Glossary of terms

We don’t want your minds to be boggled with gobbledegook, so here’s a little Naked guide to some of the things we talk about:

It’s good to be Naked - to be transparent about what we are and what we do, to strip down to the best raw ingredients and not to veil them in unnecessary chemicals or artificial colours.  To be 97% Naked, but 100% honest.

97% natural – Naked is made using predominantly naturally-derived ingredients from plant and mineral extracts.  Sometimes ingredients lists can sound scary but for example, Betaine is from Chicory, Magnesium nitrate is a salt and PEG-120 Methyl glucose dioleate comes from sugar beet.

The other 3% - is made up of miniscule amounts of synthetic ingredients to ensure safety and stability of the products e.g. the preservative system (like Benzoic Acid or Methylisothiazolinone) to stop mould and fungus growing after opening; binding agents like EDTA which stop unwanted chemical reactions and separation; and performance enhancers like anti-static agents to prevent flyaway hair.  In many cases we reach 99.5% naturalness.

SLS – Sodium laureth / lauryl sulphate.  These are the most commonly used detergents in toiletries which make them foam and cleanse.  We don’t like them because they can be harsh to skin and can irritate by causing tightness, redness or even exacerbate eczema or dermatitis.

Parabens – commonly used preservatives, aggressive in destroying bacteria e.g. methylparaben.  Can cause skin allergies and have even been considered as a cause of breast tumours.  There is no conclusive evidence, but it’s good to have the choice of paraben-free with Naked.

Petrochemicals – includes ingredients such as silicone, mineral oil, paraffin liquidum, petrolatum.  These sit on the surface of the skin and can block pores so we’ve removed them to let skin breathe.

Phthalates - these are chemicals used in many toiletries to help the fragrance last longer.  Some of them have been linked to studies on reproductive system disruption and carcinogens.  That’s why we won’t use them.

Sustainable / renewable sources – when ingredients are sourced in such a way that ensures they continue to exist.  For example, we’d never use Rosewood essential oil in a fragrance because there is no replanting policy for this endangered species of tree.

Community-traded – a commitment to pay a fair price for those ingredients only available from economically disadvantaged countries e.g. cocoa butter.