This months product is Arbonne's ABC Herbal Diaper Rash Cream. First of all, I will admit it took me a long time to use this product on my children...I was a diehard Boudreaux's Butt Paste fan, and it actually has a higher percentage of zinc oxide - 16% to ABC's 12%. Not only that, Boudreaux's has a shorter ingredient list, which I am a huge fan of. I was pretty stubbornly convinced that that 4% in conjunction with the extra ingredients was going to cause my child to walk around with terminally chaffed girly bits.
Regardless, I bit the bullet, bought myself a tube and gave it a go. I was very pleasantly surprised! It was every bit as effective if not more so, and as many of those extra ingredients are plant aromatics, it has a pleasantly herbal scent. You can find the ingredient list here, by the way http://www.arbonnemarketing.com/PK/dl/pk/853_us_eng.pdf
Now, this is where the product became a big winner for me. Going back to MY sensitive skin, I was really suffering this summer with the whole bikini zone issue I'm sure many women are familiar with. I'm always on the search for the perfect razor, gel and balm combo that will keep me smooth and pain free. I really wasn't having much luck until I discoved two things...one is Schick Hydro razors and ABC Baby Cream. I use Aveeno sensitive shave gel or Edge Ultrasensitive, just in case anyone else is having the same issue and wonders what I am shaving with gel/cream wise. But finally, my pool trips are no longer embarassing and painful!
Another use for the cream that really knocked my socks off is as a rosacea treatment. I had actually heard this before and when my mom came to me asking if Arbonne carried anything that might help with the redness, I immediately gave her samples of the baby line. She saw definite improvements in the color and texture of her skin, and particularly likes using the wash and diaper cream. Who woulda thunk it, right?
As usual, its a thick product and a little bit goes a long way. Great product, multiple uses, Yay, Arbonne :-)
You can purchase your own tube here from my site, as well as all of Arbonne's other great products. Unconvinced? Contact me, and I'll be happy to give you a sample of the entire baby line, or you can feel free to go ahead and order it yourself with no obligation....Arbonne stands behind their products with a 45 day money back guarantee.
Check out my site to order this and other amazing products (or learn about my business!) www.sensationalskincare.myarbonne.com
This months product is Arbonne's Eye Make Up Remover.
Now, you may ask why I would pick such a non flashy product
for this month's choice when Arbonne has so much to offer.
The answer is simple...for years I have been unable to use eye makeup removers. Whener I used an OTC make up remover, I always had the same experience...puffy red burning skin under my eyes. In worst case scenerios, this would turn into something that looked like carpet burn under my eyes and would stay for days. This was a real problem when I used good nonsmearing waterproof mascaras, and I was always trying to clean my mascara from my lashes without tearing them out or getting soap in my eyes, or just wearing it to bed, which was kind of a mess in the morning.
I finally gave in and bought this eye make up remover a few weeks ago (I could always return it for a refund if it gave me road rash, right?)..and was totally rewarded for my bravery!
When I first used it, I got a little red, and I thought "Oh, no, here we go..." which quickly and painlessly disappeared by the time I put my moisturizer on. It also works well, I didnt have to rub hard and only required a couple of swipes to take off my eye makeup.
My one and only complaint...I so wish Arbonne had this in a cream rather than a liquid! It does cause discomfort for a second if you squish the moisture out of the cottonball and it gets into your eyes while using it, so you have to be careful about that. Otherwise, this product is a home run and a surprising new addition to my "must have" products.
One of the biggest pitfalls I see network marketers fall into is not truly knowing their product or service. They may use the products, and can speak from personal experience, but from a technical aspect, they are dead in the water.
You can not run a business this way! Imagine you walk into a McDonald's,and the guy behind the counter tells you that McD's burgers are the best on the market. You inquire as to why and he says, "We are the only one's using premium beef!" Well, you go to Burger King and the cashier makes the exact claim. Now you are wondering exactly what they mean by "premium beef", and if both products are really equal since both profess to use it, or if maybe one or both are simply liars.
As consultants we are the face of our companies. We are our own advertising and customer service departments. We are hurting our companies by making broad, generalized, and grandiose statements! We owe it to our personal business as well as to the companies we represent to know our product in specific and truthful terms.
Ideally, we believe that our products are the best, or we wouldn't be selling them. But why? Most likely, we like the results we get from the product or service. But how does it compare with others on the market? What are the pros and, yes, the cons, of your business?
One primary example I see of this is when I hear an Arbonne consultant utter the words "all natural". When I first heard this years ago, I totally wrote off Arbonne. First of all, were the products all natural, many would have super short self lives and require refrigeration. Second, some of the deadliest toxins in the world are also "all natural". I immediately processed that as...well...bullshit. Which is also all natural, by the way.
Arbonne's claim to fame is "safe, pure, beneficial" products... this is, predominantly, the reason we spend our money on Arbonne products over some of the other excellent skin care lines on the market.
You will find Arbonne's ingredient policy here: http://www.arbonne.com/products/index.asp
Not once does Arbonne, as a company, say their products are "all natural". They claim they are "botanically based", vegan certified, and claim to be doing everything possible to screen out gluten and known harmful chemicals from their product lines. This makes an excellent product! This also causes their product line to change occasionally as new discoveries are made, but this is an acceptable cost. However, this places even more responsibility on each and every consultant to learn about their product. I don't mean regurgitate what you have heard from your upline. I mean read Arbonne's formal policies, and then compare what you have learned to what you see listed as the products ingredients.
This is not rocket science. This is simply being informed about the business you have chosen. This holds true with any network marketing business, not just Arbonne. How many times have you turned away from what could have been a great opportunity because the pitch seemed just too good to be true and it scared you away? In retrospect, this has happened to me so often! When you can't explain your business or service in clear and truthful terms, this is when people start thinking scam.
Consultants, be proud of your business and your product. Most MLMs are great businesses with something to offer those who want to build their own business or use a great product with personal customer service. Prove that! Care enough to educate yourselves. Develop your own verbiage and belief around your product independent of what you have been told. We do not have to be Arbots or MaryKay Commandos. We have the opportunity to transform peoples opinions of our business of choice and the companies we represent.
So today we are going to talk about pyramids. When some (maybe even many) people think of a multi-level marketing, MLM, they think of the pyramid business model, which tends to immediately lead to the words "scheme" or "scam". Go ahead, tell someone you are involved in MLM...lead with that, and some people get a look that one could expect if you had said "Hi! I club baby seals for a living! You wouldn't believe how much money you can make off those lil suckers!"
I touched on this subject in a rant on my personal blog (http://minivancrusader.blogspot.com/2011/05/prove-them-wrong.html) and that spurred me to a more in depth down and dirty analysis of MLM and pyramid schemes...and I'm going to throw in Ponzi's for good measure, because, frankly, I wasn't sure what the difference was initially.
First of all, Id like to address the general idea of all pyramid business models being a "scam" or "scheme". Basically, you could say that any business, legitimate or otherwise, where those involved in the business are compensated for not only product or service sales but for recruiting a downline, which in turn does the same. I actually had someone tell me that pyramid businesses were all scams because the people at the top were making all the money. Seriously? Look at your own job. Who makes the most money? You, or your boss, or your bosses boss? In most jobs, you work for two reason: to make money, and (for some) move up the ranks to make more money. Some people are happy at the bottom, or don't work hard enough, or are in a job that is unsuited to them for whatever reason, and they don't progress to "the top". Others march up the ladder, and end up as our presidents and CEOs, etc. Ladders are OK, but not pyramids? There is no business in the world where 100% are successful. There will always be more people at the bottom making less than those few at the top. This makes a pyramid. Always. Period. Amen.
This being said, even if we kept to a more narrow view of a pyramid, defining it as actual multi level network marketing, you could still easily argue that this is a valid and lucrative way to do business. Even Donald Trump started his own network marketing business, The Trump Network, and high end jewelry designers, such as Jude Francis, are jumping on the bandwagon as well, creating jewelry lines to be sold by direct sales company BambooPink. As the economy flounders, MLM is becoming more and more accepted as a tried and true business model.
So what differentiates MLM from pyramid and ponzi schemes? It's actually pretty simple.
MLM, or network marketing, offers an actual product or service. It is essentially a sales job, where you are paid for selling product and training others. That to me is one of the great things about Arbonne..I was not left to build my business alone, I have received a lot of help. A lot. And still do!
A pyramid scheme is a bit more shady. No actual goods or services exchange hands, and all members are aware of the fact that their only income will come from the recruitment of others. One easy to understand example are those chain letters, where you send in $1, send the letter to 100 friends, who all send a $1, then they send the letter, etc. These exist in varying degrees of complexity, but all rely on recruitment as the sole source of income, and all are illegal in the US.
A ponzi scheme differs from the above in the the participants are likely to not realize they are involved in a scam. They are offered an investment opportunity promising huge dividends by the original scammer. They sign up, then sign on others to share the wealth. They are often paid some dividends initially to lend credibility to the scam. Because the scam relies entirely on the initial investments made by new recruits, ponzi schemes collapse when recruit numbers dwindle or large numbers ask to cash out. This is the point where an empty bank account is found because the original scammer dished it all out while living well on proceeds or took the money and ran. This is fraud, and obviously illegal as well.
Hopefully this clears up some confusion about MLM. The fact is, there are a lot of good companies out there that use this business model. If you are unhappy where you are at with your job and in a place where you would like to start your own business but start up is a concern, MLM could very well be for you. The trick is finding a good fit. I, of course, adore Arbonne's products, so for me, that was a good fit. I knew and loved the products, I respect what the company is trying to do with their product line and their biofriendly goals, and I knew and trusted the person whom I knew would be my direct upline, so I didn't feel as though I would be attempting to do something so lofty alone. I have yet to regret my decision!
My main consideration, before I ever bought my first sample pack, was, did I really want my own business? Well, I didn’t want to stay home with nothing but housework once the kids were off to school, and I didn’t want to punch a time card. I did want flexibility to be home when the kids needed me, and I did want to set my own schedule. When I finally realized those things, it dawned one me that, yeah, starting my own business was exactly what I wanted now. I just didn’t want to do it previously. But now, that was apparently exactly what I wanted. When that occurred to me, I started seeing opportunity everywhere. I started reselling items on eBay and selling handmade items and recipes on Etsy. I started talking to people, which I was always kind of shy about doing before (but it was so much easier with my new wonderful acne-less skin, it really was!) , and started thinking about my true skill sets. What could I do that was marketable?
And all this time, the opportunity of Arbonne sat there. I was already technically a consultant. But still. I was not convinced direct marketing was for me. Then one day, as I was talking to someone abut how much I loved my skin care routine and how great my skin was in comparison to how it used to be, it suddenly dawned on me that I was “selling” the product. That’s when I had my first epiphany. I didn’t have to be a “sales person”, I just had to love the product. And I didn’t have to love ALL the products, I just had to love what I used, get to know the other products, and help people choose what would probably be best for them. And if it didn’t work out for them, well, not everything was for everyone…I could cheerfully refund them, and it could still be a happy experience. It also dawned on me that it would be MY business. I could offer whatever special incentives I wanted, and I could decide to not push when I didn’t want to. I could learn from the methods of those I trusted and admired, but I could do whatever I wanted. I didn’t have to do anything I didn’t want to do, even if my upline had slightly different methods than myself. I didn’t have to sell like a salesperson. I could sell like me.
Don’t get me wrong, I was still scared. I still am. I don’t like to get that look that some people give you when you say you do home parties or sell skin care products. I don’t like calling people I barely know, but experience has now told me that most people don’t mind if you are quick, and some people really do want to hear from you. If they didn’t, they would give you their phone number. Also, like anyone else, I wanted to be proud of what I did, and, as I mentioned, people tend to look at you all cross eyed when you mention network marketing and direct sales. However, I thought of something I recently told my eldest daughter when she complained about people judging her for how she looks. I said “Well, this is your opportunity to prove them wrong.” I realized that I had the opportunity to change peoples mind about this type of business. My love for the product and the realization that Arbonne was an opportunity to have my own business to run as I saw fit, pulled the Arbonne opportunity front and center into my mind.
Still, though, there were the other concerns, investment was a huge one. Initially, I was like, ”They want me to pay them to sell their product? You have to be kidding!” At some point , though, it dawned on me that if I looked at it as a franchise, I was getting a major deal. Think of it this way. You want to open a Subway chain., so you pay a fee to open, then you pay a yearly fee. A franchise fee is normally $20,000 to $50,000 and does not cover stock, building costs, or legal fees required to start a business. Yet people pay this money all the time to have their own business and benefit from carrying the name of a chain. Suddenly, I no longer wanted to complain about a $109 yearly fee and the fact that I had to purchase my own catalogues. I didn’t even need a building and the amount of on hand stock was up to me! Granted, I still wasn’t sure I wanted to spend money on starting my own business, but it became very clear that as far as business start up costs, this was certainly the way to go. Ultimately, I sat down, computed what I thought I needed to start my business, and fell under the $2,000 mark. And honestly? In retrospect, I could have bought even less and made it work just fine. A new consultant also gets a lot of perks, namely the $700 for $350, and if you place your order like a party using that deal, you also got a free product, a $100 for $20, free shipping and other additional discounts on specific products. This seriously cut my costs down. Knowing what I know now, I probably could have gotten off the ground spending under $500. At this point, I was pretty much hooked on the idea, and was only left with the time issue.
So OK. Who couldn’t use more time? If I didn’t have time for Arbonne, I didn’t have time to go back to work or, God forbid, start any business. When I realized this was my last drawback, the last obstacle between me and Arbonne, I decided to go for it. Besides an initial investment, what did I have to lose? And surely, I reasoned, I could stick with it long enough to at least make that money back, even if I hated it or didn’t make anything from it. Sell enough retail product, and you make 35% no matter how you slice it. So I took the plunge. I had already had my opportunity for the $700 for $350, so I signed my husband up as a preferred customer under my name, constructed a party, and proceeded to order everything I thought I needed to get started taking advantage of every 50% off and $20 for $100 and free product that I could scrape up. The boxes, when they arrived at my house, were amazing, it was an Arbonne Christmas in April when they arrived! That’s when I really truly got excited. I was listening to Learn and Burns that assured me that Arbonne could fit into the “nooks and crannies” of my life, and now, I am ready to see what happens!
Also, watch the opportunity video..these are real people with real lives. Once you get to listening to the Learn and Burns (which I will end up discussing quite a bit here, I am sure), it really drives home that anyone who wants to can do this, and it is so possible to be successful in this business. It isn't just a handful making all the money, there is enough for everyone!
Today’s product is the Arbonne Clear Advantage Clarifying set.
http://www.arbonne.com/products/beyond_basics/set.asp
This product is near and dear to my heart, as it is the first Arbonne product I ever tried, and the one that got me hooked.
Remember that oily/dry/acne prone skin I just admitted to? The problem is amplified in the winter months...and this year I was SO thankful for the second winter in a row to have these products. I am sensitive to Benzoyl Peroxide, like a lot of people are, so products containing it, like Pro-Active keep me splotchy and peeling, even when I only used it every other day. I tolerated it better as a teenager, and I wonder if Benzoyl peroxide is more effective against typical teenage acne (which is normally largely caused by simply overproduction of oils) than adult acne (which tends to be more complex). Arbonne Clear Advantage is Salicylic Acid based, which I react to much better, but even then, I have had issues with over the counter versions of the product. Clear Advantage contains additional soothing botanicals, such as peppermint and licorice root (both of which are known to decrease puffiness and redness) as well as vitamins A,C, and E, which really seems to be the key, as my skin is better than it has been in years. It also does not contain FRAGRANCES....look at your bottle of acne wash, and most of them do, which to me is stupid, because that is one thing that is mostly likely to cause skin irritation (why else do sensitive skin clothing detergents advertise that they are free of dyes and PERFUMES?)...and skin irritations cause acne!
The new tube shape of the facial wash is pretty awesome, too, much easier to use in the shower, and allows you to get more of the product out than the previous design (I hate waste!), although I had the little prong that seals the bottle break off a couple of times and that annoyed me. I like the addition of the Skin Support Dietary Supplement, as well, and I don't seem to have any digestive effects from consuming them, which was definitely a concern at first.
This system is one of the more comparatively pricey items I use by Arbonne. It really is a clear example of you get what you pay for. I have used several of the cheaper over the counter systems and they either didn’t work, or irritated my skin, or both. Compared to more high quality systems, its pretty on par. Even at its 100% retail cost, you pay $64.50 for the three part system, PLUS dietary supplement, so you pay barely over $16 per item.
For ProActive (which is kind of apples and oranges, as its benzoyl peroxide versus salicylic acid), even if I could use it, the cost for the three part kit fluctuates from the $20 start up price to $60 for the three part system of a similar size, normally $17-20 per component when I bought it from the kiosk at the mall...so head to head full price, Arbonne is under $5 more for the whole system (approximately two months supply), but you get the dietary supplement. And it doesn't eat the skin off my face. Which is nice.
In comparison to other high quality salicylic acid products, it falls close in line, like DDF salicylic acid wash at Sephora (retail $35 for 8.5 oz of the wash only), and I found this product to be a little rough on my skin as well, although effective. Like i said, you get what you pay for. All in all, this product is a home run for me...comparatively priced with other high end cleansers and three part systems, but you get more for your money with the dietary supplement and the addition of natural soothing ingredients that you just don't seem to find in other medicated scrubs. Of course, there are definitely ways to cut cost, such as hosting a party and receiving free and discounted product, or even better, become a preferred customer or consultant for Arbonne and never pay full price for the product to begin with!
Now, this all being said, I am in no way saying that any company has a magic bullet product that is perfect for everyone...I don't sell snake oil. Tons of people out there love Proactive, it's a great product that didn't work for me. Your mileage may vary. However, Arbonne's 45 day money back guarantee makes it a worthwhile gamble, in my opinion. I also wanted to say that when fighting acne in general, I have found that one of the most important steps that does not come with this kit (but I really wish it did!) is a good exfoliant. Exfoliate every single day to removed dead cells that contribute to clogged pores! Arbonne carries one that I like, the FC5 New Cell Scrub. But I am going to tell you the product that I love, although perhaps I should whisper it because it is not an Arbonne product. St. Ives medicated Apricot Scrub. It's, like; $2 a tube and is amazing. I use it once a day every day. But whatever you use, do yourself a favor and exfoliate if you don't already.
I really hope this particular review had helped you, acne is a terrible thing to try and fight and takes so much from you in terms of self esteem and confidence. It was nothing short of miraculous for me to find out I had great skin under there! I hope you can do the same!
If I said that I was sold the first time I used an Arbonne product, I would be a liar. In fact, I used Arbonne products off and on for a couple of years before it ever occurred to me that maybe I would like to sell the products, even with my personal consultant (who eventually, through her perseverance, became by upline) encouraging me to do so periodically (usually ever time I bought something through her!). Mainly, the issue was price. I often hear this complaint about Arbonne, and this was at the heart of the issue of the lady at the post office, as well. I was a Revlon girl not a Lancôme girl, so I suffered some sticker shock. Add in that shipping cost, and it looks astronomical. Years ago in Arbonne, before they had Preferred Clients you could sign up as a consultant, not actually sell anything, but get a 35% discount on your product, so I took advantage of that to alleviate my costs. But I was always still looking for the magic product with fat results and a super skinny price tag.
If you asked me now, however, I would quickly say that the products sell themselves. And they do. When I stopped just occasionally using the products while looking for a cheaper alternative and started using the product (namely the Clear Advantage set) consistently and as directed for a month or so, I came to two conclusions. The first being that a little bit goes a long way, after one month I had used maybe 1/3 of the container. Secondly, its hard to put a price on results, particularly when you have an actual problem, like I did with my skin. I mean, you can put a price on it, and I’m pretty sure my husband would insist that I do put a price on it at some point, but you know what I mean. Within reason. The product set cost $64.50 ($78.54 with tax and shipping if I purchased one set at a time), and if I replaced that even every other month (rather than every three, which is closer) I was still only spending less than $40 a month at full price to have a nearly perfect complexion, which I was only able to get otherwise with a combination of products and facials that were actually costing me far more. Also, I was only paying 65% of that, about $27.00. That suddenly seemed quite reasonable, once I put it all into perspective.
So, for me, that was one hurdle. Product usage. I started truly using the product and fell in love. It was my Gateway Drug into Arbonne. I tried more product, and the more I tried the more I loved, and the more I loved it, the more I tried. Then I learned more about the ingredients Arbonne uses and doesn’t use, as well as their commitment to offer environmentally sound vegan certified products and before I knew it, I was developing a relationship with the company behind the product. I never would have chose to market a product for a company I felt negatively about.
So, for me, that was one hurdle. Product usage. I started truly using the product and fell in love. It was my Gateway Drug into Arbonne. I tried more product, and the more I tried the more I loved, and the more I loved it, the more I tried. Then I learned more about the ingredients Arbonne uses and doesn’t use, as well as their commitment to offer environmentally sound vegan certified products and before I knew it, I was developing a relationship with the company behind the product. I never would have chose to market a product for a company I felt negatively about.
However, the idea of starting a business with Arbonne was still undesirable and laughable. Initially, I just honestly had no interest in having my own business. Some people don’t. They are happy where they are. Leave them alone. But also realize that things change. They did for me. After a couple of years of happily keeping house and children, I started thinking about what I was going to do with myself when my youngest children entered school. I could stay home…while an attractive option, I knew I would need something besides domestic bliss to fill my days. I have a degree in biochemistry, so I am not uneducated and could easily enter the work force again, but laboratory jobs tend to be under compensated and inflexible. I thought of getting a teaching degree and teaching high school science, but did I really want to go back to school? About as much as I wanted to stick a hot poker in my eye. That’s when Arbonne started blipping on my radar. Keep in mind, my Arbonne consultant was still present in my life. She didn’t disappear from it because I didn’t business build with her a couple of years ago.
But I have to say, Arbonne was still just a blip. Direct marketing and network marketing have bad raps. I think the attached stigma grew from the general bitterness felt by those invited to cookouts and dinner parties only to have some schmuck whip out a bulletin board and pointer mid event to show “what Amway can do for YOU!”. Also, not everyone wants a relationship with their skin care product. Some people just want to buy what they like and be left alone. And that’s OK. The hard part is, finding out whether or not someone is that type of person in a way that doesn’t make them feel pressured by you. I wasn’t sure could do that.
And frankly, I’m not a salesperson. Even if I could magically differentiate between those interested in product or hosting or business building, how would I be able to “seal the deal”? How would I be able to sell without feeling as though I was being “pushy” or potentially insensitive? I get uncomfortable talking to people I don’t know the moment they don’t respond in a way that I expect or would like. How could I talk to strangers? How could I explain away and alleviate fears without sounding like I was arguing with them? What did I do if people tried and disliked the product, or they didn’t feel it worked for them? It sounded daunting. And maybe only slightly more pleasant than a root canal. Of course, I was being reminded by my future upline that Arbonne has quite a few resources on how to sell the products. My main problem was that I wasn’t entirely comfortable with many of the methods that sales people had used on me in the past, and if I had to sell in that manner, that wasn’t really something I wanted to do.
Also, when I asked about starting my own Arbonne business, I started immediately computing in my head how much money I would have to spend to start. Consultant fees are $109 year plus tax at this time. And then there is you initial inventory…you don’t have to stock for Arbonne, but you should have at least an re9 bag on hand (and a baby and Clear Advantage set wouldn’t hurt) to show people at parties, and if you aren’t going to have an example of most of the products on hand for people to look at, you need samples. Samples cost money, as do Arbonne web pages, product literature and catalogues. It was obvious to me that I would need around $1500-2000 to be able to start off like I wanted. And as far as consultant fees and product literature, I was initially offended that they wanted me to pay them to sell their product. I was also unsure I wanted to risk a couple of thousand when I didn’t know if it would work out.
There was also a matter of time. I didn’t want to spend every night and weekend away from my family or be on opposite schedules from my husband. And I still had two small children at home, a teenager who seemed to need to be everywhere, and a household to run. I also had other interests that I didn’t want to give up, that would have been too much like having a J-O-B. I kept hearing about hard work and determination, and quite frankly, I wanted to know that I could do great things with hard work and determination, but I also wanted to know if I could make it worth my time with only part time hard work and determination.
So, you may ask, “What happened?". Let's look at that next time :-)
This months product is Arbonne's ABC Herbal Diaper Rash Cream. First of all, I will admit it took me a long time to use this product on my children...I was a diehard Boudreaux's Butt Paste fan, and it actually has a higher percentage of zinc oxide - 16% to ABC's 12%. Not only that, Boudreaux's has a shorter ingredient list, which I am a huge fan of. I was pretty stubbornly convinced that that 4% in conjunction with the extra ingredients was going to cause my child to walk around with terminally chaffed girly bits.
Now, you may ask why I would pick such a non flashy product
