Burt's Bees got its start in 1984 when Roxanne Quimby, a down-on-her-luck Maine mother of twins, came across amateur beekeeper Burt Shavitz selling honey by the side of the road. Roxanne immediately fell for Burt's products. Within months, she'd cooked up a business plan and started churning out beeswax items with Burt. From the start, their stuff generated quite a buzz.

There was always something fortuitous about the duo's success, but their eco-friendliness was no accident. Over the next 23 years, as Burt's became a major force for preserving the environment, Roxanne poured millions into conserving Maine land and wildlife. The partners' planet-loving ethos remains.

Not only are Burt's Bees ingredients on average 99% natural (derived from beeswax and plant oils), but the company also forgoes artificial preservatives and hazardous chemicals and relies entirely on recycled and reusable packaging. Its 136,000-square-foot North Carolina factory (which replaced an old Maine schoolhouse) purchases carbon offsets—enough to account for 100% of electricity use in 2006—and aims to eliminate all waste by 2020. Management is currently working with industry leaders to standardize "natural" beauty product guidelines and is developing an official seal for items that use at least 95% natural ingredients and avoid chemical processing. As you might imagine, the buzz is good.