Health Care

By Wendy Cohen

Do you know mineral oil (baby oil) is banned in European cosmetic products due to the toxicity it produces in the body? Yet it is the number one ingredient used as filler in most American cosmetics and creams!

Do you know the U.S. has the highest rate of cancer in the world? Recent studies have shown cosmetic chemicals found en masse in breast tissue? Jeremy Likness reports researchers looked at twenty human breast tumors and found synthetic chemicals in eighteen of them.

Do you know the number one cause of skin damage in the US is from sun exposure? Johns Hopkins studies show the number two cause of skin damage is mineral oil. A quick look in our cosmetic bags just might reveal products which include a form of mineral oil, a highly refined by product of crude oil. If your skin is the largest organ on your body then it can certainly be a major factor in what gets into your body. That is the opinion of Wendy Cohen, mother of two school-aged children; recipient of several Senatorial and Congressional awards for her work in banning chemicals in classrooms around the country; and Arbonne Consultant.

In 1997 Wendy co-founded a grass roots organization which banned chemicals in school rooms. Or as Ms. Cohen likes to say, “A policy which uses least toxic methods to control pests, clean facilities, and sanitize the surroundings.” Children should not be exposed to chemicals while their bodies are still developing and as adults we must be tenacious and careful not to absorb unwanted products through our skin. After forming a national alliance Ms. Cohen’s logical next step was finding products which her family and friends would find safe for their skin.

The journey lead her to Arbonne International. How do you know which products are right for your particular needs? Children’s skin is many times more sensitive to certain products than adult skin. There are many studies which have been done showing what is put on the skin and absorbed into the body affects our emotional states, chemical balance, and reproductive systems among other things. Rates of absorption are different for every area of the body but as long as something is on your skin, it is being absorbed into your body. agf.gov.bc.ca/pesticides/b_2.htm

American’s have seen a surge in dermal patches for smoking, birth control, pain management, and even weight control. Studies find the skin is a rapid and efficient delivery system to the body. Ms. Cohen makes sure to point out what goes on the skin shows up in the body.

So how did Ms. Cohen, end up as a consultant with Arbonne International? She segued from a position in marketing and licensing at one of Hollywood’s largest film studios to becoming a stay-at-home mother. “At the time of my first child’s birth my husband was traveling abroad and away from home 21 days a month. I couldn’t see my child having two absentee parents and I didn’t want to miss spending every moment with my child.” She missed the sense of accomplishment so spent her time in volunteer efforts. After Ms. Cohen co-founded a coalition aimed at removing chemicals from schools it just seemed logical to evaluate her home environment and what was being put on her family’s skin.

“I couldn’t believe the chemicals in U.S. products.” says Cohen. “Studies are aimed at adult consumers not children so we don’t know the deleterious affects of chemicals on children but it doesn’t take a chemical degree to figure it out.”

Ms. Cohen began relying more on environmentally friendly products, organic food sources, and organic skin care. “I found a US made product which had the least amount of chemicals available. This was a few years ago before the trend toward true organics arose. The one product I used cost several hundred dollars a month and I have two daughters who would eventually be teenagers! I knew I had to find something even more pure and safe with a more reasonable cost basis.”

She solicited the input of her dermatologist. That became a turning point in her life. “One of those encounters which change the trajectory of one’s life” she says. While sitting in the exam room her dermatologist noticed a mole on her then 8 year old child’s skin. “We are going to cancel your appointment for today and see your daughter. When your dermatologist does that you take notice. Immediately.” says Cohen. As it turned out her family dermatologist and pediatrician strongly urged Wendy to find a botanical product for the sensitive skin of her children. “And, they told me, you’ll not find a pure enough product in the US; you’ll have to look at European skin care. We’re not even sure what’s available.”

At that time Wendy found Arbonne and began using the full line of products and recommending it to family, friends and anyone who would listen.

“The good news is I know Arbonne is pure, safe, and beneficial and we’re taking care of our skin and our bodies all at once.”