We developed a series of three installations to dramatise the fact that ‘what goes on your skin, goes into your system’. In one, a clear bust was filled with body lotion to represent the amount of lotion that’s absorbed into your system in a lifetime. In another, a 9 lb cube of lipstick represents the amount the average woman ingests in her lifetime. In another, baby soap, lotion and shampoo take the shape of a baby bottle to make the point that what you put on your baby’s skin goes into your baby’s system.The Installation Exhibit launched at a PR event and travelled to public spaces and events across Canada. Its final destination, the Vancouver Olympics.

The exhibit drew crowds wherever it went. During Nuit Blanche, Toronto’s all night, citywide art exhibit, the installations were viewed by thousands and mistaken as art. Brochures with information about how to identify truly natural products were given out at the exhibit prompting increased traffic to the Burt’s Bees website. Blogs increasingly started to prompt readers to be aware of the ingredients in their skincare, calling out common chemicals like parabens and phalates. A consumer shift in attitudes about natural ingredients in skincare became apparent. The evidence? Sales went up beyond ambitious plans.