What is Naked ?

Free your body with Naked

Yes, we’ve removed the bad stuff.  And  the  natural active extracts we add in are widely recognized as being the best at what they do  eg. Cocoa Butter for moisturizing ,  Sunflower for  sun damage protection , purest Rose oil for anti ageing.

But you may be asking why we don’t use parabens, SLS and  petrochemicals in our  Naked products. After all they are in the vast majority of toiletries on most bathroom shelves, so can they really be that bad? For us, it’s all about choice - about preferring to reduce our toxic load and use as many friendly ingredients  as possible. 

You may also ask why only 97% natural? Well, the remaining 3%  is made up of things like the  preservative system (stops the product going bad after opening )  plus  things like emulsifying  agents which are necessary  to stop ingredients  from separating ( we don’t like divorce ). However some of our products are actually 99.5% natural as they didn’t need as much help to behave.

Free your body from ..... Parabens

Look on the back of most toiletries bottles and you’ll find parabens lurking in there somewhere.  They’re generally included because they are aggressive in destroying most of the bacteria that form in toiletries, but it’s this very same nastiness (slap an ASBO on them we say) that makes them a common irritant responsible for many skin allergies.  More worryingly, they are earning a bad reputation amongst those studying the causes of breast cancer.  There’s no conclusive evidence linking the two but that’s why we won’t put parabens in our Naked products.

Free your body from ..... Petrochemicals

Ingredients such as petrolatum, paraffin liquidum, mineral oil and silicone are added to many toiletries as smoothing agents for a quick result i.e. instantly soft skin or smooth hair. However these types of products often sit heavily on your skin and hair causing  blocked pores and residue build up and lank hair.  We don’t think they are necessary and without them, your skin will soon be able to breathe freely again – that’s why you won’t see petrochemicals in our ingredients lists.

PS  The quick-fix solutions may be hard to give up!  If you experience cravings, or are tempted by promises of instantly glossy locks, stay strong and remember that you’re worth it (!)  Get help from the Naked Friends e-newsletter - we’re here for you, sign up today……

Free your body from ..... Sodium Laureth / Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)

SLS is the most common surfactant used in toiletries to make them foam and cleanse.  It is widely used by manufacturers because it’s cheap and effective but it can cause everyday skin complaints from dryness to red, tight itchy skin. It can also aggravate more serious conditions like eczema and dermatitis.  This is because fundamentally SLS is a harsh detergent and can strip the skin and hair of its natural oils.  So you’ll never ever see any SLS in Naked products – instead we use a cleansing and foaming agent derived from apple that is much softer and kinder to your skin.

Free your body from ..... Phthalates

Phthalates 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.  There’s no conclusive evidence but we choose not to use them in our products.

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.

 

The Naked story

NAKED was born when founder Louise Potts, a mum of two, looked for natural  toiletries which would also  be suitable to use on her children who had very sensitive skin.  Like many other mothers, Louise scanned the list of ingredients on food and babycare products and was not happy about what she read considering the messages she was hearing about “nasties” and “baddies” in branded food and drink. Her concerns mirror those of Jamie Oliver over children’s food. At that point nobody was really questioning ingredients in branded toiletries so, in typical down trodden Mum style, Louise conceded that if a job needs doing properly you may as well do it yourself! 

Louise’s concept at the start was clear - a brand that is safe, natural and free of harmful chemicals that can be used by women, men, babies, children ( even her dog has experienced Naked bubble baths ).  That is priced for everyday use yet still uses the best natural ingredients widely recognized as being the most effective in their field (  for example cocoa butter for moisturizing,  sunflower for sun damage protection and purest rose oil for anti-ageing ). And a brand which doesn’t take itself too seriously despite it’s strict criteria.

From the beginning,  Naked used only ethically sourced ingredients and has since grown to become a brand which supports green initiatives like the Woodland Trust and the Rainforest Foundation and  strives to use the best environmentally friendly  packaging available. 

As Louise puts it “ Having my own children made me into an eco-worrier. I worried about what I was putting in them, on them and the state of the planet I was leaving for them. NAKED  is free from  the chemicals and synthetics which play havoc with the skin you were born with.  It’s not expensive and exclusive yet it’s still desirable.  It’s ethical and environmentally friendly but still  manages to look  cool too. And above all else it’s actually about gorgeous products which feel and smell good despite what we’ve chosen never to use in our ingredients list. And wherever you live, you should be able to get Naked and use it on any member of the family ”.