Waste of Space Nominee #8: Burt's Bees

The Article:
AlterNet / By Andrea Whitfill COMMENTS: 227 Burt's Bees, Tom's of Maine, Naked Juice: Your Favorite Brands? Take Another Look -- They May Not Be What They Seem

The Upshot:

A lot of purportedly natural, organic, and eco-friendly are paying the fine rather than listing what's actually in their products, which includes fun, happy ingredients such as lead.

This is theoretically acceptable because you don't ingest makeup.

From Me:
I, for one, chew my lips a lot. I will have to seek out non-lead-containing lip products in the future.

This isn't the newest news in world, but I feel it's worth dredging up again, since clearly the level of attention this issue has received thus far hasn't created any change.


Burt's Bees is now owned by Clorox. This is not exactly a name brand I trust when it comes to products I put on my face. Get out that nasty stain, yes. Unclog my toilet? Sure. Luscious cherry lip gloss? Not so much.

I think it's unacceptable to permit companies to pay a fine and then continue not to list all their ingredients on their products. I think removal of their products from distribution until labeling is updated a rather more satisfying solution.

The Upshot:
Is it acceptable for companies not to list all their ingredients on their products? How would you resolve the issue?

Fun Fact Afterthought:
Natural Flavor doesn't mean flavor that comes from a natural source. It means it's a flavor that tastes like something that exists in nature (like strawberry). Artificial Flavor means it's a flavor that doesn't exist in nature (bubble gum, for example). Both are chemical.