The earth is in a tough spot. Like many of you, we’re disappointed. Disappointed that the United States pulled out of the Paris Climate Accord. Disappointed that generations worth of convenience led to a total disregard for the planet. We’re disappointed on behalf of ourselves and the next generations to come because it might seem like nothing is enough to reverse the damage. Like you, we’re disappointed that more isn’t being done.
We’re a skincare company, so what can we do? We’re committed to being a work in progress—we’re never done learning or growing or getting better. We know the beauty industry is a huge offender when it comes to packaging waste. In 2017 alone, the cosmetics industry produced 76.8 billion pieces of plastic packaging. Did you know that by the year 2050, it’s projected that there will be more plastic in the oceans than fish?
“We do our best to be as sustainable as we can be now,” says YTTP co-founder Joe Cloyes. “But we know we’re only at the beginning. We’ll continue to evolve and improve as better technologies become available to increase the possibilities of sustainability. The more brands work on this together, the better we will all be able to do for our earth.”
We have our eyes open. It’s why we’re dedicated to packaging our products in glass, even our samples, and dedicated to using FSC-certified post-consumer recycled paper for our boxes. It’s why we’re always looking for ways to improve upon this, never resting on what we’ve been able to do so far. Because what would be enough?
Our boxes are also made and printed locally in California, reducing the environmental impact made from transporting materials. Though the superfood ingredients in our skincare are globally inspired, everything is locally manufactured—all of our formulas are made in California.
We choose to package our formulas in glass because it can be recycled infinitely. The same can’t be said of plastics, which take 1,000 years to decompose, pollute our oceans, hurt our wildlife, and contaminate the air we breathe.
Glass matters for our health, too. “Glass is always going to be better because of the fact that it doesn’t contain plasticizers,” which says Mercedes Taylor, YTTP’s Product Innovation Manager, can leach over time into hydrous materials, like skincare formulas. “Eventually, those phthalates would become a part of that product. At high concentrations, phthalates are known to cause cancer.”
Glass matters, because as YTTP co-founder Greg Gonzales says, “Skincare is a ritual product. It’s something you purchase and repurchase, so the packaging it comes in is important.” For our team, making sustainable packaging beautiful and well-designed is a welcome challenge.
We get that glass or not, repurchasing product contributes to waste. That’s why we’re exploring what it would take to have refill stations around the country, beginning with our headquarters in Los Angeles. Stay tuned as we work out the logistics—we hear you, we want this to happen, too!
We invite you to join us—be mindful of avoiding single-use plastics, look for sustainable and reusable options throughout your life, from food shopping to home cleaning and more. As always, we always want to hear your thoughts. Thank you for being a part of our community. Together we’ll continue to get better.
