Most people assume we use honey in our products because of the bee in Green Bee Botanicals. We get it; honey is an amazing healer, and bees make honey. But it was important to make products that are 100% vegan and have less impact on our environment. So no, we don’t use honey or any other animal-derived ingredients.

So where did Green Bee Botanicals come from? Here’s the story from A to Bee, as told by Green Bee Botanicals founder and formulator, Bridget May:

Green – for the planet

While lots of people understandably assume the word ‘Green’ in our name represents the cannabis or hemp plant, I actually meant for it to convey my deep passion for the environment as a whole, including all plants. 

I did experiment with cannabis when I was a teenager, but I didn’t fully grasp just how healing the cannabis plant was until 2014 while researching plants that are good for skin. Learning that the cannabinoids in cannabis and hemp perfectly bind with the endocannabinoid system in our bodies and skin blew my mind. So sure, ‘Green’ can also stand for cannabis — it’s our most powerful skingredient, after all!

Bee – for Bridget

I’m a botanist, chemist, artist and IRL tree hugger. I started Green Bee in my kitchen lab in San Francisco while I was still working full-time as an analytical chemist in biotech.

I’ve been making my own plant-based remedies since I was a teenager, and my side project that later turned into Green Bee Botanicals the company, was originally called Little Green Bee. Why? Well, my nickname is Bee, plus I love bees and the way they work together for the good of the whole. Bees also have a positive impact on the environment, which is my #lifegoal. I want the name of my company to reflect my values, and I want to build something that encourages others to act more with the “hive in mind.” 

Botanicals – for the plants

I know the ‘Botanicals’ part of Green Bee Botanicals is pretty self-evident: our products are made from plants. But I want to take this opportunity to give a shoutout to our amazing botanicals partners:

1. Local family-run Eden Botanicals, where we get our organic essential oils. 
2. Local Sonoma Hills Farm, where we get our organic hemp and cannabis. SHF is led by the former culinary gardener for The French Laundry, Aaron Keefer, who uses regenerative farming techniques. They’re the first cannabis farm in California to get certified organic. 

So there you have it. That’s the real reason we’re Green Bee Botanicals: I’m a little worker Bee who loves all things green and I make everything from plants.