Naked - The Truth (Naked Cocoa Butter Revealed Body Cream)

Member Name: noodlesandwich

Product:	Naked Cocoa Butter Revealed Body Cream
Date:	15/02/09 (289 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: soft, smells gorgeous

Disadvantages: strong smell not to all tastes

I received this body cream on my birthday last year and had no idea what it would be like as I had never heard of the range. I don't generally buy body creams although I usually have a ready supply around from various birthday and Christmas gifts. On reading the blurb I was very pleased to see that this contained essential oil of Vetivert as this is one of my favourite smelling oils. It also contains essential oils of Vanilla and Sandalwood. The main ingredient though, (after aqua - why can't they just say water?), is cocoa seed butter - enough to make a small white chocolate bar it says on the tub - how small it doesn't say. So how does it fare compared to the other creams and lotions I have tried?

The Smell ~ If I didn't know better, on first impressions I would think this contained Patchouli, the powerful scent now inextricably linked with sixties and seventies hippies. If you stick your nose in the tub, which I like to do, it is really quite pungent. I think this is mainly the Vetivert which has a similar earthy quality to Patchouli. I have heard Vetivert described as a masculine scent which I can understand as it has a heaviness about it that perhaps may be more usual in aftershave than perfume, but it is also warm and sensuous. It is a fragrance that holds pleasant personal memories for me as I used to wear it as a perfume oil years ago - I think it will forever remind me of a club I used to frequent. There is also something musty about the smell as it is in the tub, which admittedly doesn't sound nice, but somehow, to me anyway, it is. It also smells like rain. Once applied to the skin the smell changes; it is lighter, with Sandalwood seeming more prominent.

For the purposes of this review I applied some of this cream to my arm to see how long the scent would last and how it changed throughout the day. Immediately upon application at 11am the smell is complex - woody and earthy but also sweet, rich and luxuriant. After half an hour I stick my arm under the nose of my husband and ask his opinion, he likes it and says he can smell Sandalwood and 'something else', but not Vanilla - I mention this because I specifically asked him if he could smell the Vanilla in it, as I had noticed another reviewer complained that this product smelled far too strongly of it, I completely disagree and think they may be mistaking it for something else. It certainly has a strong smell, but not of Vanilla. By the way I have discovered in my research that Vanilla comes from Vanilla orchids, something I never knew, and the word Vanilla in fact stems from the latin for vagina, well I never, something to think about next time you're slurping ice cream! (thanks wikipedia)

The smell fades gradually throughout the day and becomes lighter and sweeter - you can smell the Vanilla eventually if you are looking for it. The connection between smell and memory is very strong and not fully understood; when sniffing my arm at various times vague 'otherplace' feelings are evoked rather than actual memories, although at one point I was reminded out of the blue of being in my old junior school dinner hall - probably a hint of Vanilla but who knows? The fragrance stays with me all day and I am still lightly perfumed twelve hours later, although by this time only if you were very close and actually nuzzling me would you smell it! It does have a unique scent and it's one that does something for me. Perhaps the essential oils have an effect beyond their fragrance; Vetivert is sometimes called "oil of tranquillity" because of it's warming, calm and comforting properties. Although it is a distinctive smell it is far from overpowering.

The Feel ~ It soaks in quite quickly and feels smooth, soft and pleasant to apply. Apparently cocoa butter melts at skin temperature which is one of the reasons it is so popular as a body cream ingredient. It feels nice to apply and I love the smell of it, but as far as any other results go I couldn't really say. I don't apply it frequently, it's more of a treat when I get time to pamper myself - which isn't often. I am told that cocoa butter "contains natural antioxidants which are known to tackle the age accelerating effects of free radicals", but I find it almost impossible to measure the effect of a cream when there are so many other things to take into account that affect skin condition. I don't know whether any of the creams I apply have had much effect, how could I know how my skin would be if I'd never used any?

Packaging ~ This product comes in a large screw top tub which is very easy to dip your hands in. Under 'To Use:' on the label you are told to 'apply generously' and encouraged to 'dive right in', of course, that way they hope you use it quickly and buy more of the stuff! I do like the easiness of access though, it means you can use the lot. I find that much better than tubes or plastic bottles where you end up squeezing furiously with both hands and are still left with unused product, unless you cut them open - I do like to get my moneys worth! The tubs are made from recyclable plastic.

The Company ~ I had a look on the Naked website - www.nakedbodycare.co.uk - and discovered that the company was founded by Louise Potts, who is quoted; "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." Call me a cynic but it seems that every other new company these days is founded by a 'concerned parent'. Environmental friendliness is huge business and it pays to look green even if you're actually no better than average. I'm not saying this is the case here though, there does seem to be a lot of information available about what goes into and what isn't in Naked products and packaging and all the whys and wherefores. Sarah Beeny, who recently did a tv show called 'Toxic', about the poisons in beauty products, is quoted on the site saying positive things about them. Naked is 97% natural and free from Sodium lauryl sulfate, parabens and petrochemicals, all of which sounds like good news to me. The label states "We don't believe in testing on Bambi, Lassie or Skippy", so presumably that means the product is not tested on animals and not just that particular deer, dog and kangaroo! It wasn't obvious how long the company has been around, there were no start up dates that I could find.

Price and availability ~ On the Naked website and in Boots this is priced at £8.80 for the 400ml tub, although I have seen it on 3 for 2 at Boots. It's a bit too pricey for me to justify buying it for myself, but I'm very glad to have received it as a present. It's not expensive when you consider the size of the tub. There is also a Mini Cocoa Butter Body Cream available at £2.93 for 100ml on the Naked website.

Out of all the body creams I have ever used, I think this is my favourite. It has all the right environmental creditations, it feels great to apply and smells amazing. I can't think of anything else I would want from a body cream.

Summary: recommended body cream