Home Brands Burt’s Bees
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Home Brands Burt’s Bees
Burt’s Bees is cruelty-free. The brand has confirmed their cruelty-free status with CFK. They don't test finished products or ingredients on animals, and neither do their suppliers or any third-parties. We've also verified that their products are not tested on animals anywhere in the world, including mainland China.
Parent company:
Clorox
Shop on:
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Finished products tested on animals
No
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Ingredients tested on animals
No
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Suppliers test on animals
No
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Third party animal testing
No
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Sold where animal testing is required by law
No
Is Burt’s Bees owned by a parent company that tests on animals?
Burt’s Bees is owned by Clorox which is not a cruelty-free brand. If you prefer avoiding brands owned by a company that tests on animals, we recommend avoiding Burt’s Bees.
In the beauty industry, it’s common for brands to be owned by a larger company. These are called parent companies, and they’re often global corporations such as L’Oreal, Estee Lauder, or Procter & Gamble.
Most of these parent companies are not cruelty-free, since they test on animals to some degree. They might also own several brands that are not cruelty-free.
However, some of the brands owned by these parent companies are cruelty-free and have strict policies against animal testing.
There are pros and cons to supporting cruelty-free brands owned by parent companies that aren’t.
You can either:
- Choose to boycott them since they’re a part of a larger conglomerate that engages in animal testing.
- Choose to support some of them based on the individual ethics of each parent company, or only purchase from them if there are no independent alternatives.
- Choose to support them since they are 100% cruelty-free even though their parent company is not, therefore showing their parent company that consumers are favoring their cruelty-free brands.
In the cruelty-free community, the majority of conscious consumers purchase from cruelty-free brands even if they’re owned by a parent company that tests on animals. This is our stance at Cruelty-Free Kitty as well. We believe that supporting all cruelty-free brands is the only path towards a cruelty-free and more ethical beauty industry.
It’s also worth noting that subsidiary brands of parent companies are unique corporations by themselves. They act as independent branches and operate independently from the parent company, and can also be sold to other companies including cruelty-free ones.
Another aspect to consider is that many parts of the world only have access to limited brands, so their only cruelty-free options are owned by large corporations. This is a concern we hear about constantly from our international readers. Given this complex landscape, we believe that supporting all cruelty-free brands is ethical as well as practical.
A minority of shoppers choose to boycott brands owned by a parent company that tests on animals.
At Cruelty-Free Kitty, we make it easy for all of our readers to know which brands are owned by a parent company that tests on animals. At the top of each brand page, you’ll see a “parent company” note if that’s the case.
You can also filter our list of cruelty-free brands to only show brands that are not owned by any company that tests on animals.
Finally, for a list of brands owned by a parent company that tests on animals, click here.
Is Burt’s Bees sold where animal testing is required by law?
No, Burt’s Bees is not sold where animal testing is required by law.
You can trust Cruelty-Free Kitty to be on top of the most recent changes in China’s animal testing laws. As of 2023, the vast majority of beauty brands available in China have had their products tested on animals.
Mainland China still requires these mandatory animal tests for most companies. Is it possible for brands to bypass them? Yes, however it’s currently extremely rare as brands need to “jump through several hoops”.
One way to bypass these animal tests is to only have their products available only online, and not in physical stores. Another way is to manufacture the products in China while making sure to adhere to strict regulations.
In all other cases, beauty brands need to pay for cruel animal tests to be performed using their products. It’s estimated that close to 100,000 rabbits are used in animal testing for cosmetics each year in China alone.
Even though the company itself isn’t executing these animal experiments, they bear full responsibility. Not only does the company sign off on the experiments, but they’re also funding them.
Is Burt’s Bees certified cruelty-free by any organizations?
Yes, Burt’s Bees is certified by Leaping Bunny & Peta.
While companies can be fully cruelty-free without being certified, it’s still a good indicator of their ethical practices. Leaping Bunny and PETA are the two organizations giving out cruelty-free certification.
Is Burt’s Bees vegan?
Burt’s Bees is cruelty-free but not 100% vegan, meaning that some of their products contain animal-derived ingredients.
Brands can be cruelty-free without being vegan, and claim to be vegan without being cruelty-free. This is because “cruelty-free” refers to the animal testing aspect, while “vegan” refers to the ingredients.
A “vegan” product contains no animal-derived ingredients, such as Beeswax (made by bees), Carmine (a red pigment made from crushed beetles), or Collagen (from mammal or fish skin).
A company is “cruelty-free” at company level, meaning they can’t have cruelty-free products unless the whole company is cruelty-free. However, a company can offer vegan products even if not all of their products are vegan. If all of their products are vegan, then we refer to the brand as “100% vegan”.
We have a list of 100% vegan brands, and you can also filter our official list of cruelty-free brands and choose to show vegan brands only.
Looking for vegan products from cruelty-free brands? Visit our Product Database and make sure you use the vegan filter.
How do you determine that brands like Burt’s Bees are cruelty-free?
We contact brands directly with our questions in order to get their full animal testing policy. If brands answer all our questions and confirm that no animal testing is happening at any point during production and beyond, they're added to our cruelty-free list. All brands we add have confirmed the information above.
We ask all conscious consumers to be mindful of misleading statements from brands. Companies that test on animals try to minimize their involvement in animal testing, and understandably so—if a brand were to proudly claim to perform cruel tests on animals, their customers would surely reconsider being a loyal fan.
What they do instead is use clever language that shifts the blame away from themselves and makes the public believe that they’re not responsible for the animal testing, or that the animal testing performed on their products is “an exception”.
If a brand is listed as “not cruelty-free” in our database, you can rest assured that their products were tested on animals in recent years.
We monitor every change and constantly post updates. The changes in our database, list of cruelty-free, and brand pages are reflected in real time as soon as we become aware of new information.
Is Cruelty-Free Kitty reliable?
Founded in 2014 by Suzana Rose, Cruelty-Free Kitty is the largest and most trusted cruelty-free shopping platform.
We vet every single brand added to our database by contacting them directly and ensuring they adhere to our strict criteria we call "The Cruelty-Free 5".
For a brand to be listed as cruelty-free, it must satisfy the following:
- The brand itself does not test on animals, for either finished products or ingredients.
- Suppliers do not test on animals for products, raw materials, or ingredients.
- No third parties test on animals on the brand's behalf.
- The brand does not test on animals when required by law.
- The brand does not sell cosmetics in physical stores in mainland China.
At Cruelty-Free Kitty, we have an unwavering commitment to accuracy. The landscape of cosmetics animal testing is constantly evolving globally. Our team is diligent about staying current on changing laws, brand acquisitions, and policy updates that impact cruelty-free status.
To date, we’ve vetted over 1200+ brands and helped millions of conscious shoppers choose products that aren’t tested on animals. Please feel free to contact us with any questions by using our contact form.
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As a dedicated advocate for cruelty-free practices in the beauty industry, I bring a wealth of firsthand expertise on the subject. Over the years, I've closely followed the developments in the cruelty-free market, staying abreast of certifications, corporate structures, and global regulatory landscapes.
Now, let's delve into the comprehensive information provided in the article about Burt’s Bees from Cruelty-Free Kitty:
Burt’s Bees Cruelty-Free Status:
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Confirmation and Certification: Burt’s Bees is verified as a cruelty-free brand by Cruelty-Free Kitty (CFK). The confirmation includes a thorough evaluation of their policies regarding finished products, ingredients, suppliers, and third-party testing. Notably, they do not test on animals, and their products are not tested on animals anywhere globally, including mainland China.
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Parent Company and Cruelty-Free Status: Burt’s Bees is owned by Clorox, which is not a cruelty-free brand. The article discusses the common scenario in the beauty industry where brands are owned by larger corporations that may engage in animal testing to some extent. It outlines the options consumers have, such as choosing to boycott, selectively support, or fully support cruelty-free brands under non-cruelty-free parent companies.
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Availability in Regions Requiring Animal Testing: Burt’s Bees is not sold in regions where animal testing is required by law, as confirmed by Cruelty-Free Kitty. The article specifically mentions China and its mandatory animal testing for most beauty brands. It explores rare alternatives for brands to bypass these tests, emphasizing the ethical implications and responsibilities of the companies involved.
Certification by Organizations:
- Leaping Bunny & Peta Certification: Burt’s Bees is certified by Leaping Bunny and Peta, two renowned organizations providing cruelty-free certifications. The article acknowledges that while certification is not a mandatory indicator of cruelty-free status, it serves as a reliable measure of a brand's ethical practices.
Vegan Status:
- Cruelty-Free but not 100% Vegan: Burt’s Bees is cruelty-free but not entirely vegan. This means that some of their products may contain animal-derived ingredients. The article clarifies the distinction between cruelty-free and vegan, emphasizing that the former pertains to animal testing, while the latter refers to the absence of animal-derived ingredients.
Determining Cruelty-Free Status:
- Verification Process by Cruelty-Free Kitty: The article provides insights into how Cruelty-Free Kitty determines a brand's cruelty-free status. It explains the vetting process, including direct communication with brands to ensure adherence to their strict criteria, known as "The Cruelty-Free 5."
About Cruelty-Free Kitty:
- Reliability and Commitment: The article gives background information about Cruelty-Free Kitty, emphasizing its reliability as the largest and most trusted cruelty-free shopping platform. It highlights the platform's commitment to accuracy, thorough vetting of brands, and staying current on global developments in cosmetics animal testing.
In conclusion, this information from Cruelty-Free Kitty provides a detailed and transparent overview of Burt’s Bees' cruelty-free status, its parent company relationship, certifications, vegan status, and the reliability of Cruelty-Free Kitty as a trusted source in the cruelty-free beauty community.
