Burt Shavitz, the Burt behind Burt's Bees, dies at 80

Burt Shavitz, the Burt behind Burt's Bees who co-founded the natural cosmetics company before it sold to Clorox, has died. He was 80.

A spokeswoman for Burt's Bees says Shavtiz died Sunday at his home in rural Maine, surrounded by family and friends.

Shavitz was a hippie making a living by selling honey when his life was altered by a chance encounter with a hitchhiking Roxanne Quimby. She was a single mother and a back-to-the-lander who impressed Shavitz with her ingenuity.

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In the 1980s she began making products from his beeswax, and they became partners. An image of Burt's face—and his untamed beard—was featured on labels.

Their business partnership ended after the business moved in 1994 to North Carolina. In 2007, Clorox purchased Burt's Bees for $925 million.