Karen Priemer, BSN RN ARBONNE INTERNATIONAL National Vice President
		Independent Consultant # 10037686

Are Ingredients Important? Why Arbonne? Check your labels! Toxin Awareness The latest research is something to take seriously.  Toxins are playing a roll in our health and are particularly being linked to cancers.  In 1900, between 1 in 1000 to 1 in 100 people could expect to have cancer in their lifetime.  In the year 1997, it was 1 in 3 people; and in 2002, it's 1 in 2 people in America.  The predictions are that by the year 2030, every American can expect to contract cancer in their lifetime.  [Good Resources at Amazon: Home Safe Home  by Debra Lynn Dadd; What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Breast Cancer by Dr. John Lee; Hormone Balance: A Matter of Life & Health by Kris Klitzke] Prevention and education/awareness is the key.  This information is simply here to help you educate yourself about toxic substances that may be in your home or in products you use.  There are many books and other resources available on this topic and we encourage you to conduct some of your own research. The Personal Care and Cosmetic Industry cannot be left out of the concern when it comes to toxins.  There are ingredients in mainstream cosmetics and personal care that you can avoid.  It's important that you read labels on the products you use/purchase.   Why Arbonne? Check your labels! Arbonne does not use the following ingredients in any of their products! The skin is a living, dynamic and unpredictable organ, as well as the second largest functioning organ of the body. Skin protects by preventing bacteria, germs and pollutants from entering the blood steam.  Everything we put on our skin is absorbed and goes through every vital organ.  Our skin breaths out waste and toxins, and takes in oxygen, moisture and nutrients. Ingredients used in most American skin care formulations contain potentially harmful ingredients, or at the very least ingredients that can cause allergic reactions.  How can this happen? The FDA does not regulate what can be put into skin care products.  All the cosmetic company has to do is list the ingredient and they can use it. Arbonne International products are for the discriminative label-reading consumer. Mineral Oil The #1 most used ingredient in American skin care. A mixture of refined liquid hydrocarbons derived from petroleum. Mineral oil and all petroleum-based ingredients are products of black crude oil.  In Switzerland, where Arbonne is formulated, it is ILLEGAL to use mineral oil in a cosmetic formula.  Mineral oil cost about $1.00/gallon, as compared to essential oils which can cost as much as $100.00/gallon.   Mineral oil’s molecular size is too large to be absorbed by the skin,  thus it forms a film on the skin’s surface blocking the pores natural respiration and secretion process, as well as absorption of other nutrients.  Petroleum jelly (petrolatum) another petroleum derivative, forms a heavier film on the surface of your skin. When your skin perspires and releases water containing salt and chemicals, it aids the liver and kidneys in detoxifying your body. Like mineral oil, petrolatum blocks the skin's natural breathing and excretion functions. Paraffin wax is a hard, white material refined from petroleum by using various solvents. Ceresin is another petroleum product, it's considered a higher-grade of paraffin Toluene is commercially derived from petrochemicals It can be found as a solvent in cosmetics, nail polish remover and dyes. You will also find it as a binding agent in gasoline. Beeswax: Beeswax is a sticky sealant It attracts pollutants, dirt and bacteria and glues them onto the skin as it seals the pores. Lanolin Oily excretion of sheep, lanolin is a common lubricating ingredient in skin formulas. Extracted from the wool, lanolin has been indicated as a cause of allergic skin reactions in sensitive people. . Sheep are bathed twice a year, their wool boiled down and the lanolin skimmed off the top. Imagine not washing your hair for 2 months, scooping of the oily stuff and sticking it in your jar of moisturizer! Collagen An animal product (It is an animal product (derived from chicken's feet and used cooking grease) that is sometimes added to cosmetics as a moisturizing agent. Collagen is added to formulas as a moisturizing agent.  Collagen  molecules are too large to penetrate the skin and can therefore clog pores blocking the skin’s own natural respiration and secretion process, and absorption of other nutrients. Chemical Dyes and Fragrances Formulated chemically from a wide variety of sources.  Artificial colors are known to cause allergic reactions.  Chemical fragrances have been known to cause reactions and photosensitivity in some people. There are an abundance of herbs and botanicals that serve the same purpose, hence  there simply is no need to add chemical dyes and fragrances to skin care formulations. Benzene is a petrochemical used as a solvent in cosmetics. It can cause depression, convulsions, coma and death. Acetone is a petrochemical used as a solvent in cosmetics. Commonly known as nail polish remover. SD40 Alcohol / Alcohols Many skin care products contain solvent alcohol in the form of propyl, isopropyl (petroleum derivatives) or SO alcohol (specially denatured ethyl alcohol). These alcohols are very drying to the skin. Strips the skins natural acid mantle, exposing the pores to bacteria and germs. “Skin care products that strip do much more than cause skin problems, they leave pores exposed allowing bacterial growth in the pores which is where these harmful elements enter the blood stream and cause illness or even death,” reported Dr. Bruce Hensel on Day & Date. Phthalates - (pronounced 'thal-aytes') are a group of oily compounds mainly used to make stiff plastics flexible without compromising their strength and durability.  Because there is so much ongoing research on this chemical, Arbonne does not use it in any of it's products. Safe Preservatives & Other Ingredients There are preservatives you will find in many natural skin/personal care products, including Arbonne's.  They are methyl and propyl parabens.  However, you must know that in UNbiased test (meaning a company out for it's own interest or gain did NOT conduct the research) have proven these ingredients are safe and are food grade preservatives.  Parabens are practically non-irritating and non-sensitizing in the human population with normal skin.  Most of the products which contain parabens have concentrations of less than or equal to 1%.  Arbonne uses less than 1% concentrations of these preservatives.  Keep in mind, botanicals are very volatile and must be protected.  You do not want to open a jar and use a product that contains bacteria because it wasn't protected. What about "natural" preservatives? As for natural preservatives, there really is no effective preservative that will fully protect against yeast, mold and bacteria growth.  Vitamins A, C and E as well as Grapefruit Seed Extract are known antioxidants, but that is about it, they are not preservatives.  Also the amount of Grapefruit Seed  Extract that would be needed to have mild preservative like properties is usually anywhere from 5-10% which can greatly increase the chances of irritation from a so-called "natural preservative."  SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate) - There is a lot of misleading information in BIASED research done on SLS.  An "unbiased" report is done by those who have no gain in the outcome.  The CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review) Board has concluded that this ingredient is safe for use in cosmetic formulations at no more than 2%.  If used higher than 2%, it can be an irritant.  Arbonne complies with the CIR's recommendation of using no more than 2%.  It has also been found to be safe in rinse-off products such as cleansing gels and shampoos.  SLS cannot be absorbed unless left on the skin for an extended period of time. Arbonne requires safety testing of all of its products.  The products are Swiss formulated/researched and Swiss guidelines for personal care product are MUCH more stringent than those in the USA.  Arbonne promises to remove any ingredient found to be harmful in an unbiased study.  Arbonne has been petroleum-free from the start in 1980.  Arbonne has the perfect botanical products - petroleum-free skin care!!!!! Friends don't let friends wear petroleum! Free Radicals & Antioxidants Free radicals are highly reactive molecules that can bind to and destroy body components.  Free radical or “oxidative” damage is what makes your skin age.  Free radicals have also been shown to be responsible for the initiation of many diseases, including heart disease and cancer.  Antioxidants are compounds that help protect against free radical damage.  Antioxidants in the form of nutritional supplements as well as topical application give you the ammunition to fight off the aging process.  All of Arbonne’s moisturizers contain the most effective antioxidants to combat the visible signs of premature aging. ARBONNE SKIN CARE PRODUCTS: Herbal and Botanically-based Combines the best of science and nature - Precision blending & synergistic effects Proprietary Formulations - There may be copycats but no one has the proven  benefits of the Arbonne formulations pH Correct - All formulations benefit the skin’s surface without disrupting the protective acid mantle Dermatologist tested; Pediatrician tested - All safety and efficacy testing is done under the supervision of a Dermatologist and/or Pediatrician Never Tested on Animals - Arbonne has led the pack in non-animal testing. All safety testing of the Arbonne formulations is done on human panels in independent testing laboratories. All products must pass stringent safety testing prior to market introduction. Formulated WITHOUT animal products or by-products (cruel and unnecessary), mineral oil (petroleum-based products are very drying/neurotoxins), or dyes or chemical fragrances (both are known irritants).