Interview: Yay For Earth
At KIND, we love to spotlight amazing brands that are doing incredible things in the community to promote ethical and sustainable practices and consumption. One of the main reasons we started our Slow Sundays was to introduce our followers to these brands, to make it easier for them to make greener choices.
We recently sat down with Sophie, the managing director of Yay For Earth – to highlight the work that they have been doing to create a line of skincare that safe for the earth and safe for our faces and bodies.
Tell us a little about Yay for Earth - how did things get started?
Yay for Earth was created by climate activist, Stevie Van Horn (@stevieyaaaay), after she began her low waste lifestyle and was looking for an alternative face lotion for those sold in stores. She wanted something straight from the Earth, minimal ingredients, and completely plastic free, so she decided to create her own! She began sharing it a bit on social media and people began to reach out asking her to sell it. From there, Yay for Earth was born!
Where are Yay for Earth Products made and where do you source your ingredients?
Stevie makes each and every lotion herself! She was located in Brooklyn, NY, but has recently moved back to Boulder, CO, where she is now making them. She spent months and months sourcing the best of the best for the ingredients (organic olive oil, organic Shea butter, organic pomegranate seed oil and locally sourced beeswax), and all come from small companies that put the earth first!
What do you think are common misconceptions when it comes to natural skincare?
I think that there are a lot of misconceptions when it comes to skincare, but the biggest one would be that we need a ton of different products to keep our skin healthy. We truly believe (and have the proof!) that skincare should be simple, but nourishing. So many people have noticed a huge difference in their skin when they switched to Yay for Earth from chemical-based products. We should treat our skin the way we treat our bodies - give it nutritious and healing ingredients straight from the Earth!
As a brand, you highlight your shift towards zero-waste living. Can you give us an insight into your journey so far, and what is your top advice for those looking to reduce their own waste?
Yay for Earth has been as "zero waste" as possible since day one! It has always been extremely important to Stevie to be transparent as a brand, and prove that it is possible to create and distribute a product with minimal waste. We are starting to steer away from the term "zero waste" a bit, because it's close to impossible to be completely waste free, but we hope to one day figure out a way how!
We only use glass or aluminum packaging (way more recyclable than plastic and can be recycled indefinitely - plus a lot of our customers reuse their jars in such creative ways!). The labels on the jars are also completely compostable, we ship our orders in recycled/recyclable paper, and buy all ingredients in bulk to avoid any unnecessary waste. The biggest advice would probably be to really look into the products you are buying and promoting, because our dollar is our vote!
Shop small, try to buy in bulk, bring your own bags, buy in glass and aluminum when possible, support local farmers and farmers markets, and don't get down on yourself if you slip up every once in a while.
In today’s bustling world, what are a few things that you do to ‘slow down’?
Both Stevie and I really enjoy exercising for mental health, she does daily tea ceremonies to set intentions for the day, we both try to spend time cooking and enjoy feeding our bodies nutritious foods, listening to podcasts, watching a movie, creating some art, going for walks in nature, etc!