Our Glossary

Defining colloidal oatmeal

A natural ingredient that acts as an emollient to soothe itchy, dry skin.

Plus, it can even help restore the skin’s natural PH when the skin barrier has been compromised. This can be especially helpful for eczema-prone skin.

Mineral Based product definition

For an Honest product to be considered “mineral-based,” the quantity of its mineral ingredients has to represent more than 50% of the total formula.

So with something like a powder foundation, the manufacturer grinds minerals — such as talc, zinc oxide, mica and iron oxide — into superfine particles to create the product. Similarly, mineral-based sunscreens have liquid bases with those particles blended into the mix.

What is in mineral-based skincare?

Some of the common minerals you’ll see in Honest mineral-based products include:

Mica: You know that extra bit of shimmer in your foundation? You can thank mica for that radiant glow.

Zinc oxide: One of the active ingredients in mineral sunscreens, Zinc oxide is a UV filter.

Iron oxide: How do mineral makeups get their color? Iron oxide. It provides the pigment that helps color match the shade to your skin.

Titanium dioxide:  An active ingredient in mineral sunscreens also used in color cosmetics for its ability to help blur imperfections.

What is mineral oil?

Mineral oil is a colorless, odorless substance that is derived from petroleum. Due to its low cost, mineral oil is a common ingredient in baby and beauty products — from lotions and ointments to makeup removers. It is something that we choose not to put in any of our products and instead choose to formulate with plant derived alternatives like safflower and jojoba oils.

Defining Natural

A product considered natural by The Honest Company contains a minimum of 95% natural ingredients in the total formula. The non-water portion is at least 50% bio-based (which means animal-, plant- or microorganism-based), or the product contains acceptable mineral ingredients.

To break it down further, natural substances include botanical, mineral or animal ingredients that come from the land or the ocean. So, for instance, a product could include everything from kelp and herbs to fish oil and coconut oil.

Defining natural ingredients

Then how do we, at The Honest Company, define natural ingredients? Natural ingredients are water, minerals, plants and animal materials made with minimal processing to keep them true to their natural form.

What are some examples of natural ingredients?

You can find natural ingredients in many of the products you use every day — from the cold-pressed oils like olive oil that you use to do your cooking to the shea butter found in your deep-conditioning treatment to the manuka honey found in your favorite face mask.

Defining natural derived ingredients

According to our definition, naturally derived ingredients are any ingredient whose starting material originates from plants, minerals, microbes or animals that may be adapted to provide performance.

What are some examples of naturally derived ingredients?

Naturally derived ingredients are also found in many of the products you use every day, and include everything from essential oils, to botanical extracts like chamomile and calendula to non-synthetic colorants found in our beauty products.

Defining prebiotics

These fibrous, complex carbohydrates work like fuel to feed the healthy bacteria that support and protect your skin’s natural barrier, which is what you need if you’re dealing with issues like eczema-prone skin.

Defining Vegan

At Honest, vegan products do not contain any animal ingredients or animal-derived ingredients. This includes, but is not limited to, honey, beeswax, lanolin, collagen, albumen, carmine, cholesterol, gelatin, etc. Also by our definition, vegan products are not tested on animals.

Important to note: all The Honest Company products are not tested on animals, whether they contain animal byproducts or not.

Defining plant-derived ingredients

At The Honest Company, a plant-derived ingredient is any ingredient whose starting material originates from plants and may be adapted to provide performance.

What are some examples of plant-derived ingredients?

Plant-derived ingredients are all around you. They may be in your bath products, that lipstick at the bottom of your purse, your lotions, even (possibly) your baby’s diapers. Plant-derived ingredients include everything from the sustainably harvested wood pulp in our diapers to the plant derived surfactants in our cleaning products. And for The Honest Company to consider an entire product plant-based, those plant-derived ingredients must make up more than 50% of the total formula.