Well, crap. I was curious how Burt's Bees ended up on an end cap in Target.
And now I know. They were bought out in November by. . .Clorox. Despite the arguable effects of chlorine bleach on the environment, the deeper question is, "Can I support a company that was essential in creating the market of disposability and 'convenient' cleaning products." This, in my mind, is a neon warning light of a company that doesn't put the environment over the dollar. So. crap.
First it was L'Oreal, when it bought out the Body Shop.
Then Colgate bought Tom's of Maine. And now Burt's Bees, and I feel really sad about that one.
I'm always a bit suspicious when small brands become widely available, simply because it means their distribution is on a wider scale, wider distribution = bigger corporation. And yes, I'm all for successful companies, but I'm avidly against large corporations disguising themselves as the little guy. The inauthenticity feels degrading to me.
And, yes, all three of these companies still animal test, so even after rationalizing purchasing from a large corporation, can you really buy into their "Not tested on animals" label? Look closely, they've each kept the packaging similar to the pre-buyout days. The products are probably the same (though the Body Shop lost their simple/natural approach a long time ago)but the ethos is different. For that reason, washing my hair with Burt's Bees shampoo will still leave me feeling dirty.
1 comment:
this is SO depressing to me. Burt's Bees has always been one of my favorites. I checked out the PETA website recently to see the list of animal testers vs. non-animal testers and was astounded at the number of companies that test on the poor little things. but i was also gladdened to see the number of companies that do not, so there is still good in the world. down with big corporations!
ps- have you ever tried beauty without cruelty products? (http://www.beautywithoutcruelty.com). they are wonderful!!!
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