Yes to Carrots to Remain Cruelty-Free!
In December of 2012, I posted an update here on Logical Harmony that the Yes to Carrots brand was no longer cruelty free. This post was based on a statement from the company that was received by myself and several readers in October, 2012. This statement can be seen in full in my original post, but says that the brand requested to be removed from PETA’s Does Not Test on Animals list and didn’t test, “except when required by law”. The PETA bunny was also removed from their website and their products. These two statements were a bit of a shock for consumers as the brand had long been publicly against animal testing. After that, several other statements were released from the brand. It led to a lot of confusion and distrust for many people who used to purchase the Yes to brand.
Since that time, I have been working with both the Yes to Carrots brand and PETA to get a straight and solid answer for everyone. Is Yes to Carrots still a cruelty free brand? What does PETA have to say about Yes to Carrots? Both Yes to Carrots and PETA were able to provide me with detailed information about this issue for me to share with the readers of Logical Harmony. This update is not based off customer service responses from the brand or from PETA. Rather, it’s based off several conversations and emails exchanged with a Research Associate in PETA’s Laboratory Investigations Department and the Yes to Carrots marketing team.
As myself and others have noticed, the past several months have led to new product line, a new website, and a new published stance on animal testing. It’s been a very busy time for the brand! The Yes To brand is aware of the different messages being spread about their stance on animal testing. In my talk with their Marketing Director, we talked a lot about how the brand is going to adhere to it’s long standing ethics in regards to animal testing. In an ever confusing global market combined with rapid growth within a small company, their effort to try and be as clear as possible about their stance on animal testing likely contributed to this confusion.
Long story short – The Yes to Carrots brand has decided to remain cruelty free. They have been added back to PETA’s Does Not Test on Animals List. They have assured PETA, in writing, that they are not going to test on animals. In their talks with Logical Harmony, our team has also been assured that the Yes to Carrots brand will not test on animals nor will their suppliers or any 3rd party company that they work with. As always, I suggest that everyone read all information present and come to their own conclusions. It’s very important to be an educated consumer and I hope that everyone reads the information below.
Please read on to learn more about the current and up to date cruelty free status of the Yes to Carrots brand. This includes statements from PETA as well as the Yes to Carrots brand.
The first email that I sent to PETA detailed the background of the situation. I included several of the multiple customer service responses that didn’t match up, asked about the Yes to brands statement about “required by law”, and also asked about the Yes to brands statement that they had asked to be removed from PETA’s Does Not Test List. This is the reply that I received from a Research Associate in PETA’s Laboratory Investigations Department –
Thank you very much for contacting me regarding Yes To. I understand that the information you’ve received from the company’s customer service representatives and their website has been confusing, but I am happy to clear up this situation with you.
We’ve been talking to the company for quite some time now, and they have assured in writing that they do not test on animals or pay for tests on animals anywhere in the world. They’ve also promised that they will not enter a market where animal testing is required, like China. Despite the confusing responses in the past and website posts, I can assure you that this is the latest and most accurate information from the company.
I hope this information is helpful to you. If you have any questions or if I can be of help to you in any way, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Thank you for everything you do for the animals and for promoting cruelty-free living!
I wrote back to PETA, asking if the Yes to brand had clarified why they had told customers they had requested to be removed from PETA’s Does Not Test on Animals list or why the PETA cruelty free logo was no longer appearing on their website or product packaging. This is the response that I received.
Thank you for writing back to clarify why Yes To asked to be removed from PETA’s Do Not Test list and why they removed PETA’s cruelty-free logo from their website and product packaging.
After we initially met with the company, they asked to be removed from our site as a precaution while they looked into the issue and also ceased using the cruelty-free logo at that time. Since then, they have confirmed to us in writing that no animal tests have been conducted on their products anywhere in the world.
Thank you for asking about posting my statement on your website. You are more than welcome to publish the statement, and I hope it will be helpful to you in your research and talks with Yes To on this important issue. Please be assured that we are still in touch with the company and will continue to monitor their policy; if anything changes we will share it on our website.
Thank you again for everything you do for animals and for promoting cruelty-free living!
Since that email, this contact at PETA has checked in several times to see if I needed any further assistance, had been able to work with the Yes to Carrots brand as I mentioned I was trying to do, etc. They were extremely helpful, friendly and informative. I appreciate the cooperation that I received from PETA on this issue and I know that readers of Logical Harmony do as well.
The Yes to Carrots brand was equally as cooperative as PETA was. At first, I kept getting passed from person to person. Each one giving me a different response about the brands stance on animal testing, few matching what the brand was posting on Facebook and Twitter. This is an issue that many many readers of Logical Harmony emailed saying that they were having as well. It was confusing and, for many, very frustrating. I kept trying. Eventually, I was able to get in touch with a single person repeatedly and this is where things really came together with the Yes to Carrots brand. Through this representative, I was able to schedule a phone meeting with their Marketing Director. We had a thorough and lengthy phone disussion about the changing responses customers were receiving, what led to those responses, their current cruelty free status, and their future cruelty free status.
Their marketing team did not supply me with a written statement about their stance on animal testing, but did agree that the following two paragraphs fit their explanation of the Yes to Carrots stance on animal testing and staying a cruelty free brand.
Is the Yes To brand against animal testing? Yes. Are they going to remain a cruelty free brand with cruelty free suppliers? That is their goal. Part of what lead to the confusing statement about their cruelty free status that Yes To originally issued was them trying to ensure that their suppliers were cruelty free. While awaiting confirmation from their suppliers, the brand thought it was best to update their testing stance. While their statement may have come as a shock to many consumers, it came from the right place within the brand. They did not want to accidentally mislead any of their customers during this process, and wanted to be sure that they were being as transparent as they could be.
Remaining cruelty free is very important to the brand and is a value they are standing by. As the Yes To brand is expanding globally they are committed to finding partners with the same values.
As stated in their updated FAQ,
What is Yes To’s Position on Animal Testing?
Yes To is against animal testing, and we ensure all of our manufacturers adhere to this same principle. We are committed to partnering with global agencies to eliminate animal testing, find safe and effective testing alternatives, and ensure product and consumer safety.
In the end, as with all brands, it’s up to everyone to read the information and decide what’s best for themselves. Several readers have told me that, due to the poor customer service experience received through this process, they will not be returning to Yes to Carrots as a customer. Everyone needs to decide what is the right course of action for themselves. I feel that it’s important to make fully educated decisions.
It seems that Yes to Carrots has learned a lot about what their customers value, and are going to do their best to stick to the original values of the company. This is great news as it means that they are likely going to remain a cruelty free brand going forward. Their willingness to work with Logical Harmony to bring my readers, and their customers, a clear picture about their stance on animal testing shows that they are dedicated to sticking to the original values of the brand.
Thanks to keepin us vegans informed on the cruelty free brands and why that important little bunny mat nor be on the packaging. You make it easier to be committed to the ethical treatment of animals. You da best 🙂
Is there a reason this brand isn’t featured on the cruelty-free brand list? I was trying to find it there & when I couldn’t find it there searched to discover why but then found this article so I’m a little confused on this.
Thank you so much for your help.
They are on the list! 🙂
Yes To Carrots scalp shampoo and conditioners do not display the leaping bunny and do not mention cruelty free on the packaging. Therefore they can NOT be considered cruelty free.
Hi Mandy,
Brands can be cruelty free without the logos on their packaging. Brands have to pay to include those logos, so they are often left off by many cruelty free brands.
So yes to carrots is cruelty free but the other yes products such as yes to blueberries, cucumbers and grapefruit are tested on animals?
They are all cruelty free. 🙂 Yes to Carrots is the actual name of the brand. The others, such as Blueberries, etc are lines within the brand.
I searched on this subject because I noticed their haired products were marked as such but not their moisturizer… do you know why this is?
Hi Jen!
It can be for a variety of reasons, but it doesn’t mean that the company isn’t cruelty free or that you need to worry about the products. Often times it just doesn’t fit into the design of the packaging.