Ten years ago, Backyard Bees began as a small idea — a single hive, an abundance of calendula, a few simple natural recipes, and a hope that other people might love them as much as I did.
I didn’t know then how much this little business would teach me about people.
About generosity.
About resilience.
About how the smallest things can make the biggest difference.
Bees show us this every day — small creatures, quiet workers, tiny miracles.
And over the years, my customers — you — have shown me the same.
When Green Gold Found Its People
Green Gold is one of our beeswax-based solid lotion bars — a little push-up tube of concentrated moisture that warms with your hands and seals in hydration without the mess of liquid lotions.
During the height of the pandemic, something unexpected happened.
My inbox filled with messages… not just from longtime customers, but from nurses, hospital workers, and EMTs — people exhausted, overwhelmed, and washing and sanitizing so often their skin was splitting.
And again and again, they said the same thing:
“I don’t go to work without my Green Gold.”
These weren’t just orders.
They were acts of care.
While some people sent trays of food to hospitals, others chose to support their healthcare heroes by supporting me.
I’ll never forget the customer who ordered 100 lotion bars — 50 Green Gold, 50 Citry Sage — to give to nurses she’d never even met.
Or the person who asked if I could assemble a self-care basket for the nurses at Stonybrook Hospital, hoping to send a moment of comfort into a place that desperately needed it.
That box included soaps, lip balms, lotion bars…
but the real gift was kindness.
Small things. Big impact. It’s a feeling I think a lot about during the holidays — especially when it comes to thoughtful green gifting.
The Green Gold Impact
This year marks ten years of Backyard Bees, and November — the month of gratitude — has reminded me of the moments that shaped this tiny business in big ways.
The Green Gold stories… they’re some of the ones that stayed with me the longest.
Why?
Because they’re the reason I’m still here.
The kindness people showed — buying gifts for strangers, comforting exhausted nurses, choosing small-batch over big-box — lifted this little hive in ways I’ll never forget.
I’m a tiny business.
I was small then, and I’m small now.
(As we short people like to say: good things come in small packages.)
But kindness? Kindness is enormous.
The Twins: Same Roots, Different Magic
A decade into Backyard Bees, looking back at the stories, I realized something: people tend to fall into one of two camps — my Green Gold folks and my Citry Sage folks. Different strokes for different folks… just like my twins.
Because these two bars are like my twins — born from the same ingredients, carrying different strengths, each loved for their own reasons.
Green Gold is the hardworking healer: tamanu oil, goldenrod, earthy herbs — rich, restorative, and beloved by gardeners, makers, and of course… healthcare workers.
Citry Sage is the bright spirit: grapefruit, lemongrass, sage, mango butter — uplifting, fresh, and perfect for daily moisture.
Both zero-waste.
Both beeswax-based.
Both made to last.
Each one special in its own way.
Green Gold vs. Citry Sage
https://backyardbeesusa.com/sustainable-body-care/citry-sage-lotion-bar/
| Feature | Green Gold | Citry Sage |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Very dry, cracked, hardworking hands | Daily use, normal to dry skin |
| Star Ingredient | Tamanu oil | Avocado oil + mango butter |
| Scent Profile | Earthy + herbal (mint, basil, sage) | Bright + citrusy (grapefruit, lemongrass) |
| Popular With | Healthcare workers, gardeners, artists | Eco-conscious shoppers, gift buyers |
| Eco Packaging | Compostable paper tube | Compostable paper tube |
| TSA Friendly? | Yes | Yes |
Small tubes.
Small swaps.
Meaningful impact.
The Power of Small
Bees remind us that tiny actions build something extraordinary.
And every time someone chooses a lotion bar over a plastic bottle…
or buys a handmade gift for a stranger…
or supports a tiny business…
…it sends a ripple outward.
A greener choice.
A kinder community.
A world made better through little things.
These little choices — your choices — keep me humble, grateful, and inspired.
Which One Are You?
Ten years in, I’ve learned something sweet — everyone seems to have a type.
Are you:
🟢 A Green Gold person — earthy, healing, hardworking moisture?
🍊 A Citry Sage person — bright, fresh, citrusy comfort for everyday use?
🌼 Or a little of both? (My “Can’t Decide Club” is my favorite group.)
Each one has its own magic — and I’m grateful for every person who has carried one in a pocket, gifted one to a friend, or sent one to someone who needed a little care.
Bee little. Bee kind. Bee well.
— Kathy
