I recently caught up with Ido Leffler, founder of natural brand Yes To, in order to find out more about the company and their interesting use of fruit and vegetable ingredients. The staff at Bath & Unwind HQ are big fans, especially as there is a range to suit everyone, from sensitive to spot prone, and for babies to us more… mature types.
Who are Yes To?
Founded in 2006, Yes To, Inc. is a global leader in natural skin and haircare, with awesome and affordable products made with fruits, veggies, and a smile! Yes To‘s award-winning formulations are over 95% natural, have proven results and are free from parabens, petroleum and SLS. We offer unique collections, including products for face, body, hair, lips, and even babies…to allow people to create their own natural ‘recipe’ that works for them.
We are a fun-loving, wine drinking, yoga doing, active-life-living bunch of folks in San Francisco who:
- Create affordable natural products that really work
- Give back by planting school gardens for kids to help teach them about healthy living and nutrition, and
- Have a pretty awesome time doing it.
So join us and say YES to naturally good products…with unnaturally good results!
What inspired you to start the brand?
We were looking for a way to be healthier and as part of that we wanted to find natural beauty products. At the time we did not find anything that met our needs. We were Virgin flying, Mini driving, Apple using individuals and we wanted a natural brand that embodied the values, style and substance of the companies that we loved. Before we knew it we were exploring the world to find the best formulations to create the most positive natural beauty brand!
Why are natural ingredients so important to you?
Yes To products are blended with organic fruits and vegetables combined with a wide array of efficacious and clinically proven ingredients. These recipes give your skin a powerful dose of nutrients, vitamins and skin soothing ingredients which are gentle but effective. We’re also completely free of parabens, petroleum, pthalates and SLS so you’re safe in the knowledge that you’re putting natural, healthy formulas on your skin and hair. And the best benefit of using Yes To products is that they’re totally ‘guilt-free’ – the price is accessible, the products make you smile and they actually work!
Do natural ingredients really give good results?
Natural skincare treatments have been shown to be gentler and less irritating on your skin. Using products with naturally derived ingredients is a good way to have a very clear sense of what you’re putting on your skin. When using products with harsher chemical ingredients you run the risk of skin irritation and unforseen reactions.
The industry is moving in a direction of simplification, which is great for consumers. The more knowledge we have about the products we use daily, the better! We believe that the more ingredients we can use that people recognise (carrots, tomatoes, green tea, apples, lemon peel…the list goes on!) the better. We aim to make Yes To products accessible to all consumers and our ingredient lists are a great place to start.
Yes To company mission – “We believe in making sustainability a way of life – in our products, our partners, and the way we live our lives as a company and as people…we want to make the world a better place, one jar of lotion at a time.”
We love your company mission – how do you and your company manage to maintain a greener and more sustainable way of life?
- Sustainanably-minded office, with 75% of the team walking, biking or taking public transport to work. Our team is a health-focussed group, with an awesome mix of yogis, runners, vegans, home chefs and explorers!
- We choose recyclable materials in our packaging wherever possible, and all formulas are at least 95% natural
- We give back through the Yes To Seed Fund helping plant gardens for kids in the US and Africa. Our team takes this ‘green’ mentality to heart and makes excursions to local gardens to volunteer.
Which Yes To product can you not live without?
That’s a hard question, but… I love the Yes To Cucumbers Facial Cleansing Towelettes, Yes To Blueberries Serum and Yes To Carrots Body Butter (I could go on…!)
What’s coming next for Yes To?
