health A nyone who has ever blocked his or her pores with face creams or tasted lipstick whose shine was enhanced with fish scales might want to open her eyes — and reduce the wrinkles around them — to natural, botanical health and beauty products. Among the alternatives in this market is Arbonne International. With products for hair, skin (including a line for babies) and fitness as well as nutrition, weight management and life enhancement, ingredients read like a garden-mar- ket grocery list: green tea, chamo- mile, ginseng and cucumber, which help remove impurities, refine pores and reduce oiliness; peptides in the lipsticks hydrate and help reduce the appearance of wrinkles; and soybean oil moisturizes and improves the skin's elasticity and flexibility. Dietary supplements are made without colors, starch, yeast, caffeine, preservatives or salt. Plus, says Helaine Rodin Keller of Birmingham, "The products are not only beneficial because of what they do have in them, but because of BY SHELLI LIEBMAN DORFMAN what they don't have — like mineral oil, which blocks other good prod- ucts from getting in," she explains. "It's almost like wearing Saran Wrap on your face or legs — nothing gets past it and toxins can't get out. But all of Arbonne's products are hydrating and get into the skin. That's why you see such beneficial results." And everything is made without animal by-products and with no animal testing. Always striving for a healthier lifestyle, Keller, a personal trainer who just turned 50, tried Arbonne products at the recommendation of a friend. She was so impressed by the natural ingredients and benefits of the line that she was not only hooked as a customer but, for the past two years, also as a consultant. Not just a pretty face, Arbonne also garners praise from medical profession- als. According to Dr. Lisa Elconin of Infinity Primary Care in Farmington Hills, many women with menopausal and post-menopausal symptoms benefit from the company's PhytoProlief Natural Balancing Cream, a completely plant-based hor- mone-balancing cream that comes in a pre-metered pump. What makes it different from other balancing treatments? "It is topical, all natural and contains phytoestro- gens and USP progesterone," explains Dr. Elconin, who, along with colleague Dr. Genise Kerner and medical receptionist Lori Farber, is an Arbonne consultant. Formulated in Switzerland, Arbonne was founded in 1975 by entrepreneur Petter Morck with a team of bio-chemists, biologists and herbalists. Not sold in stores, the company's more than 300 products are made in California and pur- chased through independent consultants like Keller, some of whom hold parties to demonstrate the products. Prices are comparable to department-store cosmetic, health and skin care products. And with sales reaching $35 million last year, up 28 percent from the previous year, Arbonne is now considered a competitor of Avon and Mary Kay cosmetics. Arbonne products run the gamut, from baby care to mature skin care and everything in between, for any skin type. Baby products include gentle, ultra-mild, tear-free hair and body wash, body lotion, herbal diaper- rash cream and sunscreen, with no dyes or fragrances added. "And you don't have to be a baby to use them," adds Keller, who had a client use the diaper cream for rash-like bumps on her chin. "It can be used for dry, chapped or sensitive skin for some- one of any age." Amy Wander of Farmington Hills also was attracted to the line's natural ingredients — so much so that she also became a consultant. As a nursing mother, it is important to her that the products she uses are safe for the baby and were safe while she was pregnant. "I don't have to worry about what I put on my skin," says Wander, who adds that the baby line is peanut-free, an important allergen consideration. In addition to new moms, Wander's clients include those who use hair-care products, especially those who color their hair. "The shampoos don't strip the coloring PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANGIE BAAN because they are all natural," she says. "Some customers also use the hair and scalp revitalizer as a preventative for hair loss — both men and women." Wander says there really is a product for everyone. "My husband, Marc, loves the men's line, especially the pre-shave, which he says gives him the closest shave he's ever had." And Keller's husband, Mark, uses the anti-age wash, shave cream and eye cream. "Men want to look good, too — and they don't want wrinkles either," she says. At 16, Keller's daughter, Lucy, also is a client. "She can use the products to help treat and prevent acne; it just dries out the acne without drying out her skin," says Keller. The Arbonne products Carol Berger, 52, of West Bloomfield chooses both moisturize her skin and keep it younger looking. "I look at girls my age, and I often think that they look older than me," she says. "Plus, I'm a sun worshipper, and you would never know it. I feel like I'm doing something good for my skin to counter- act the bad." Having used Arbonne for "years and years and years," Berger recently became a client of Tracy Weitzman of Farmington Hills. "I really like that there are no chemicals. I would never use anything else," says Berger. "That's what makes them really stand out in the marketplace," adds Weitzman, "the fact that they are all herbal- and botanical-based. They have no fragrances or mineral oils that act as fillers and don't let skin breathe, perspire and let out the toxins. And they don't have alcohol that dries the skin." And, at 31, Weitzman already recommends anti-aging skin-care products to her peers. "It's not too early to use it as a preventative system," she says. Keller's introduction to Arbonne came through the anti-aging products, includ- ing the facial scrub, toner, serum, eye cream and day and night moisturizers. "I liked how they felt on my skin — really clean," she says. "It felt like my skin was glowing. "I'm always interested in anything that takes care of my skin — and is anti- aging. We know our age and we know we get older. We just don't want to look like it." ❑ Find your natural glow and balance in a tube. For information on Arbonne International products, access the Web site at: arbonne.com or call (800) ARBONNE. To contact Arbonne consultants, call Helaine Rodin Keller (left) at (248) 703-5636 or access her Web site at helaine.myarbonne.com ; call Amy Wander at (248) 626-4999 or access her Web site at: amywander.myarbonne.com ; call Tracy Weitzman at (248) 330-2456 or access her Web site at: tracyw.myarbonne.com .