What is a natural product?
What is a natural product?
A natural product is a product that is available in nature and can be obtained from plants, animals, micro-organisms, or minerals, through:
- Physical processes (e.g. grinding, drying, distillation)
- Fermentation reactions that occur in nature
- Other traditional procedures of preparation that do not include chemical modification (e.g.: extraction using solvents)
What is the difference between natural and naturally sourced?
Naturally sourced or natural origin ingredients are obtained through the chemical modification of natural ingredients.
However, the percentage of the starting natural ingredient should be at least 50% in order to be claimed “from natural origin”.
Which products are organic?
We currently have 8 formulas of Organic Lip Balms that are certified "Cosmos Organic" by ICEA.
- Organic Lip Balm Flavor-Free Stick
- Organic Lip Balm Flavor-Free Tin
- Organic Lip Hemp & Mint Stick
- Organic Lip Balm Hemp & Mint Tin
- Organic Lip Balm Vanilla
- Organic Lip Balm Tropical Lime
- Organic Lip Balm Pomegranate
- Organic Lip Balm Peppermint
What is the difference between organic and natural?
Organic ingredients are natural ingredients originating from organic farming methods or from wild harvesting.
The key principles of organic farming are: no use of artificial fertilizers and pesticides, severely restricted use of antibiotics, and no GMOs allowed.
How are you supporting the bees and in which countries?
Concerning the native solitary bees or wild bees: We are preparing to publish a detailed guide about plants that these bees forage on. This guide will be available for the public who are interested in saving native pollinators. We will also be supporting them with “bee hotels”. A bee hotel is a place where the bees can nest. It provides long-term accommodation where a bee lives from the time it is laid as an egg until it is ready to emerge as a fully grown adult.
Concerning honey bees and local beekeepers: We plan on providing training to the beekeepers on ethical beekeeping after establishing a solid market for their products (helping beekeepers become sustainable). Recruited beekeepers will be moving from human-centered traditional beekeeping to bee-centered ethical beekeeping. Their ethically sourced bee byproducts will be certified according to the standards that will be put by a league of academics and marketed internationally.
This project is local, for now.
What is "Beegan" and what is the difference from "Vegan"?
Beeganism (being Beegan) is a commitment meant to safeguard the bee population by supporting ethical and sustainable beekeeping. Beegan products are free from any animal ingredients with the exception of ethically sourced bee byproducts (used for their proven benefits). Vegan products, on the other hand, are completely free from any animal ingredients.
Which type of bees are you supporting? Are you supporting the kind of bees that do not produce honey?
Yes, we are supporting both honey bees and Lebanese native solitary bees (wild bees that do not produce honey) through our Bee-centric Society Project.
What is the meaning of bee by products?
They are ingredients produced by the bees: honey, beeswax, royal jelly, propolis, bee venom, and bee pollen. However, we do not use venom and pollen in our formulas since they can be allergens and our products are tested on sensitive skin.
Which items contain bee by products?
Most of our Beegan range is based on bee byproducts for their proven benefits.
Our lip balms contain organic beeswax to provide a protective barrier that prevents lips dryness.
Our Day Cream contains nourishing and moisturizing honey while the Night Cream contains nourishing and anti-aging royal jelly.
I am allergic to bee stings, can I still use Beesline products?
Although the Beesline Beegan range is based on bee byproducts, we do not use bee venom in our products. Bee venom is usually used as an anti-aging ingredient. It fools the skin into believing that it has been stung, thereby increasing the production of collagen and blood circulation. However, since it may cause allergic reactions and our products are specially formulated for sensitive skin and are dermatologically tested, we refrain from using bee venom in our products.
Does natural mean fresh?
Natural means found in nature while fresh means produced recently and not stocked for a long time.
What is the advantage of using natural products?
Because the skin is the largest organ of the human body and what you apply to the skin might penetrate into the body, it is important to only use safe and natural ingredients that do not have any side effects, and to stay away from harmful chemicals. It is also important to know that most synthetic ingredients are derived from non-renewable resources such as fossil fuels which may be depleted from the environment.
What is the advantage of using Beegan products?
Using Beegan products means that you are supporting the Beegan concept which is meant to safeguard the bee population by supporting ethical and sustainable beekeeping. In addition, you will be using safe, natural, and effective products that take care of your skin. Our Beegan products are up to 100% from natural origin, dermatologically tested on sensitive skin, and free from any harmful chemicals that may have side effects on your skin.
I am allergic to honey, does that mean I am allergic to Beesline products?
We recommend that you only avoid using the products that contain honey and not the full Beegan range. Honey is usually highlighted as a featured ingredient in our products. You can scan the list of ingredients and search for Honey or Mel (Latin INCI name for Honey).
Can a product be vegan and yet under Beesline Beegan?
Yes, sure. We only use bee byproducts when their benefit is needed. We have a full line of Beegan deodorants that do not contain any animal ingredients nor bee byproducts.
Are all your honey ingredients sourced from your own hives?
No, we do not currently have our own beehives. However, we buy honey from local beekeepers as part of our Bee-centric Society Project.
What percentage of beeswax is from external suppliers?
We have a large demand for beeswax as it is the primary active ingredient in many of our formulas such as our Organic Lip Balms, Baby Balm, and Skin Rescue Balm. This demand cannot be met by local suppliers. We source our natural and organic beeswax from Koster Keunen, a European supplier that created the first certified, 100% sustainably sourced beeswax in the world.
Do you source ingredients such as royal jelly or propolis from other suppliers?
Yes, we source royal jelly from international certified ethical suppliers. Propolis is sourced from local beekeepers at first; additional demand is sourced from international certified ethical suppliers.
Why should I support Beeganism?
Beeganism is a commitment meant to safeguard the bee population by supporting ethical and sustainable beekeeping. Beegan products are free from any animal ingredients with the exception of cruelty-free and sustainably sourced bee byproducts. Supporting Beeganism means spreading awareness and promoting ethical and sustainable beekeeping practices.
Do you own the lands and hives from which you source the bee by products?
No, currently we do not have our own lands and hives. We source our bee byproducts from local suppliers and international certified ethical suppliers.
Do your products cause irritation?
All our Beegan products are dermatologically tested on sensitive skin (patch test for 48 hrs on 20 volunteers having sensitive skin) and they are shown to be non-irritant.
Is your product tested?
Yes, our products are dermatologically tested for their safety on sensitive skin. The physical, chemical, and microbial stability are tested in a European lab located in Greece. Also, our products are registered in Europe and have passed their safety assessment and all necessary requirements.
Do you have any international certifications?
Our Organic Lip Balms are certified by ICEA Cosmos Organic, Italy.
Our products are registered in Europe and notified in the CPNP by our Responsible Person - Obelis, in Belgium.
We acquired the following ISO certifications for our factory: ISO 9001 (Quality Management System), ISO 22716 (Good Manufacturing Practices), and ISO 14001 (Environmental Management System) from TUV Nord Greece.
What do you mean by clean formulation?
Our formulations are free from:
- CMRs (Carcinogenic, Mutagenic & Dangerous for Reproduction), harsh, harmful, or non-renewable ingredients.
- Paraffin, parabens, sulfates, phthalates, and animal ingredients—with the exception of ethically sourced bee byproducts.
What is sustainable in your brand?
Sustainability is a strategic pillar at Beesline. We follow sustainability in all aspects of the product lifecycle. Our ingredients are ethically and sustainably sourced from trustworthy European suppliers. Our formulas are made with up to 100% ingredients from natural origin and free from chemicals derived from non-renewable resources. We have a range that is Cosmos Certified for being up to 100% organic. Cosmos is recognized worldwide to guarantee natural and organic cosmetics with criteria respectful of Man and the environment. We assess the biodegradability and environmental impact of all our ingredients. In addition, we are ISO 14001 certified which means that we follow an environmental management system. As for our packaging, it is 100% zero-waste: reusable, recyclable and/or compostable. We have also reduced as much as possible the use of plastic and plan on switching all our remaining plastic to PCR (post-consumer recycled) plastic.
How much did you reduce the plastic in your packaging?
We have different types of packaging in our portfolio:
- Glass jar with aluminum cap - 100% less plastic
- Aluminum jar and cap - 100% less plastic
- Aluminum tube with plastic cap - 87% less plastic than common market products
- Cardboard tube with plastic insert - 35% less plastic than common market products
We are also working to replace the plastic that is still available in our products with PCR (post-consumer recycled) plastic.
If you are reducing the CO2 footprint, shouldn't you be producing locally?
Currently, we are producing our products in Lebanon. We are doing our best to reduce CO2 transportation emissions by providing waterless and water-free formulas in compact packaging. In parallel, we are working on several projects to locally manufacture our products in different markets.