ethics 
An "ethical" product is one which has been developed without harm to, or exploitation of, humans, animals or the natural environment. We at Y-Yo Australia are proud to say that we conduct business in an ethical manner and below are some examples of how we do this.
We’re carbon neutral
After doing research into becoming carbon neutral, we decided against simply buying carbon credits from the myriad on-line carbon credit retailers. We’re sure these companies do a good job in supporting programmes that offset carbon emissions, but we wanted a more hands-on approach. So using a carbon calculator we worked out that by planting 50 trees annually, Y-Yo would be carbon neutral (our Murano glass cologne bottles from Italy are a killer carbon footprint-wise! Thank goodness for our solar-powered office...)
In partnership with local tree planting charities, the Y-Yo staff have got out and got their hands dirty planting trees to cover our carbon neutral commitment.
Green, local suppliers
To ensure the best quality product and service to our customers, and kindness to our precious planet, at Y-Yo we only buy from suppliers whose growing, harvesting, processing and end products are friendly to the environment. Where we can, we use local suppliers (currently over 85% of suppliers are local).
No nasties
There are no chemicals used in Y-Yo products. Plus we use Certified Organic essential oils, solubiliser, soy wax and ethanol which are grown (the latter being a by-product of organic sugar production) and processed without the use of synthetic chemicals, fertilisers or GMOs. Standards for our suppliers to achieve organic certification are internationally recognised and backed up via annual reviews by third party auditors.
Keeping it simple
Because Y-Yo has been developed to not only make you feel fabulous but to perform a function, you can be sure that we don’t use any ingredients that we don’t have to. The highest quality ingredients have been selected because of their specific properties and purpose, rather than being put into the mix for mere aesthetics. No synthetic preservatives or detergents, artificial colourings or fragrances are used.
No redundant packaging
That goes for our packaging too. Although the packaging we use is recyclable, our policy is to ensure that products are not packed in superfluous boxes containing inserts (all the product info you need should be easily accessible on this website); plus we hope to introduce cologne refills shortly so you only need to buy a bottle with a spritzer and overcap the once. And, to encourage product re-use, you can post us back your Y-Yo travel/trial bag and we’ll give you 10% off your next on-line order.
Human volunteer testing
In terms of animal testing, our products don’t contain animal products, nor are they tested on animals. We ensure that none of our suppliers undergo animal testing, nor have the raw materials they use been tested on animals. The genetic make up of our human bodies is fundamentally different to those of animals, so what’s the point on testing on animals in the first place? Testing on animals gives absolutely no guidance WHATSOEVER as to whether a product is safe for humans. Willing human volunteers test our products and because all oils used are plant-based rather than petroleum-based, they are much safer to put on human skin. 60% of what you put on your skin ends up in your bloodstream, so it’s fundamentally important that we pay attention to what we put on it.
In the office
We do what we can to eliminate wastage in the office by maintaining a paperless environment or, if need be, using recycled paper. There are some who say that the little bit that we can do in the office won’t make a difference, but we think that just by being more conscious of the rubbish we generate and the carbon emissions we produce will help our planet live a little longer. Anyway – how do we know who’s right? Us or the cynics? Our kids have only one future.
We use sustainably produced palm oil
The issue of whether to use palm oil is contentious. Our local body bar manufacturer has always used palm oil in place of the animal product tallow to give our soap a smooth, creamy lather. The palm oil our supplier uses is from an RSPO (Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil) certified producer. We initially thought of asking her to omit the ingredient but then thought that perhaps the better way to tackle the palm oil issue would be to help promote sustainable palm oil production. Stopping palm oil production would mean the loss of livelihoods for local people. By spreading the word that there IS a sustainable way to produce palm oil, Y-Yo hopes to strengthen bodies such as the RSPO so that a global standard for sustainable palm oil production can be reached.