Aubrey Organics Jojoba Meal and Oatmeal Mask and Scrub

photo courtesy of Aubrey Organics

I got this mask before my excursion into baking soda, because I wanted a scrubby mask.  I chose this, even though it’s meant for dry skin, because this is the only Aubrey mask that is also a scrub.

I mainly used this as a facial scrub, and it did a great job.  This isn’t a rough scrub because the scrubby bits are ground up really well.  Unlike the apricot kernel or almond scrubs you may have used in the past, this isn’t going to scrape your face up and make it sting.  Used as a scrub, I would recommend this for any skin type, though people with sensitive skin might want to avoid it.

I only used this as a mask once or twice.  Like the other Aubrey masks I’ve reviewed, this one doesn’t dry on the skin, so it’s easy to remove–especially if you then scrub it off gently with water.  After use, my skin was soft and moisturized, and no oilier than normal several hours later.  And this didn’t cause my skin to break out.

I don’t remember much of the fragrance.  It wasn’t offensive, and I think it’s slightly herbally, much like the other Aubrey products I’ve used.

Jojoba meal and Oatmeal Mask and Scrub, $9.43, 4 ounces.

INGREDIENTS INCI: Aqua, alcohol denat. (38b, lavender*), simmondsia chinensis seed powder*, cetyl alcohol, avena sativa kernel flour, glycerin, citrus grandis seed extract, glyceryl linoleate, glyceryl linolenate, triticum vulgare germ oil, rosa rubiginosa (Rosa Mosqueta®) fruit oil*, persea gratissima oil, tocopheryl acetate, hamamelis virginiana water, pimenta acris leaf oil, cymbopogon nardus oil, ferula galbaniflua oil, lavandula hybrida oil, citrus limonum peel oil, evernia prunastri extract, mentha piperita oil, abies sibirica oil, rosmarinus officinalis leaf oil, aloe barbadensis leaf*, ascorbic acid, fucus vesiculosus extract, laminaria digitata extract, glycine soja oil, daucus carota sativa root extract, beta carotene.

Parabens to you!

I found the following article in this morning’s Chicago Tribune:

Parabens: Are parabens in cosmetics unsafe? – chicagotribune.com.

Don’t be fooled by paraben hype

These cosmetic preservatives aren’t evil, yet many cosmetic-makers, reacting to mistaken consumer perception, have pulled them as product ingredients

Sfree moisture shampoo (February 10, 2011)

// If you stroll down the cosmetic aisle, you’ll quickly see the controversy.

Paraben-free labels are attached to a handful of lotions, soaps and other products. But while these so-called dangerous chemicals are causing quite the stir among naturalists, environmentalists and organic consumers, it’s a fight that many dermatologists are saying is getting out of control for the wrong reasons.

“Parabens” is the big word for a host of commonly used cosmetic ingredients including methylparaben, propylparaben and butylparaben. They’ve been around for decades without any issues, and are used to extend the shelf life of just about every packaged beauty product.

Parabens started getting their bad rep in 2004, when a study was published in the Journal of Applied Toxicology linking them with breast cancer. And while the validity of the study was questioned by the American Cancer Society, among other organizations, consumers started rebelling, and last year, some paraben products were pulled off the counter by cosmetic giants, such as Aveda.

“Despite the fact that third-party review has confirmed that parabens of the type and concentration used by Aveda are safe, out of respect for consumer preference, we made the decision to reformulate products containing paraben-based preservatives,” said Pat Peterson, vice president of research and development at Aveda.

The company’s paraben-free efforts started in 2005 and were completed last year, when the entire product line went paraben-free.

Still, some dermatologists said efforts to zap parabens are not necessary.

Dr. Ranella Hirsch, a Boston-based dermatologist and past president of the American Society of Cosmetic Dermatology and Aesthetic Surgery, said any product requiring a shelf life needs a preservative, whether that preservative is a paraben or something else to stunt the growth of bacteria.

Since most of the products need to stay on the counter or in your bathroom for more than a few months, some companies are substituting chemicals such as germal, caprylyl glycol and phenoxyethanol for parabens, which they say are better for your body than paraben products.

One cosmetic company that’s managed to be successful despite the fact that the overwhelming majority of its products are completely preservative-free is Lush. Its secret: 70 percent of their goodies aren’t preserved, and will only last a few months in your refrigerator.

“We are very experienced in making things into solid form, or formulating products which have a short shelf life, and making products fresh to order,” said Helen Ambrosen, product creator and co-founder of Lush. “All this helps us minimize our use of preservatives, but the reality is that some products must contain preservatives because they are stored at room temperature and contain a lot of water. In these products, like shower gels and liquid shampoos, Lush only uses parabens as a last resort and in the safest and most mild form.”

Still, regulatory agencies including the Food and Drug Administration and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review found that parabens’ use in all products never even comes close to becoming unsafe.

A review by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review found that parabens are safe for use in cosmetic products at levels up to 25 percent. Typically, those products only use parabens at levels ranging from 0.01 percent to 0.3 percent.

Dr. Paradi Mirmirani, staff dermatologist with The Permanente Medical Group in California, and a faculty member of the American Academy of Dermatology, said that while parabens aren’t harmful, they’ve become a clever marketing tool.

“Rarely, people can develop allergic reactions to paraben-containing products, but I’m not aware of any data showing harm at any level,” Mirmirani said. “Sometimes, decisions on ingredients are made based on marketing and a label suggesting paraben-free or sulfate-free suggest that the product is somehow superior, though there may not be much data.”

If you still want to go without

There are many products that are paraben-free.

These are some of our favorites:

Aveda Enbrightenment Brightening Correcting Lotion: Moisturizing lotion made from 100 percent naturally derived products. It minimizes dark spots while protecting your face from other harmful environmental influences.

$50 at aveda.com.

Shelf life: 2 years.

Sfree Moisture Shampoo: Containing about a dozen botanical extracts, it’s a sulfate-free, paraben-free shampoo that’s still safe for color-treated hair.

$19.85 at healthyhairplus.com. Shelf life: 1 year.

Lush Aqua Marina Cleanser: It’s not the prettiest — this cleanser actually looks like a piece of sushi — but it’s super calming and gentle on your skin, despite being able to zap all the dirt and grime. It’s also one of the only cleansers on the market that’s completely preservative-free.

$10.95 at lush.com.

Shelf life: 3 months.

Kiss My Face SPF 30: While it’s a little runny, this sunscreen does its job and really protects your body from the rays.

$10.99 at amazon.com.

Shelf life: 2 years.

While the title of the post might (hopefully) get some of my friends to chuckle a bit, there is something serious to be said about discussing parabens in our beauty products.  It’s great that more studies have been done and that parabens might not be as much of a cancer risk as previously thought.  However, there are other health risks from using parabens, one of which I mentioned in this blog post on February 11, 2011: reproductive risks to children (and possibly adults).

I’ve found Skin Deep, the Environmental Working Group’s Cosmetics Safety Database, to be a great resource to keep track of products and ingredients.  While I’m familiar with some of the more common cosmetic ingredients, simply because I’ve looked them up several times, I won’t assume that you are familiar with them.   In that spirit, I’ll talk a little bit about parabens and include links to the Skin deep pages of the three listed in the article.

“Methylparaben is in the paraben family of preservatives used by the food, pharmaceutical, and personal care product industries. Parabens mimic estrogen and can act as potential hormone (endocrine) system disruptors” (from Skin Deep).  Skin Deep lists the main concerns from its use as allergies/immunotoxicity; endocrine disruption; biochemical or cellular level changes; biochemical or cellular level changes; cancer; neurotoxicity; and skin, eye, or lung irritation.

“Propylparaben is in the paraben family of preservatives used by the food, pharmaceutical, and personal care product industries. Parabens mimic estrogen and can act as potential hormone (endocrine) system disruptors” (from Skin Deep).  Skin Deep lists the main concerns with its use as developmental/reproductive toxicity; allergies/immunotoxicity; endocrine disruption; organ system (non-reproductive) toxicity; cancer; neurotoxicity; and ecotoxicology.

“Butylparaben is in the paraben family of preservatives used by the food, pharmaceutical, and personal care product industries. Parabens mimic estrogen and can act as potential hormone (endocrine) system disruptors” (from Skin Deep).  Skin Deep lists the main concerns from its use as developmental/reproductive toxicity; allergies/immunotoxicity; endocrine disruption; biochemical or cellular level changes; cancer; neurotoxicity; organ system (non-reproductive) toxicity; and skin, eye, or lung irritation.

What these risks mean is that at the very least, parabens can cause an allergic reaction and make your skin and eyes itch, or cause some sort of allergic reaction in your lungs.  Or they could affect how  a child’s reproductive system develops, disrupt hormones, cause cellular changes (and possibly cancer), or become toxic to your brain or other organs.

Will any of this definitely happen if we use products containing parabens?  No, it won’t.  These are all just possibilities based on scientific studies of these chemicals.  But since these possible outcomes happened at least once, they could happen again.  I don’t want to scare any of you, but I do want you to be informed consumers.

The major reason people support using parabens in products is because they preserve products, especially those with a high water content.  Spoilage is an issue with some beauty products, and no cosmetic company wants to be known as the one who sells nasty spoiled products.  But there are ways to preserve products without using parabens.  For example, Aubrey Organics uses a combination of citrus seed extract and vitamins A, C, and E as a preservative.  I’ve not had an Aubrey’s product spoil yet.

There are other ways to extend the life of bath and body products at home too.  You can refrigerate or freeze most products.  Put shower gels in the freezer if you know you won’t use them for a long time, and put lotions, creams, and masks in the fridge.  If a product instructs you to not leave it in the shower, then don’t leave it in the shower where heat and high humidity could hasten spoilage.  But most importantly, don’t hoard products.  Only buy what you know you’ll use in a reasonable amount of time, and then use the products you buy.

Aubrey Organics Natural Baby and Kids Bath Soap

photo courtesy of Aubrey Organics

First, I will give you the usual warning about this not being a tear-free product.  if you are going to use this on a baby or very young child, please cover his or her eyes when washing and rinsing with this soap.

The smell of this liquid soap is very light; it reminded me slightly of the usual baby wash fragrance (think Johnson and Johnson’s), though much lighter in intensity, and maybe a little more herbally or floral.

While it doesn’t lather as much as I like (I can’t help it, I like my bubbles), it cleaned Liam’s skin well without drying it out.  Used on a mesh sponge, it doesn’t take much of this to get a small child clean.

Natural Baby and Kids Bath Soap, 8 ounces, $8.98

INGREDIENTS INCI: Aqua, sodium cocoyl hydrolyzed soy protein, oryza sativa (rice) syrup, coco glucoside, glycerin, xanthan gum, aloe barbadensis (aloe) leaf juice*, citrus grandis (grapefruit) seed extract, glyceryl linoleate, glyceryl linolenate, alcohol denat. (38b, lavender*), helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil*, cinnamomum zeylanicum (cinnamon) leaf oil, citrus sinensis (orange) oil*, cymbopogon martini (palmarosa) oil*, aniba rosaeodora (rosewood) oil, citrus aurantium (neroli) oil, vanilla planifolia oil, pelargonium graveolens roseum (rose geranium) oil, tocopheryl acetate, hamamelis virginiana (witch hazel) water, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), foeniculum vulgare (fennel) fruit extract, humulus lupulus (hops) extract, melissa officinalis (balm mint) leaf extract, viscum album (mistletoe) fruit extract, chamomilla recutita (matricaria – German camomile) extract, achillea millefolium (yarrow) extract, glycine soja (soybean) oil, daucus carota sativa (carrot) root extract, beta-carotene.

*Organic

Aubrey Organics Vegecol Alcohol Free Toner

photo courtesy of Aubrey Organics

I used to have oily skin all the time, even up until I was about 29 or 30 years old.  After I became pregnant with Liam, my skin went from oily to normal almost overnight, and stayed that way the majority of my pregnancy.  After Liam was born, my skin stayed normal for a little while, then drifted back towards being combination.  Now, like many women, my face gets oilier or drier with the season.  In the spring and summer, I tend to me more oily all over my face, and in the fall and winter, my skin moves more towards combination.  I used to think it was weird that people would switch their skin care regimes depending on the season, but now I have become one of those people.

I bought Vegecol last winter when I knew I needed a toner, but my face was getting dry and itchy so I didn’t want one with any alcohol in it.  I am so pleased with everything about this toner, and it was a great discovery.

First, the smell is very light and slightly herbally.  Even though it contains lavender water, the smell is only slightly reminiscent of lavender.  It has always bothered me when I used a toner or astringent that had a heavier fragrance that I could smell all day long, and that isn’t a problem with Vegecol.

Because it’s alcohol-free, it won’t sting sensitive skin, or even skin that’s a little drier than normal.  And even though it has no alcohol, this is a good toner for those of you who have oily skin, because the witch hazel serves as a natural, but mild, astringent.  It removes the last traces of grime, cleanser, and makeup without stripping skin.

Vegecol with Aloe Alcohol-Free Facial Toner, 8 ounces, $9.92

INGREDIENTS: Deionized Water, Organic Aloe Vera, Witch Hazel (natural herbal extract), Aubrey’s Preservative (Citrus Seed Extract, Vitamins A, C and E), Lavender Water.

Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose Moisturizing Conditioner

photo courtesy of Aubrey Organics

I am crazy about the smell of Japanese honeysuckle.  About a block from my house, on my walking route, there is a fence that is covered with Japanese honeysuckle, smack dab between two of the cutest houses in the neighborhood.  In mid May and early June, the honeysuckle blooms, and if the breeze is just right, we can smell it in our backyard.  I’m always sad when it quits blooming in the spring, but right about the end of October–surprise!–it blooms again.  So I get out and spend about five minutes with my nose buried in the petals on my way out and back.

So yes, I originally bought this conditioner based on the smell alone.  I walked around smelling honeysuckle all day long.  The best part about the fragrance is that it’s scented with honeysuckle oil, so it’s a true honeysuckle, not some plastic-y honeysuckle wannabe.

I really liked how this worked the first two bottles I used.  It did a good job of moisturizing my hair, which was soft (and smelled good!) and easy to comb through after using.

What I don’t like about this conditioner is that it takes a long time to rinse out of my hair and I have to use very hot water to get it completely rinsed out.  I don’t know if it’s the cream base, shea butter, or both, but it was difficult for me to rinse this, and if I didn’t rinse long enough, my hair was limp.  I tried a third bottle not long ago, and gave up on it because it simply took too long to rinse out of my hair.

Still, I would recommend this highly to anyone based on how well it works and the smell.  Just be patient with the rinse time and remember to use hot water.  And if you have really dry or coarse hair, this might not be a problem for you at all.

Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose Moisturizing Conditioner, 11 ounces,  $10.93

INGREDIENTS: Coconut Fatty Acid Cream Base, Organic Aloe Vera, Organic Shea Butter, Wheat Germ Oil, Organic Jojoba Oil, Organic Rosa Mosqueta® Rose Hip Seed Oil; Extracts of Fennel, Hops, Balm Mint, Mistletoe, Camomile, Yarrow, Chrysanthemum, Angelica, Forsythia and Magnolia; Honeysuckle Oil, Carrot Oil, Aubrey’s Preservative (Citrus Seed Extract, Vitamins A, C and E).

Burt’s Bees Soap Bark and Chamomile deep Cleansing Cream

 

photo courtesy of Burt’s Bees

Of all the items I use in my daily routine, I have yet to find the perfect facial cleanser.  Actually, that’s not true–my favorite cleanser is DHC’s Deep Cleansing Oil.  But since my goal is to use as many earth-friendly products as I can, and the ingredients on the Deep Cleansing Oil aren’t, I’m trying to find a cleanser that I like just as well that won’t make me feel guilty over the ingredients.

This cleanser was my latest in a long line of cleansers.  And I’m still looking.

There are very few products I’ve tried that I genuinely don’t like, but this is one of those few.  On the good side, this smells really nice, and when applied, it feels similar to Noxema (if I had to guess, I’d say that’s the rosemary oil working, because there’s no menthol or eucalyptus in this).

Unfortunately, I don’t think it cleans well, at least on its own.  After rinsing, I find I have a residue on my face that feels like a moisturizer.  I want my face to feel clean after washing, and this doesn’t give me that clean feeling.  Now, if I use this, rinse, then use a lathering cleanser, my skin feels VERY clean.  But I’m a firm believer that I should only have to use one cleanser to get clean skin.  If you have dry or normal skin, this might work for you.  If you have combination or oily skin, skip this.

Burt’s Bees Soap Bark and Chamomile Deep Cleanser, $8, 6 ounces.

Ingredients: water, helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil, stearic acid, glycerin, cocos nucifera (coconut) oil, cetearyl alcohol, polysorbate 60, sodium borate, cetyl alcohol, silica, glucose, hamamelis virginiana (witch hazel) leaf extract, aloe barbadensis leaf extract, anthemis nobilis (chamomile) flower extract, echinacea angustifolia (coneflower) extract, quillaja saponaria (soap) bark extract, theobroma cacao (cocoa) seed butter, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf extract, tocopherol, citrus medica limonum (lemon) peel oil, coriandrum sativum (cilantro) oil, artemisia dracunculus (tarragon) oil, lavandula hybrida (lavandin) oil, jasminum grandiflorum (jasmine) flower oil, xanthan gum, sucrose stearate, menthol, glucose oxidase, lactoperoxidase

Burt’s Bees Natural Whitening Toothpaste

photo courtesy of Burt’s Bees

Ok, if you’re near your toothpaste tube, go look at the ingredients really quickly.  I’ll still be here when you get back, I promise.

Did you do it?  Did you notice that your toothpaste probably has sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate in it?  Yeah, I noticed it on my favorite toothpaste too.  And I have to wonder why it’s necessary to put SLS in toothpaste.  With so many shampoos and shower gels going SLS free these days, is it really a good thing that something we use for oral care contains this ingredient?

I didn’t think so either.

Honestly, I’m not really picky about toothpaste.  I just don’t want nasty mouth even after I brush my teeth.  Our usual toothpaste used to be Arm and Hammer with baking soda, and that gave me a really clean mouth.  I wanted something similar to it.  I have a feeling that the only reason I switched to Burt’s Bees was because Meijer’s had it when I needed toothpaste, because there are a few “natural” toothpastes out there that are SLS free.

I really like this.  The flavor itself is a very fresh peppermint, and it cleans well.  This doesn’t foam as much as other toothpastes, though if you’re like me, that won’t matter, because you’ll still have toothpaste dribbles down the front of your pajamas–but not as bad because it doesn’t foam up as much, ha!

I don’t know if it’s whitening my teeth.  We’ve used whitening toothpastes for years, and I don’t notice a difference with any of them.  However, my teeth aren’t yellowed and it’s not something I worry about anyway.

Burt’s Bees Natural Whitening toothpaste, $5, 4 ounces.

Ingredients: Active Ingredient: Sodium monofluorophosphate 0.77% (0.14% w/v fluoride ion)
Inactive Ingredients: glycerin, hydrated silica, xylitol, calcium sodium phosphosilicate, sodium cocoyl glutamate, titanium dioxide, vaccinium macrocarpon (cranberry) fruit powder, chondrus crispus (carrageenan), stevia rebaudiana extract, xanthan gum, silica, flavor*, lecithin, maltodextrin
*natural flavor

Kiss My Face Orange U Smart Bubble Wash

Photo courtesy of Kiss My Face

Here’s another kid’s product from Kiss My Face.  This has the same orange vanilla scent that’s in the shampoo and conditioner I reviewed yesterday, and just like it, the bubble wash is not tear-free, so please be careful if you use this on smaller children.

Bubble Wash can be used as a bubble bath or body wash (I know, I’m so smart).  Since Liam takes more showers than baths now, he uses this on a mesh scrubby to wash his little self.  In a scrubby, this creates a lot of fun bubbles, and it gets him clean without drying his skin.

If your child likes a lot of bubbles in a bubble bath, he or she might be disappointed in this as a bubble bath.  The good news, for the environment and your child(ren)’s health, is that the chemicals that make bubble baths so bubbly isn’t present in this product.  The bad news is that while it does produce bubbles, it’s not as many and they aren’t as long lasting.  On the occasion that Liam takes a bubble bath, though, he doesn’t seem to mind.

Orange U Smart bubble wash, 12 ounces, $9.95

Ingredients:

Aqua, Aloe Barbadensis*, Camellia Sinensis* (Green Tea Leaf Extract), Salvia Officinalis (Sage Leaf Extract), Arctium Lappa (Burdock Root Extract), Urtica Dioica (Nettle Extract), Disodium Coco-Glucoside Sulfosuccinate, Decyl Glucoside, Glycerin, Xanthan Gum, Natural Blend of Essential Oils, Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba (Guar Gum), Caprylic Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Glycine *Certified organic

Kiss My Face Orange U Smart Shampoo and Conditioner

photo courtesy of Kiss My Face

I may have said this before, but being a better environmental steward isn’t the only reason that I wanted to switch all our body care products over to products that are easily biodegradable and eco-friendly: I also considered my family’s health.  A 2008 study from the Environmental Working Group showed that certain ingredients in products for children are toxic to childrens’ reproductive systems, especially those of little boys.

I have a little boy.

The Environmental Working Group has also posted studies on the toxic chemicals in bath and body products for adults, so don’t think it’s just products for children that pose a risk.  If we use products that are made from chemicals created from petroleum byproducts, we all run the risk of health problems.

I wish I’d known–or even thought about–this when our son was smaller.  I would have started using better products on him then, instead of using Johnson and Johnson for the first four years of his life.  I can only pray that between using better products on him now, a good diet, and showing him the importance of being an environmental steward, I have lowered his risk of health problems down the line.

But anyway, to the review!

First, you don’t want to use Orange U Smart on babies or small children because it is not tear-free.

That said, this is a wonderful product.  It lathers and cleans well, even though it has conditioner in it.  During the winter, Liam only takes baths every other day, and with plain shampoo, his hair was kind of fly away or he had bed head on the second day after washing.  But the added conditioner has been keeping his fly-aways tamed, and his hair lays flat without much bed head.  I haven’t tried it on my long hair, so I don’t know how it would work for children who have long hair.  Kiss My Face also has detangling sprays for children, so it might be a good idea to get one of those for a longer-haired boy or girl.

Kids’ products always smell fun, and this smells like dreamsicles.  It smells good enough to eat, but make sure your kids don’t eat it.  Blech.

It takes about a quarter sized amount to wash my son’s hair thoroughly, so the tube will last a while.

Orange U Smart shampoo and conditioner, 8 ounces, $8.95.

Ingredients:

Aqua, Aloe Barbadensis*, Camellia Sinensis* (Green Tea Leaf Extrac), Salvia Officinalis (Sage Leaf Extract), Arctium Lappa (Burdock Root Extract), Urtica Dioica (Nettle Extrac), Disodium Coco-Glucoside Sulfosuccinate, Decyl Glucoside, Glycerin, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Xanthan Gum, Panthenol, Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba (Guar Gum), Caprylic Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Glycine, Natural Blend of Essential Oils *Certified organic

Burt’s Bees’ CEO lured away – Business – NewsObserver.com

Burt’s Bees’ CEO lured away – Business – NewsObserver.com.

BY ALAN M. WOLF – Staff Writer

John Replogle, who celebrated his fifth anniversary as CEO of Burt’s Bees last month, has left the personal-care products company.

He’s jumping ship to join another “green” company. Replogle was recruited to become CEO of Seventh Generation, a company in Burlington, Vt., that makes environmentally friendly household products. He starts March 7.

Because Seventh Generation makes cleaning products that compete with the Green Works line sold by Clorox, which has owned Durham-based Burt’s Bees since 2007, Replogle resigned immediately.

Under Replogle’s leadership, Burt’s Bees has become one of the best-known consumer brands based in the Triangle. The company expanded into international markets, added more retail partners and introduced new products. It employs about 350 people in Durham and sells lip balms, lotions and other products made from honey and other natural ingredients.

“It’s bittersweet,” said Replogle, 45, who hands out lip balms with his contact information on them as business cards. “I absolutely love Burt’s Bees. I could have stayed here my entire life. It was a great fit for me.

“I had taken the company from a national to a global business,” he added. “This is about me finding the next growth opportunity personally.”

Chief financial officer Doug Haensel will serve as interim CEO, said Burt’s Bees spokeswoman Mariah Kulp. Officials at Clorox will work with executives at Burt’s Bees to pick a permanent replacement.

“John has worked hard to develop a strong leadership team, but it will be tough shoes to fill, for sure,” Kulp said.

Seventh Generation recruited Replogle after its previous CEO left in September. The company sells paper goods and trash bags made from recycled material; nontoxic cleaning, dish and laundry detergents; organic cotton tampons and other products.

Sales at the private company are mostly in the United States and there may be opportunities to expand overseas, Replogle said.

“It is a business that is a few years behind Burt’s on the growth curve,” Replogle said. “I have a passion for building businesses, teams and brands.”

Replogle, who grew up in Boston, plans to keep his house in Raleigh with his wife, Kristin, and their four daughters. He’ll divide his time between Raleigh and Burlington.

His job at Burt’s Bees has required a lot of international travel recently, which kept him away from home for long stretches. He visited Hong Kong and Japan in December, for example, to help sign a new distribution partner.

With the new job, “I’ll be in a lot more control of my calendar,” he said. “This is really about me trying to find the right balance between my family and my career.”

Replogle has built a reputation as a passionate, socially responsible corporate executive. His motto for Burt’s Bees and its employees, “The Greater Good,” includes contributing to various local causes, embracing recycling and reducing energy use.

He orchestrated the company’s move into a larger corporate headquarters in Durham’s American Tobacco Campus, and has been the company’s face in the community. That has included giving speeches, doing “dumpster dives” at area schools and churches to demonstrate the importance of reducing waste, and overseeing the company’s annual Earth Day events in downtown Raleigh.

He’s also built a loyal following at Burt’s Bees, holding informal “huddles” at least once a quarter to discuss the business, highlight employees’ contributions and encourage new innovations. He plans to explain his move to employees today.

At a January huddle, Replogle mentioned that the company had started a new perk for workers. It now offers an annual $100 subsidy to cover bee-keeping supplies for employees who want to start backyard hives.

But his tenure at Burt’s Bees also coincided with the recent recession, which hurt consumer sales of cosmetics and other natural products, especially in the United States.

The company’s sales started to rebound last summer, but Clorox recently announced that it would take a charge of up to $255 million to write down the value of the Burt’s Bees business. Clorox blamed the accounting move on the “continuing global economic recession and projected slower sales growth ramp-up in new international markets.”

Burt’s Bees has expanded recently into new markets in Europe, Latin America and Asia. The company is preparing to begin sales in Mexico and Puerto Rico.

Burt’s Bees represents about 4 percent of total sales at Clorox, which doesn’t release the division’s financial results. But Burt’s Bees also is the fastest-growing brand within Clorox.

Replogle, who earned degrees from Dartmouth College and Harvard, began his career at the corporate parent of Guinness, the Irish beer. At age 25, he set a goal of becoming a CEO by 40. He still updates a list of personal goals every year.

As he climbed the corporate ladder at Guinness, and his daughters got older, Replogle said that he “didn’t want to be known as the beer dad.”

So he switched to the beauty industry by joining Unilever, the consumer products giant. That led to his recruitment by Burt’s Bees.

alan.wolf@newsobserver.com or 919-829-4572