Soon after she launched her own line of natural cosmetic products, Cecily Jenkins tried to explain her new business to her father.

“I told my dad, ‘It’s all-natural and organic – you could eat it if you wanted to,’ ” Jenkins said. “So what does he do? Stick his finger in and try it.”

Jenkins is the owner and operator of Raw Causemetics, which she launched out of her Gig Harbor home earlier this month. The small company produces body butters – the technically, though not necessarily advisably, edible product Jenkins’ father sampled, which come in flavors from mandarin to sunflower – as well as gels and scrubs that form a bath and spa set.

All of Jenkins’ products are produced with natural materials.

Jenkins has a background in the nonprofit sector, and she previously worked as an advocate for early childhood education programs in Olympia and Washington, D.C. She said she had been considering a career change when she started to take more notice of the beauty products she was using.

“As a woman, I’ve used a lot of different products,” she said. “And I’ve become more conscious of what I’m putting on my skin. Some of the names of the chemicals in these products, you can’t even pronounce.”

One of her friends, Alexa Page, had experience in the cosmetics industry, and she helped Jenkins form a business model. Jenkins was granted a business license more than a year ago, but because she was determined not to go into debt to start her business, she waited until she could raise enough capital before she opened.

“I want to be able to say that this is something that really came from me,” Jenkins said of her decision to forgo small business loans.

Jenkins hopes to operate with one foot still in the nonprofit world.

The portmanteau in her company’s name signifies Jenkins’ commitment to make Raw about more than cosmetics. Every month, she’s pledged to donate 10 percent of her profits to a rotating list of charities, some of which will be chosen via customer feedback.

This month, Jenkins selected Ladies First, a young women’s empowerment organization based in Tacoma.

Raw’s mission statement, “Indulge but don’t forget,” summarizes what Jenkins has set out to do.

“I wanted to give women the option to be luxurious while still being earth-conscious,” she said.

The company is still in its growing stages – only five of Jenkins’ eight planned varieties of body butter are ready for sale. Jenkins has connected with a company in Oregon that produces the bases for her products, which are shipped to her home, where she mixes, bottles and labels them.

She plans to work out of her home for now, in order to reduce overhead, and to spread the word about her fledgling business through online marketing and public speaking.

Jenkins said she would love to parlay her company into speaking opportunities, possibly featuring programming about her experience as an independent businesswoman. She’s already spoken to three different groups that work with young women.

“I want to speak to people about trying new things and being comfortable in your own skin – your raw self,” Jenkins said. “Anyone can sell a product. I want to pour into people.”