, formulas using plant-based, minimally processed components without synthetic dyes or parabens often get confused with vegan ones. Natural doesn’t mean animal-free. Honey is natural. So is lanolin. Both are off-limits for vegans. That’s why third-party certifications like Vegan Action or The Vegan Society are your best tools—they audit ingredients, supply chains, and manufacturing to make sure nothing animal-derived slipped in.

If you’re switching to vegan skincare, you’re not just avoiding beeswax—you’re choosing transparency. You’re asking: Where did this come from? Who was harmed? What’s hidden in the fine print? Burt’s Bees has made progress. They’ve launched vegan options. But their brand identity still leans hard on bees. That’s fine if you’re okay with that. But if you’re vegan, you need to pick carefully. Don’t trust the name. Trust the label.

Below, you’ll find real breakdowns of what’s in Burt’s Bees products, how they compare to other vegan brands, and which ones actually meet clean beauty standards—no marketing fluff, just facts you can use to shop smarter.