FTC Goes After MLM Neora, Formerly Nerium, for Illegal Pyramid Scheme

Two Nerium containers back when I tried it circa 2014.

Nerium has always had a questionable reputation. I have to assume that was one reason--perhaps the main reason--the company changed its name to "Neora." Apparently, watchdog group Truth In Advertising shares that opinion.
NERIUM’S MOVE TO DISAPPEAR & REINVENT ITSELF AS NEORA

As someone who writes skincare articles and has written them for sites like Yahoo and Examiner, I was contacted during Nerium's early boom and offered a free trial. I tried it and it burned my skin. Not only that, but the product was held in small containers hidden inside much larger plastic containers.

This prompted me to do a great deal of research into the product and discover it was the brainchild of a serial MLM marketer Jeff Olson who used dubious claims and faulty science as well as fake endorsements to hawk his latest MLM product.

His early claims tried to tie the company's research into MD Anderson Cancer Center in Texas. The cancer center was forced to respond with this article: 
Setting the record straight about MD Anderson and Nerium

Actor Ray Liotta sued the company for using his images in a fake before and after photo for Nerium AKA Neora. 
Ray Liotta Claims Skincare Company Faked His Endorsement

A search for Nerium burn turns up page after page of people complaining and even suing the company over chemical burns caused by the product. I experienced a Nerium chemical burn first hand, and it was painful and disfiguring until it cleared up after I used a product called Soothe to heal the burn. 


In 2017, Nerium's Jeff Olson was accused of massive, multi-million dollar fraud by Nerium SkinCare (NSC) and Nerium Biotechnology (NBI), partners of Nerium International. The Nerium partners asked in the lawsuit for inspection of the books. 
Nerium Under Fire for Fraud 

Now Neora has moved beyond Nerium's bad skin care into dangerous new ground,  and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is not pleased. The Federal Trade Commission has sued the multi-level marketer Neora, and its Chief Executive Officer, Jeffrey Olson, alleging that the company is basically an illegal pyramid scheme that falsely promises its recruits they will achieve financial independence if they join the scheme. 

That's bad enough, but the lawsuit also alleges that Neora and Olsen deceptively promote “EHT” supplements "as an antidote to concussions and chronic traumatic encephalopathy caused by repetitive brain trauma, as well as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease."

According to the FTC website, the FTC is seeking to permanently stop the Neora defendants’ deceptive practices and return money to consumers.

FTC Sues Multi-Level Marketer Neora, formerly known as Nerium, Alleging it Operates as an Illegal Pyramid Scheme

It pays to do your due diligence before trying skin care products or becoming a rep for any company. Never just read the company's literature. Google it. 

Many MLMs are run ethically and provide good products that benefit consumers like legacy companies Mary Kay, Avon and Rodan + Fields. The term MLM is not a bad word, but companies like Nerium/Neora give it a bad reputation.

Also see:
Have you heard of Nerium Skincare?

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Fashion, Beauty, Health and More at Southern Women's Show

The 2019 Southern Women's Show in Nashville, TN

The 2019 Southern Women's Show took place March 7-10 at the Music City Center in Nashville, Tennessee, providing aisle after aisle of fashion, beauty, skincare and health products of particular interest to women. Approximately 350 vendors were on hand to tempt southern women to try something new.

Kathryn Darden with TDOTHottie, Greg Woerdeman

The female-friendly expo featured cooking demos, fashion shows and a smattering of celebrities and semi-celebrities including Savannah Chrisley, Ms. Cheap, the TDOTHottie, Greg Woerdeman, Tyson Beckford, and, yours truly. I had the privilege to walk the runway as part of the DAN Talent Group Models and Talent fashion show.

Dashsmiles tooth whitening

One of the more interesting booths included the dashsmiles tooth whitening booth where women sat for 15 minutes to 1/2 hour with a tooth whitening apparatus in their mouth. I ran into my friend Alicia Lajoie with her beautiful daughter there, and Alicia reported later that the device worked wonders.

There were a few food vendors on hand to feed hungry ladies, but a little more variety would have been nice. I ended up having a grilled cheese sandwich served with beef and blue cheese.

Various vendors at the Southern Women's Show in Nashville, Tn.

With jewelry, purses, boots and more--the Southern Women's Show lived up to expectations. It is a great day out with the girls and a fun way to celebrate International Women's Day.

Trivia: International Women's Day is celebrated on March 8. It became a socialist and communist holiday after women got the right to vote in Russia in1917 and was adopted by the feminist movement around 1967.

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Eating Healthy Garbage

If the title of this blog posts conjures up images of someone eating from a trash can, you aren’t far from wrong. I have discovered a new way to recycle food by making a healthy broth from the pieces and parts we would throw away. I now freeze small bags of...well... garbage to use to make healthy meals.

We throw away the outer green layer of an onion because it is a little rubbery, but I toss it in a freezer bag. After harvesting herbs I take the leftover bare branches and twigs and add them to the freezer bag. The same goes for eggshells, parts of celery I discard, bones, etc. They all get tucked away in my freezer until I have enough to make a tasty broth.

When I am ready for some more, I just grab a bag of discarded food from the freezer, toss in a little seasoning, and add some water. After cooking in a crockpot in low for about 20 hours, I strain out the broth and throw the garbage away. The broth is so healthy with all its nutrients and is wonderful in soups and rice dishes. This broth is perfect for penny-pinchers and people who don’t like to waste anything as well as those who like healthy home-cooked dishes. So save your garbage to eat later. You’ll be glad you did!

Ask me about amazing clinical skincare products and start your way to clearer, healthier skin today! Join me on Facebook or email  skin_and_health@yahoo.com for more info! I would love to help you have healthier skin!

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Cute New Accessory from Brighton--Fashion Passport Umbrella

The newest accessory from Brighton Jewelry is this Fashion Passport Umbrella with its colorful, bold print of women dressed in their "bon voyage" travel fashion finery.

The whimsical umbrella is available for a limited time as a free gift with purchase!

If you enjoy travel or simply love bold prints and red trim, head in to Brighton Jewelry to check it out for yourself!

Read more at:

• Brighton Fashion Passport Umbrella Cute for Spring
• Brighton Fashion Passport Umbrella Great for Doll Collectors 

Ask me about amazing clinical skincare products and start your way to clearer, healthier skin today! Join me on Facebook or email  skin_and_health@yahoo.com for more info! I would love to help you have healthier skin!

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National Fragrance Day Coming Up March 21

Most of us have had that experience of a fragrance triggering a long-forgotten memory. I remember after my mother Died catching a whiff of someone's Channel Number Nine as they passed by and immediately having several flashbacks of her wearing the same perfume.

Around the turn of the century, I worked for a year in the Macy's Fragrance Department. I was hesitant at first because I had allergies at the time and some were triggered by perfumes, but working in the fragrance department cured me of my perfume allergies.

Of course, today money-making alarmist groups like the Environmental Working Group are working overtime to solicit your funds, scaring you by finding toxins in everything, including your favorite perfumes. The truth is the levels of perfume chemicals are regulated in products and is not likely to cause you harm unless you are allergic, like I was, or have a condition like asthma.

My Golden Pothos and a few favorite fragrances

However, that's not to say you want to spray your favorite perfume while you light your favorite scented candles and spray your favorite air freshener at the same time inside the same small, closed room. You can have too much of good thing, and fragrances should be treated with respect. It's best to use fragrances and scented products of any kind in rooms that can be aired out, or in rooms with live houseplants. In fact, I share my computer space with a Golden Pothos. See Is there a danger from scented products?

So enjoy your favorite fragrances on National Fragrance Day. Just be sure you share the room with your favorite house plant!

Ask me about amazing clinical skincare products and start your way to clearer, healthier skin today! Join me on Facebook or email  skin_and_health@yahoo.com for more info! I would love to help you have healthier skin!

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Skin, Health & Beauty Japan on Facebook

A brand-new page has launched on Facebook to help Japanese men and women have healthier skin and creamier complexions and to introduce them to the best skincare products in the U.S. for Japanese skin.

Skin, Health & Beauty Japan will feature health tips as well as skincare and beauty tips that will be useful to anyone but will focus on Japanese skin.

Japanese women, like other Asians. have a thinner outer layer of the skin which is more susceptible to scarring and dryness because the weaker lipid barrier causes moisture to evaporate easily. Some of our tips will address the specific concerns of Japanese skin.

Find out more at:

• Skin, Health & Beauty Japan on Facebook

Ask me about amazing clinical skincare products and start your way to clearer, healthier skin today! Join me on Facebook or email  skin_and_health@yahoo.com for more info! I would love to help you have healthier skin!

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Get Great Skin & Longer Lashes for 20% Off

My own lashes on Lash Boost

Right now there is a special at RF Dermatologists.  Save 20% on their special offer of Lash Boost™ plus the regimen of your choice. That means you can treat sensitive skin, or adult acne, or age spots, or lines and wrinkles with their effective, dermatologist-created skincare regimens and get longer, thicker, fuller-looking lashes, too!

I have personally used the Soothe Regimen which got rid of my rosacea, the Reverse Regimen which obliterated my brown spots, the Sulfur Wash and toner from the Unblemish Regimen which worked fine on my sensitive skin and am now a daily user of the Redefine Regimen which has made my skin firmer with fewer lines and wrinkles.

When I started using Lash Boost last year I had alopecia on one eyelid which my local dermatologist said she couldn't treat, even with the prescription drug, Latisse. Now thanks to Lash Boost I have my lashes back and they are longer, thicker and fuller looking... and I didn't have to pay for a trip to the dermatologist or a prescription!

Please ask me about these great products! I would be happy to tell you how to save an extra 10% - 25% above the 20% off the company offers on this special deal! These are products for healthy skin and are great for both men and women. Ask me about them today! Contact me below for more info on healthier skin.

Also see:

• Brighten Those Eyes & Lengthen Those Lashes! 

Ask me about amazing clinical skincare products and start your way to clearer, healthier skin today! Join me on Facebook or email  skin_and_health@yahoo.com for more info! I would love to help you have healthier skin!

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States with the Best & Worst Dental Health-- How Does TN Rank?

Tooth abscess

With February being National Children’s Dental Health Month and dental health having an effect on appearance, general well-being and even earnings, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2018's States with the Best & Worst Dental Health.

In order to determine which places have the healthiest teeth and gums in the U.S., WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 25 key metrics. The data set ranges from share of adolescents who visited a dentist in the past year to dental treatment costs to share of adults with low life satisfaction due to oral condition.

Source: WalletHub

States with the Best Dental Health			States with the Worst Dental Health
1	Minnesota		42	Texas
2	Wisconsin		43	South Carolina
3	Connecticut		44	Florida
4	Illinois		45	California
5	North Dakota		46	Louisiana
6	District of Columbia		47	Montana
7	Michigan		48	West Virginia
8	Massachusetts		49	Alabama
9	South Dakota		50	Arkansas
10	Idaho		51	Mississippi

Tennessee's Score

So, how does Tennessee compare to the other 50 states in terms of healthy teeth? The great State of TN came in at a disappointing #38 due to poor dental habits and tooth care as well as oral health risk. Another factor contributing to Tennessee's dental woes and under-performing ranking is Tenn. has the fewest dentists per residents with only 16 dentists per 100,000 Tennesseans.

Overall Rank (1=Best)	State	Total Score	‘Dental Habits & Care’ Rank	‘Oral Health’ Rank

38

Tennessee

47.84

40

39

Best vs. Worst

• Rhode Island has the lowest share of the population who couldn’t afford more dental visits due to costs, 37 percent, which is two times lower than in Georgia, the highest at 74 percent.
   
• Massachusetts has the most dentists per 100,000 residents, 48, which is three times more than in Tennessee, the fewest at 16.
   
• The District of Columbia has the highest share of the population who receive fluoridated water, 100 percent, which is 8.5 times higher than in Hawaii, the lowest at 11.70 percent.
   
• Minnesota, Hawaii and Illinois have the lowest share of adults with poor or fair oral condition, 22 percent, which is 1.8 times lower than in Montana, the highest at 40 percent.
   
• Hawaii has the lowest share of adults aged 65 and older with no natural teeth, 5.6 percent, which is 5.4 times lower than in West Virginia, the highest at 30.4 percent. 

To view the full report and your state or the District’s rank, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/states-with-best-worst-dental-health/31498/    

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