Review of Burt’s Bees Head to Toe Starter Kit

Burt’s Bees, with product packaging donning the image of its scruffy co-founder, is receiving lots of buzz. I learned of the natural product line while perusing the web. What piqued my interest was the price. Burt’s Bees prices are comparable to high end drugstore cosmetics. Trying to decide what to buy first I noticed Burt’s Bees Head to Toe Starter Kit. It contains eleven sample sized products to cleanse and moisturize your body, from head to toe, for $15. Lets start this review with the head:

Avocado Butter Pre-Shampoo Hair Treatment:
Its texture is like petroleum jelly, and smells like it is fresh from the produce aisle instead of the mall. I should have guessed from the avocado in the name, but it still was a turn off. Avocado butter is applied to wet hair and rinsed after 15 minutes. It coated my thick, wavy hair, and made it feel softer instantly. For the second use I left it in a lot longer. There was no difference between 15 minutes and 45 minutes. Save your time, leave it in 15 minutes, then rinse for softer hair. Pssst-I got five uses out of the sample tube.

Rosemary and Mint Shampoo Bar:
Rosemary, (Rosey for short), did not do it for me. I rubbed the green bar over my wet hair. It lathered easily, but did not impart any extra moisture or shine. I kept having flashbacks to the last time I experimented with a bar of soap on my hair. The soap was Irish Spring, I was nine, and mom was not happy. I expected a refreshing tingle on my scalp from the mint, but no such luck. Most girls want more than just clean hair.

Wild Lettuce Complexion Soap for Dry, Sensitive Skin:
Not another bar! I have a real aversion to bars (I would never survive in prison). I have not used bar soap to cleanse my face since 1997. The wrapper said it was for dry, sensitive skin. Was this soap really made for me? I approached yet another icky green product with trepidation. Gently, I undid its wrapper, and stared it down. Unflinching, the soap won. I added water and massaged my face. No strong scent which is a plus. It rinsed off easily, left my skin feeling smooth, and my complexion clearer. Beacause it did not dryout my skin it has replaced my old cleanser. We are now the best of buddies.

Wild Lettuce Toner for Normal to Dry Skin:
I love to tone my body, mind, and skin. Usually I use witch hazel, or a lotion toner. Wild lettuce toner has a similar look and feel to witch hazel. My skin got extra cleansing, looked clear, and did not feel dry. Luckily the forest smell dissipates quickly.

Citrus Facial Scrub:
Ugh! I do not want to talk about this product. After using wild lettuce soap and toner I was excited to indulge in the scrub. Strike one-It smelled like a rotting pumpkin with orange zest. Strike two-It was hard as a rock! I struggled to scoop a little scrub out of its jar. After continuously adding water to soften into a paste I decided to go for it. Strike three-It felt like sandpaper scraping across my skin! It was the roughest scrub I ever used. I immediately rinsed and spent the next two days apologizing to my face.

Milk and Honey Body Lotion:
The smell is more tolerable than other items in the kit. The lotion has a beautiful golden color. I hoped it would give my skin a healthy glow. It is thin and easy to spread, but my skin was moisturized half as long as usual. To be fair, my skin is extra dry. Milk and Honey Body Lotion may be perfect for skin not so dry.

Hand Salve:
Cute, convenient tin once you get past the image of Burt. The ointment is stiff, but spreads easily once warmed in your hand. It was too greasy for my liking. My skin did not absorb the salve. It sat on top of my skin leaving a slick mess. My hands looked like I played with bacon grease.

Almond Milk Beeswax Hand Cream:
Another thick, greasy salve. If you want to know more about the hand cream refer to Hand Salve.

Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream:
I could eat this with a spoon. It smells like fresh baked lemon cake. Only a little bit will moisturize all cuticles on one hand. It is really smooth, and a must have for for cuticle freaks.

Coconut Foot Cream:
Very nice coconut smell. I always like my tootsies to smell good! It is thick and golden, and my feet absorbed it easily. They felt smooth and non greasy. Coconut Foot Cream kept away dryness all day.

Last, but not least…

Beeswax Lip Balm:
Soothing, cooling, refreshing are the perfect words to describe Beeswax Lip Balm. These are not my words, but they are the most accurate description of any product in the line. It smells like Wrigley’s Doublemint chewing gum. My lips had a pleasant tingle. They were softened and moisturized immediately. I reapplied Beeswax Lip Balm less often during the day than my usual lip treatment. This works for me.