1. Company Track Record

Look for a company that will be there for the long term. If the company is less than 5 years old, there is a 95% chance they will go out of business in the next 5 years. That % is still at 70% until the company reaches the age of 10 years old. Melaleuca is 15 years old, with a $500 million dollar sales volume in 1997 Melaleuca was on the INC 500 5 years in a row for the fastest growing companies in America. They only allow companies on the list for 5 years. Microsoft was only on the list for 3 years. Only 32 companies have been on the list for 5 years, and of those, only 10 maintained an “A” rating. We maintained an “A” rating by the rating firm Dunn & Bradstreet, which rates the firms on the INC 500 list. This is the highest financial rating possible. We won the Blue Chip Enterprise Award in 1991, from the US Chamber of Commerce. Only 200 companies have been given this award. This award is given for excellence, recognizing our strong management team and our companies’ ability to maintain growth during periods of recession.

2. Financially Sound

Melaleuca is totally debt free, with no long-term debt. We are not publicly traded, so our responsibilities are to our customers and marketing executives, not stockholders. Stockholders interests don’t coincide with ours. We just bought 265 sq. acres on the Snake River in Idaho for a second manufacturing plant. We paid cash.

We are not a distributor for another manufacturer. We are the manufacturers.

We have never been late with checks for our marketing executives in our 15 years of business.

5 tons of mail goes our on the same day every month, with our business reports and checks for our marketing executives.

Most companies can’t finance their growth, and will not succeed due to their poor financial position.

3. Strong Management

Our management team comes from a Fortune 500 background A management team that knows how to run a business runs Melaleuca. Our President Frank Vandersloot was an Executive Vice President for Automated Data Processing for 20 years, and spent 10 years at the senior management level at Cox Communications. Frank Vandersloot is on the board of directors for the Direct Selling Association. Frank Vandersloot has been awarded Entrepreneur of the Year for the state of Idaho. Frank Vandersloot is a member of the board of directors of the US Chamber of Commerce. After Melaleuca received the Blue Chip Award from the US Chamber of Commerce, they asked our company president to join their board of directors. Networkers who have been successful with other companies run many MLM companies. Just because you are a successful networker, doesn’t mean you can run a business.

4. Unique Consumable Products

When was the last time the local grocery store sent you a thank you check for buying their products? Some companies sell one-time purchase items, so you are spending money you would not have otherwise spent. We sell everyday household items that you are buying anyway. They are unique because they contain Melaleuca oil. They are so unique; we have US patents on several of our products. We are a licensed Pharmaceutical Company and sell some medicinal items like antacids, cough medicine, allergy medication, and a line of vitamins that is so powerful we have one of the few US patents for vitamins. The doctors who chose the pre-natal care for Mrs. McCoy, who had the sextuplets last year chose Melaleuca products for her pre-natal care after researching 40 companies. ProvexCV was just on CNN in December 1998, for its ability to help reduce heart disease and aid the cardiovascular system. This product took 30 years of research and development to prepare, and we have a 20-year exclusive contract to carry it. Heart disease kills more people every year than Aids and Cancer combined. It also helps high blood pressure and cholesterol. We also offer several services, like Melacom, credit cards, a travel service and starting in the first quarter of 1999. Products are ordered from the catalog, directly from the company. They are shipped directly to your door. Melaleuca Oil comes from the Melaleuca plant in Australia, and has a 300 year history, going back to the Australian aborigines and Captain Cook. It has natural antiseptic and anti-fungal qualities, is a solvent that breaks up dirt and grease, and is better for the environment than the harsh chemicals used in most household products.

5. Competitively Priced

The products are competitively priced to comparative products, or we wouldn’t still be in business. No One would buy these products on a long-term basis if they were not priced fairly.

6. Low Personal Production Requirements

Some companies require anywhere from $100-$300 per month, or more, in personal production. This means that you would either have to use that many products or sell it retail to friends and family. Who uses $300/month in vitamins? Or laser pointers? Who wants to buy $1000/month of inventory and sell it retail? Our average order to start is between $35-$50 (29-39 base points), and this is for everyday household items that you are buying anyway. It is called transfer buying. All you are doing is buying these products from a different store and have them delivered to your door.

7. High Reorder Rate

We have a documented 96.4% re-order rate. Your customers will continue to order month after month, because it just makes sense to order directly from the manufacturer, saving money, and getting a thank you check every month. And you continue to earn commissions on their repeat business. Most people in the company are customers, not business builders. They continue to order our products every month because it makes sense, and they get a thank you check from the company. We have great products that you are buying anyway, at a fair price. Combine this with a fantastic business opportunity, and you can’t lose.

8. Low Attrition Rate

Most companies have an 80% attrition rate, which means you are spending all of your time just replacing the people who are leaving your organization. We have a 7% attrition rate, which is among the lowest in the industry. The industry average is an 82% attrition rate. Again, your customers stay members and re-order products every month because it just makes sense. We have a very high enrollment rate, between 60-80% on average, compared to an industry average of about 15%. This makes the business easily duplicable.

9. Low Initial Investment

Many companies require a huge buy-in to join, anywhere from $200 to several thousand dollars. For only $29, you can become a preferred customer and a marketing executive so you can start building your business. This $29 has not changed in the 13 years we have been in business. $29 is the cost for one night out on the town, for the opportunity to build a supplemental residual income that could change your life.

10. Timing

We have already been in business for 13 years and have achieved an amazing level of success. We are here for the long haul. We have over 500,000 members, and are in the middle of a huge growth stage. We expect to more than double in size in the next couple of years. Now is the time to start building a successful business with Melaleuca.

11. No Breakaways

In many companies, if the person you bring into the business passes you or achieves a certain level of success, they “break away” from your organization, so you are no longer earning commission on their sales. Why would you want to be in a business that punished you for bringing in a star, someone that was building a successful business? We don’t punish you for building a successful business, or for finding someone who also wants to build the business. Your customers will stay in your organization as long as they are members. Our compensation plan makes sense. There are 6 ways to earn money. There is no front end loading (high initial investment) and a fair compensation plan that can provide a lifetime residual income.

12. No Risk

There is no risk at all. Our $29 business kit is fully refundable, as are ALL OF OUR PRODUCTS. There is no way anyone can get hurt in this business. With both the business kit and all of the products refundable, what is there to lose by looking at this fantastic opportunity? We have a compensation plan that makes sense and is very beneficial to the marketing executive.

13. Other Factors

Build your business one time and then let it continue paying you a residual income. Work for one period of time, then be able to walk away and still make money. Success comes from leverage. You can either leverage money or people. This gives you the ability to create a position of leverage you may not have otherwise had. You are spending the same money you were already spending; you are just “transfer buying,” switching stores and buying directly from the manufacturer. Alan Pariser started this business 7 years ago. He has sponsored 65 people, and taught them how to build their business. His organization has over 8,000 people in it, and Alan will make more than 1 million dollars in 1999. He earned just under that in 1997 and 1998. Only about 2% of the country know who we are, so there is huge potential for explosive growth. There is no way to get hurt in this business. All of our products, and the business kit, are fully refundable. Anyone can be successful in this business. We work as a team. We are here to help you build your business. By helping those around us, we will win too. Why wouldn’t you join Melaleuca? You are buying these products anyway, the products we offer are very high quality and reasonable priced, and you can get a thank you check every month. And if you share information about Melaleuca with other people, you can receive hundreds, thousands, even tens of thousands of dollars every month.

MLM VS. CDM

MLM

- Only a handful of companies stay in business

- Accounts receivable and accounts payable, retailing is required

- High competition with similar products

- Company sponsored training costs money, Training done by independent distributors for profit

- Lawsuits/class action cases occur and generate bad press/media

- Image of company becomes taunted when distributors get burned or lose money

- Motel meetings are hype and paint dreams that are unattainable

- Cost of doing business is high

- Large amounts of paperwork

- Inventorying of products is encouraged

- Selling quotas in order to get paid

- Distributors must service retail customers

- Distribution system has middleman so products are marked up and expensive

- Perceived saturation occurs quickly

- Charge backs on returned products

- Products manufactured by outside companies

- Buy-ins

- Most have break-a-ways (Take-a-ways)

- Low distributor reorder rates 5.45%

- People can lose money from investment cost of startup

- Compensation program doesn’t disperse the income equitably

- Very few get lifetime residuals

- Only a few who got in early on will succeed

- Volume swings from promotionals

- Most of all income is based on commissions

- High attrition and failure rate

- Out of 100 presentations, 20 may sign and 7 will order one year from today

- Business report is average

- Fear of loss is basis of motivation

Melaleuca (CDM)

- Debt free, 15 year old company on Inc 500 list 5 years in a row

- 4A1 profit rating from Dun and Bradstreet

- No accounts payable or receivable

- No competition. Melaleuca is the only Consumer Direct Marketing company

- Free company training and support

- All training is done and/or approved by company and is professional in nature

- No class action suits on record

- Only positive press/media coverage

- Company image stays positive

- No one loses money

- Business briefings are one on one, in-home made sense facts

- Cost of doing business is very low

- Little or no paperwork

- No Inventory!

- No selling, 29 BP consumption minimum

- All customers order themselves on a 1-800 number

- Products shipped direct from Melaleuca to each customer

- No charge backs on products returned

- Most products manufactured by Melaleuca

- No Buy-ins

- No break-a-ways

- High customer reorder rate – 96.4%

- No risk – a $29 business

- Compensation is very fair with equitable distribution of earnings to all who work at all levels

- Many get lifetime residuals

- Anyone can succeed

- Steady or rising volume

- Income based on commissions, car bonus, cash bonuses, revenue sharing and more

- Low attrition and low failure rate

- Out of 100 presentations, 80 will enroll and over 70 will still be ordering one year later

- Business report is detailed and comprehensive

- Anticipation of gain is basis of motivation

COMPARE OUR PRICES! WHOLESALE CATALOG CLUB -vs- "THE OTHERS" SAFE, ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY PRODUCTS

HOME CARE PRODUCTS

1. 1 QT. of TOUGH 'N TENDER @ $4.99 = 96 bottles of "Fantastic" or Retail Everyday Cleaner

2. 1 QT. of MELAMAGIC @ $3.99 = 16 bottles of "409" or Retail Industrial Cleaner

3. 1 QT. of MELASOFT @ $6.99 = 10 bottles of "Downy" or Retail Softener

4. 1 GAL. of MELAPOWER @ $18.99 = .15 cents /load -vs- .36 to .56 cents/Laundry Detergent

5. 1 Pint of TUB 'N TILE @ $3.99 = 8 bottles of "Tilex" or Retail Bathroom Cleaner

6. 1 DIAMOND BRITE @ $6.99 = 4 to 1 concentration compared to Retail Auto-Dishwasher Detergents

7. 1/2 PT. of CLEAR POWER @ $2.99 = 3 bottles of "Windex" or Retail Window Cleaner

PHARMACY PRODUCTS

1. COUNTER ACT Extra Strength Pain Reliever @ $3.29 -vs- Tylenol @ $5.99 ( .. and 30% FASTER than Extra Strength Tylenol !)

2. COUNTER ACT PM @ $3.99 = 50% Savings -vs- Tylenol PM

3. COUNTER ACT Children's Pain Reliever @ $3.29 = 35% Savings -vs- Tylenol Children

4. COUNTER ACT Kids Cough & Cold @ $3.29 -vs- Retail Brands @ $5.99

5. COUNTER ACT "IBUPROFEN" @ $3.49 -vs- Advil @ $5.99 (Anti-Inflammatory for muscle pain, backache, headache)

These are only a few examples of the cost effectiveness of CONSUMER DIRECT MARKETING since 1985 by Melaleuca Incorporated.

- Residual Income

- Auto Bonus

- Travel Club

- Hands Free Business

- Bonus Programs

- 800 Order and Enrollment Line

- Excellent Tax Benefits

- Opportunity to work with your friends and BE YOUR OWN BOSS.

- Potential to earn a 6 Figure Annual Income while working from Home, without having the headaches of a traditional business.

- Company Sponsored Training and Seminars

- Low Cost ISP Available

- Visa and Master Card Program

- Telecom Services Available

PROVEX PLUS

CARDIO VASCULAR PROTECTION

Provex Plus is so important because it is a strong anti-inflammatory plus it increases circulation, strengthens the vessel walls and helps them stay elasticized. It contains Resveratrol (highly anti-inflammatory and anti-tumeric and anti-carsinogenic). Resveratrol comes from the dark grape. It also crosses the blood / brain barrier which even vitamin E does not do unless it is changed first. So if you know someone with allergies, decreased lung function, lupus, MS, Fibromyalgia or Chronic fatigue syndrome, or diabetes, or a family history of high blood pressure or cholesterol, please do not hold this vital information from them. Let them know about our Provex, Provex Plus and Provex CV. Then let them decide for themselves whether they are interested or not. We also see great improvement when given to children with learning disabilities and hyperactivity. They are helped with Provex Plus along with Melaleuca’s vitamins because of the increased circulation of oxygen and nutrients to the brain. Remember the better absorption of our vitamins is due to the process of fructose compounding. The fructose molecule is very small and easily recognized by the body and piggyback the minerals into the cell. Melaleuca holds the patent for this process and no other vitamin comes close to the 97% level of absorption rate of Melaleuca vitamins. Below read an email sent by Debbie:

===================

A Good Report Just In

My mom has emphysema and is on several inhalers daily. Because of this, she has had constant throat irritation and infections caused from the inhalants and the antibiotics that she often needs. It is a vicious cycle with the antibiotics because she has to take them to prevent the throat from getting infected. The Breathaway and Hotshot helped to soothe the raw soreness in her throat but now, she has informed me that after taking ProvexPlus that her throat has gotten better and she was able to stop taking the prescription. This product has really helped her. NOTE: Provex and Provex Plus both work for this purpose and calm many allergies and other irritants because of the proanthocyanidins (PCO's) it's in dark grapes only and it is a natural antihistamine-(green grapes do not have this unique property) Debbie

****************

Last spring I went to my 30 year high school reunion. One of my dearest friends walked like he had very tender feet. I asked him why he was walking so tender footed and he said, "Terrilee, my feet have been cold and in pain for years due to my diabetes." He is a respiratory therapist and stands on his feet for 12 hours a day! I told him that I was going to send him three bottles from my wellness catalog and I wanted him to take 4 in the am and 4 in the pm - gift from me. Robbie is a very large man and that is why I started him on so much. I got a call a few days later and he said, "I have used the ProvexPlus for SIX DAYS and my feet are warm and not in pain for the first time in years." If he forgets to take his ProvexPlus, he is in pain. ProvexPlus opens the capillary circulation (which is very poor in diabetes) and therefore is powerful in helping move blood through the body. Add the Vitality Pak to the body and you've got more healthy cells generated by the circulatory system. Melaleuca is such a powerful catalog for diabetes because of the healing properties of the Melaleuca oil and the increased circulatory benefits through ProvexPlus. Share this with a Diabetic person!! They'll be thanking you and giving you lots of hugs! I have the book available, "The Diabetics Guide to Melaleuca". Ask me about it.

Enjoy, Terrilee

(Melaleuca Oil)

Thanks to Dr. Michael McCullough who collected this info for us from various sources, medical journals, etc.

Tea Tree oil ..... it is only the beginning! This is only the beginning. For those of you who have been following the Antibiotic problems, where the bacteria are becoming resistant, it only proves that mother nature will prevail.

TEA TREE OIL EFFECTIVELY KILLS RESISTANT MICROORGANISMS

WESTPORT, June 13 (Reuters Health) - Tea tree oil, a substance extracted from the leaves of an Australian tree, is effective in killing a variety of resistant microorganisms commonly found in hospitals, British and Australian researchers report in the May issue of the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. Noting that there have been few published controlled studies of the antiseptic effects of tea tree oil (Melaleuca alternifolia), Dr. Anna King of St. Thomas' Hospital in London, UK, and colleagues undertook an in-vitro time-kill study of two types of tea tree oil used against a variety of bacteria. The researchers found that the two chemically different types of tea tree oil, standard and cloned, rapidly killed most organisms in less than 60 minutes. Both oils were found to be more active against Methicillin-sensitive S.aureus (MSSA) than against Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). Although both oils killed some organisms, those organisms that were slower to die had a greater susceptibility to the cloned oil. Susceptibility pattern and Gram reaction of the organism did not influence the kill rate. The cloned oil, extracted from a specially bred tree, had a higher content of the active ingredient terpinen-4-ol and a lower content of 1,8 cineol compared to the standard commercially available oil. These results confirm those of other trials, which have shown that tea tree oils with a higher concentration of terpinen-4-ol have enhanced antimicrobial activity, the authors remark.

-------------------------------------------------------

Observing that resistant microorganisms in hospitals and the community are causing problems for both the treatment of patients and infection control, Dr. King's group recommends the use of tea tree oil in topical and hand-washing formulations to reduce "the transmission of many multi-resistant organisms associated with nosocomial infections." J Antimicrob Chemother 2000;45:639-643. Copyright 2000 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters Limited content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters Limited. Reuters Limited shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.

-------------------------------------------------------

Subject: Anti-bacterials....resistant More information on anti-bacterials. I was reading through a publication that was sent to my office called Physicians Guide to Remedies and Cures. I generally like to skim through the pages for interesting material related to natural health and healing. This information came from the following source: Dr. Christine Northrup, MD, an obstetrician--gynecologist practicing in Yarmouth, ME, and assistant clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology, University of Vermont College of Medicine at Maine Medical Center, Portland. She is the author of Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom. Bantam Books.

-------------------------------------------------------

THE CURE-ALL OIL

Every first-aid kit should contain tea tree oil. Used by aboriginal people in Australia for thousands of years, tea tree oil has been commercially available in this country since the 1920's. It helps prevent bacterial and fungal infections and acts as a powerful pain reliever. I use it on bug bites and stings, cuts, scrapes and scrapes and scratches, ingrown toenails, acne, mouth ulcers and burns. The oil also can be used on fungal infections, including athlete's foot and jock itch. I even prescribe it in my practice to prevent outbreaks of genital herpes. Use tea tree oil full-strength, right out of the bottle, once or twice daily until the problem clears up. Apply it sparingly with a cotton ball or your fingertip. Or purchase tea tree oil in an applicator bottle with a dropper tip. To prevent mouth ulcers or genital herpes flare-ups, apply a few drops of the oil at the first sign of an outbreak. If sores are already present, tea tree oil can be used to alleviate discomfort and speed healing. Caution: Never put tea tree in your eyes. Be sure the bottle specifically states it is oil of Melaleuca alternifolia, the botanical name of the tea tree.

-------------------------------------------------------

I would like to make a couple of interesting points about this article.

1. Many medical doctors and pharmacists use Melaleuca oil and Melaleuca products.

2. Great Britain and other western European countries are utilizing greater quantities of the essential oils including the oil of Melaleuca to help prevent and treat bacterial infections.

3. The oil of Melaleuca has been proven to be effective on the bacteria that have become resistant to powerful antibiotics like Methicillin.

4. One of the reasons that Melaleuca oil has been found to be more effective than synthetic antibacterials and most antibiotics is due to the fact that the oil of Melaleuca damages the cell membrane structure of both the immature and mature bacteria causing the bacteria to die.

Antibiotics disrupt the bacteria from making a cell wall and therefore work better during the growing stages of the bacteria. Melaleuca oil kills both cells that are growing and those at rest. Remember, mother nature has provided some plants and botanicals with powerful NATURAL antibacterial properties that have protected these plants for millions of years and the Melaleuca alternifolia tree is one of them. How long have man-made and engineered antibiotics been around? How long has chlorhexadine and synthetic chemical disinfectants been around? There is a serious problem concerning resistant bacteria. It only makes good sense to use safe natural products in your home. The best combination is to combine science with nature. When will they ever learn. Expect further criticism of antibacterials in the media. Unfortunately they never look past the end of their nose. The resistant bacteria problem is a result of over prescription and ineffective use of antibiotics by the public. Everyone was looking for an easy answer and demanded the "new cure". If I get sick I can "just go get an antibiotic." Unfortunately it backfired and everyone is trying to point the blame on someone else. Antibiotics are heavily used in hospitals and most hospitals smell like a container of disinfectant, synthetic that is. Now they want to blame the public for using antibacterial soaps and cleaners in their homes. I agree with them. Do not use synthetic anibacterials in your homes or use synthetic hand washes. There is a difference. Michael McCullough, D.C.

With all the media attention about e-coli, its time we all did a little research to prevent it from affecting our families. Did you know that Melaleuca oil, found in Melaleuca's Antibacterial soap, kills e-coli on contact? Place a bottle in your kitchen, in the washroom, and in the laundry room for when you are gardening or working in the garage. Every-time you wash your hands you insure yourself the bacteria (Gram-positive Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, gram negative e-coli, Pseudomonas and Salmonella and various fungi and viruses) will not get into any cuts or scrapes, and you also will not pass it along to others in your family. Drop a little on your cutting board, add water and scrub. If there is any e-coli it cannot exist in the presence of the Melaleuca oil and Tricolosan. Wash your fruits & vegetables in a solution of 1 teaspoon of Melaleuca TOUGH and TENDER & and fill the sink with cool water. Rinse and put in the fridge to store. (this cost about 5 cents a bottle... compare this to P&G's new product designed to clean veggies for $3.95) The Saskatchewan Center for disease control tested Melaleuca antibacterial liquid soap against 12 other grocery store brands. It scored near perfect in every test. 10 x better than your major-brands. (Yes... SAM's has DIAL for $8.95 a gallon but it does not do the job!) Remember that lots of Melaleuca products have Melaleuca oil added to them. It works 7 to 10 times better than Aloe Vera and the F.D.A. allows us to make the following 7 claims about Melaleuca oil:

1. It is the most effective natural antiseptic ever discovered

2. It is nature's strongest fungicide (yeast killer)

3. It is non-caustic to most people

4. It is aromatic (can use it in a vaporizer or humidifier)

5. It penetrates deep into the tissue

6. It is a natural solvent, dissolves dirt and grease

7. It is soothing

What is Fructose Compounding?

Melaleuca's Vitality Pack provides all the minerals your body needs. And delivers them direct to your cells in a form your cells can use. It's called FRUCTOSE COMPOUNDING - a unique and patented mineral delivery system. Here's how it works: The body's digestive system separates minerals and other nutrients from the food we eat, and moves them into the bloodstream. From the bloodstream they go to whatever cells in the body need them. The cell "recognizes" the nutrient and allows needed nutrients to pass through the cell wall into the cell. But minerals have a tougher time getting into the cells because of their ionic state. Most of them have an electrical charge, so during the digestive process they bond with a partner molecule for stability. Since they choose partners based only on electric charge, most minerals end up bonding to molecules that the cell just won't let in. Even though the cell may need that mineral nourishment, it keeps the door shut against the partner molecule. So the mineral (with its unwanted partner) passes through the body unused. That's why minerals in most supplements do not get into the cells. Fructose compounding solves this problem. Fructose compounding pre-bonds minerals to fructose molecules, stabilizing the mineral before it enters your body. Since fructose is highly desired by your cells, and since all fructose is absorbed, that means that your cells absorb and use all the minerals they need! Melaleuca owns this patent, and is the only company that offers this guarantee: Use the Vitality Pack for 90 days. If you do not experience an overall sense of improved physical well-being, they will refund your money for the full 90 day supply!

Consumer Alert Publication: Sara Possick

When you think of the word "poison" we usually think about someone ingesting a toxic substance. Almost everyone knows that most household products contain ingredients that would hurt you, or maybe even kill you, if you drank them. But, the body can be poisoned in many ways, not just by ingesting. If chemicals give off fumes and you breathe them, they are absorbed into your body. Get the chemical on your hands or skin and you it’s absorbed into your body. There's a whole new industry in delivery of drugs through the skin with transdermal patches, even heart medicine! The skin will absorb far more than we ever imagined.

In essence, a toxic chemical can be absorbed by ingesting it, smelling it, or touching it. Seventy thousand new chemicals have been introduced since WWII. They were developed out of the extensive research in chemical warfare. That's 250 billion pounds of synthetic chemicals produced each year in the U.S.!! Now thousands of these chemicals are appearing innocuously on the shelves of your grocery store to clean your clothes, your floor, your hair, your teeth, and your oven. By just being for sale on the grocery store shelves, you would think these products for you and your family are safe, but they are not.

We are the first generation to grow up with such extremely high levels of chemicals in our homes. And what do we do with them? We disinfect our baby's room with them, we smear them on our skin, we wash our clothes in them and wear them all day and sleep on them all night, we wash our dishes in them, and we brush our teeth with them. They are a part of our lives. We don't question whether they are safe. We grew up buying them from the grocery store. We trust that they are safe. They wouldn't allow stores to sell products that aren't safe. Would they???? According to the U.S. National Research Council, no information of toxic effects is available for 70% of the more than 48,500 synthetic chemicals listed by the Environmental Protection Agency. Less than one-tenth of these chemicals have been tested for chronic, reproductive, or mutagenic effects.

Why doesn't the government do something about this? It has tried, but time and time again, economic interests have won the battle. One federal official put it bluntly when he said, "today about 4.5 million chemicals are known, 45,000 are commercial and it takes a team of scientists, 300 mice, 2-3 years and about $300,000 to determine if the chemical causes cancer.

The Texas Air Control Board proposed the ban of the sale of all aerosol air fresheners and other aerosol products. Manufacturers, economic interests eventually forced the state to back down. As so often happens, economics wins over health issues!

Many household products don't require labeling. Products like pesticides only have to include active ingredients even though the inert ingredients may account for 99% of the product, and even though there could be (and usually are) toxins or poisons like DDT in them!

As conscious consumers we need to know that much of what we are being sold is, in fact, unsafe!

Points of interest..

* 50% of all illness is due to poor indoor air quality. (1989 State Of Mass. Study)

* 3 groups of people primarily affected by indoor chemical concentrations:

1. Infants and Toddlers

2. Elderly

3. Chronically Ill

* Liquid Dish Soap is the leading cause of poisonings in the home, most brands contain formaldehyde and ammonia.

* Women who work from home have 54% greater death rate of cancer!

* In one decade, there has been a 42% increase in asthma (29% for men and 82% for (women). The higher rate for women is believed to be due to womens longer exposure to household chemicals.

* Due to increase in toxic buildup in our bodies, including formaldehyde, dead bodies no longer decompose as fast as they used to. (Natl. Institutes of Health) Bodies now start to decompose within 7-10 days instead of 24-48 hours. Twice as much formaldehyde was needed to embalm a person twenty years ago compared to today!

* Phenol - a common substance used in household products. Health effects from phenols include: corrosive to any tissues, harmful to the central nervous system, primary route of entry is through the skin.

Phenols are found in:

Air fresheners, Blistex, anti-itching and pain relieving lotions, chloroseptic throat spray, feminine powders and sprays, furniture polish, disinfectant cleaners, all purpose cleaners..

THE GOOD NEWS!!!!

YOU DO HAVE A CHOICE...

CONTINUE TO PAY FULL RETAIL FOR

LOW QUALITY/POISONOUS PRODUCTS

OR...

SHOP CONVENIENTLY BY PHONE OR INTERNET WITH MELALEUCA!

GET SUPERIOR, WHOLESALE, NON POISONOUS PRODUCTS DELIVERED RIGHT TO YOUR DOORSTEP!! ANTIBACTERIAL CLEANSERS

Because of the amount of publicity that antibacterial cleansers are getting and the controversy that surrounds them, for the first time ever, I have devoted this entire issue to one subject. I believe that everyone should know the difference between chemical antibacterials and melaleuca oil. It is also important to know that you cannot count on the government to protect or even inform you. Governmental agencies appear to not share information and actually seem to be in competition with each other. OSHA deals only with industry. The EPA will only address problems of outdoor air. The FDA seems too busy coddling big pharmaceutical companies to be concerned with what goes on in the home. A slap on the wrist is all the punishment the FTC gives, when one of the chemical companies gets caught in lies or distortions in advertising. Hopefully this article will provide the information you need to protect your family and will allow you to share with others, the difference in antibacterials.

THE GERMS ARE WINNING!

We are seeing, almost on a daily basis, articles that proclaim "Antibacterial soaps may spread drug-resistant bugs". To understand the concern over antibacterials we must understand what has happened with antibiotics. First let’s describe the products we will be talking about: Antibiotics are chemical compounds used to kill or inhibit the growth of infectious organisms. All antibiotics possess selective toxicity, meaning that they are more toxic to an invading organism than they are to the host organism. Some antibiotics attack the cell wall, some disrupt the cell membrane, and most inhibit the synthesis of nucleic acids and proteins. Antibacterials guard against only bacterial infections. Antimicrobials guard against many forms of infection including bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms Disinfectants and sanitizers kill or inactivate disease-producing microorganisms on inanimate objects or protect inanimate objects (for example floors and walls), industrial processes or systems, surfaces, water, or other chemical substances from contamination, fouling, or deterioration caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa, algae, or slime. They help to control microorganisms (viruses, bacteria, and other microorganisms) that can cause human disease. Antiseptics are physical or chemical agents that prevent decay and infection by destroying microorganisms. Antiseptics are used for food preservation, sterilization of water in public water systems, and medicine. English surgeon Joseph Lister initiated the use of antiseptics to treat wounds when he developed a carbolic acid solution in 1868. We know this today as phenol. Major antiseptics used since then include bichloride of mercury, iodine, boric acid, alcohol, chlorine, and hypochlorites. WHAT DOESN'T KILL THEM MAKES THEM STONGER Almost half of all soaps on sale in the US contain antibacterial compounds such as triclosan, which could be contributing to the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, according to data presented at the 38th Annual Meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America last month. "The ubiquity of the antibacterials in soaps is a worrying thing," said lead researcher Dr. Eli N. Perencevich of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts. "More and more evidence has accumulated over recent years...that there is a mechanism of resistance to triclosan. The concern is that low levels of use of this compound, which would occur in (households), could select bacteria that are resistant to these products and possibly antibiotics." After investigating 295 national brand liquid soaps and 733 bar soaps, Perencevich's group found that 75% of liquid soaps and nearly 30% of bar soaps contained compounds like triclosan, chloroxylene, chlorhexidine or triclocarban.

WHAT HAPPENDED WITH ANTIBIOTICS

The concern is because of what happened with antibiotics. Once considered the universal answer to infectious disease, we now know the effective life span of these once-miraculous drugs is limited. When penicillin became widely available during the second world war, it was a medical miracle, rapidly vanquishing the biggest wartime killer--infected wounds. Discovered initially by a French medical student, Ernest Duchesne, in 1896, and then rediscovered by Scottish physician Alexander Fleming in 1928, the product of the soil mold Penicillium crippled many types of disease-causing bacteria. But just four years after drug companies began mass-producing penicillin in 1943, microbes began appearing that could resist it. The first bug to battle penicillin was Staphylococcus aureus. This bacterium is often a harmless passenger in the human body, but it can cause illness, such as pneumonia or toxic shock syndrome, when it overgrows or produces a toxin. In 1967, another type of penicillin-resistant pneumonia, caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae and called pneumococcus, surfaced in a remote village in Papua New Guinea. At about the same time, American military personnel in southeast Asia were acquiring penicillin-resistant gonorrhea from prostitutes. By 1976, when the soldiers had come home, they brought the new strain of gonorrhea with them, and physicians had to find new drugs to treat it. In 1983, a hospital-acquired intestinal infection caused by the bacterium Enterococcus faecium joined the list of bugs that outwit penicillin. Antibiotic resistance spreads fast. Between 1979 and 1987, for example, only 0.02 percent of pneumococcus strains infecting a large number of patients surveyed by the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were penicillin-resistant. CDC's survey included 13 hospitals in 12 states. Today, 6.6 percent of pneumococcus strains are resistant, according to a report in Journal of the American Medical Association by Robert F. Breiman, M.D., and colleagues at CDC. The agency also reports that in 1992, 13,300 hospital patients died of bacterial infections that were resistant to antibiotic treatment.

WHY HAS THIS HAPPENED?

There was complacency in the 1980s. The perception was that we had licked the bacterial infection problem. Drug companies weren't working on new agents. They were concentrating on other areas, such as viral infections. In the meantime, resistance increased to a number of commonly used antibiotics, possibly related to overuse of antibiotics. According to a report in the April 28, 1994, New England Journal of Medicine, researchers have identified bacteria in patient samples, that resist all currently available antibiotic drugs.

SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST

The increased prevalence of antibiotic resistance is an outcome of evolution. Any population of organisms, bacteria included, naturally includes variants with unusual traits--in this case, the ability to withstand an antibiotic's attack on a microbe. When a person takes an antibiotic, the drug kills the defenseless bacteria, leaving behind those that can resist it. These renegade bacteria then multiply, increasing their numbers a millionfold in a day, becoming the predominant microorganism. The antibiotic does not technically cause the resistance, but allows it to happen by creating a situation where an already existing variant can flourish. More and more organisms develop resistance to more and more drugs. A patient can develop a drug-resistant infection either by contracting a resistant bug to begin with, or by having a resistant microbe emerge in the body once antibiotic treatment begins. Drug-resistant infections increase risk of death, and are often associated with prolonged hospital stays, and sometimes complications.

Though bacterial antibiotic resistance is a natural phenomenon, societal factors also contribute to the problem. These factors include increased infection transmission, coupled with inappropriate antibiotic use for the treatment of common viral infections.

WHAT ARE 'ANTIBACTERIAL' PRODUCTS?

Products currently labeled antibacterial, include hand soaps and lotions; facial cleansers; dishwashing soaps; kitchen and bathroom cleaners; sponges; cutting boards, countertops and kitchen appliances; pillows, sheets and mattress pads; kitty litter; children's toys; socks and athletic shoes; and toothbrushes and toothpaste. The active ingredient in most antibacterial products is triclosan, an agent that damages the cell walls of bacteria, slowing their ability to multiply. Some products contain ethyl and/or isopropyl alcohol, antiseptics which also inhibit the growth of bacteria. Antibacterial toys are made of plastic that contains triclosan. The sponges contain ingredients to eliminate bacteria on the sponge itself, to prevent germs from being spread to surfaces. There are also appliances made of metal coated with antibacterial agents.

Viruses, not bacteria, are what cause colds and influenza, and 'antibacterial' products don't kill viruses. Nor do they necessarily kill disease-causing fungi and parasites. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is also concerned about the small but very real potential that overuse of antibacterial products could lead to new strains of resistant bacteria. The irony there would be that products created to fight "super bugs" could actually help create them. Then again, take a look at the following article by Caroline E. Mayer from the Washington Post. Many antibacterial product claims misleading The 30-second TV ad makes the cleaning job appear so easy: Simply spray on the new Windex Antibacterial cleaner and wipe off. Instantly, it appears, you have a "germ-free shine." But the label's fine print says the cleanser must stand for 10 minutes before it kills germs as advertised. Some Reach toothbrushes, the ones with the large "Antibacterial" label emblazoned on the front, also appear to fight germs. Just not on your teeth. The fine print on the back of the package says the toothbrush's antibacterial ingredient inhibits "the growth of bacteria that may affect the plastic in the handle." The dirty little secret about many of these products is that their germ-fighting claims are often misleading and sometimes exaggerated, according to health experts, government officials and some industry executives. Yet an apparent regulatory void within the federal government between the Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency has made it difficult to establish standards for the promotion of these products. As a result, experts said, consumers often end up using antibacterial products incorrectly and assume that they offer protection they don't really provide. The front of Palmolive's dishwashing liquid, for example, has large letters on the front declaring it "Antibacterial." Much-smaller letters note that it also is a hand soap. The back label, in small lettering, says the detergent "provides antibacterial protection for your hands when used as a hand soap." There is no claim that when used as a dishwashing liquid, it provides antibacterial protection for dishes. Palmolive was able to meld the two concepts because it sought approval as a hand soap from the FDA, which regulates personal hygiene products, but Palmolive did not register the dishwashing liquid with the EPA, which oversees germ-fighting claims in cleansers, detergents and many other products. It doesn't appear to bother the FDA that consumers may be buying Antibacterial Palmolive thinking it will kill germs on dishes as well as on hands. "Unless it's a threat to the health of consumers, it's a real non issue for us at this point," FDA spokeswoman Rae Jones said. Officials at Colgate-Palmolive declined to discuss the company's antibacterial products. Since 1994, the FDA has been reviewing how it regulates antibacterial personal-hygiene products. However, "we still need more data on how safe and effective they are," Jones said. Until the FDA finds those answers - and there's no timetable for that - the products will "be allowed to remain out in the marketplace." The EPA, meanwhile, is content to allow household cleaners to be promoted as germ-killers if they pass the agency's strict disinfectant tests, even if the cleaners must stand for 10 minutes to be effective. Read the labels "It's on the label, very clear, and we always encourage consumers to read labels," said Marilyn Blood, marketing manager for SC Johnson, which makes Windex. But most consumers don't read labels. A recent survey by the Soap and Detergent Association found that two-thirds of adults don't understand that disinfectants must stand for a certain period of time to work. The EPA said consumer confusion on this point is a low priority for the urgency. However, the EPA has begun to take an aggressive stance against companies selling antibacterial products, such as toothbrushes and pens, that are promoted as germ-fighters but simply have an antibacterial ingredient that preserves the product itself from deterioration. Johnson & Johnson, for example, paid a $100,000 fine for its original label on the Reach toothbrush. An agreement with the EPA resulted in the fine print on the back of the toothbrush box, though the front still has the word "Antibacterial" in large type. Meanwhile, the rush to flood the marketplace with antibacterial products continues. Some companies, such as Clorox and Reckitt & Colman, maker of Lysol, have been making disinfectants for years. Now they're repackaging them, replacing the word "disinfectant" with "antibacterial." As Clorox spokeswoman Sandy Sullivan explained: "We did some focus groups, and `antibacterial' had meaning to consumers." Another concern is that overuse of these products could actually lead to the spread of bacteria. Stuart Levy, MD, director of the Center for Adaptation Genetics and Drug Resistance at Tufts University School of Medicine, recently completed a study on one of the most widely used antibacterial agents, triclosan. Triclosan is used in many soaps and detergents. According to his study, Levy said: "If you continue to use this antibacterial agent in your home, you'll recruit two kinds of bacteria: ones formerly susceptible to the (antibacterial) agent but now resistant, and other bacteria that never had a chance to come out in significant numbers before because they were crowded out by the normal bacteria. Americans are using triclosan and other antibacterial agents differently today. Until recently, triclosan was used primarily in hospitals, now its use has blossomed and mushroomed into total household use, and my concern is that we will overuse it," Levy said. I contacted Dr. Levy to ask if he had ever evaluated Melaleuca oil. His reply, "unfortunately I have no experience with natural antibacterials". Should I have expected more??

WHY MELALEUCA OIL IS DIFFERENT

Chemical antibacterial products like triclosan work by damaging the cell walls of bacteria, slowing their ability to multiply, but they don’t kill all of the bacteria and what they leave behind can become resistant and more dangerous. Melaleuca oil damages the cell wall and the cell membrane of both incubating and mature bacteria with full eradication, leaving no bacteria behind.

ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY

British and Australian researchers reported in the January 2000 issue of the Journal of Applied Microbiology and again in the May 2000 issue of the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy that the essential oil of Melaleuca alternafolia exhibits broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity. A paper in the March 1995 issue of the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy reported that 66 isolates of Staphylococcus aureus tested, were susceptible(killed by) to the essential oil of Melaleuca alternafolia. Of these 64 were methicillin-resistant (MRSA). Antifungal activity has also been reported.

THE PROTECTIVE ACID MANTLE

Many of the soaps and most of the alcohol hand cleaners dry the skin. They actually remove the "acid mantle" which is the protective outer layer of basically dead skin cells. It is designed to protect the delicate living cells of the deeper layers of skin. This layer of skin needs to stay moisturized to protect the deeper layers of skin. In order to keep the moisture (water) from leaving the outer layer of skin, the skin produces natural oils. These oils also help keep irritants from the deeper layers of skin. Regular washing with soap, or exposure to chemicals and alcohol, can remove these natural oils. When the natural oil is stripped from the outer layer of skin, the moisture (water) quickly leaves the outer layer, leaving the skin dry, irritated, and itchy. Worse, the deeper layers are now left exposed to harsh damaging substances including detergents, solvents, cleaners, etc. This results in more dry, irritated, itchy skin that becomes chapped, cracked, damaged and susceptible to fungal and yeast infections. Both Melaleuca's Antibacterial Liquid Soap and Clear Defense contain Melaleuca oil and other emollients (softeners) which helps the outer layer of skin to keep its natural oils and moisturizers that protect the deeper layers of skin, leaving the skin soft and supple.

SUMMARY

There is a difference! Products which contain melaleuca oil, natures best ntimicrobial, will kill more microorganisms than any chemical; there will be NO resistant bugs produced and the natural skin flora will not be disrupted. I believe that a sound, common sense approach to personal infection protection is to use Melaleuca's Antibacterial Liquid Soap each time you wash your hands. We have a container at each our sinks at home and in my office. When complete washing is not possible, Clear Defense will provide excellent germ fighting, while leaving your hands soft. Remember also, that Melaleuca's Hand Creme contains melaleuca oil.

NOW YOU HAVE HEARD THE FACTS, ARE YOU READY TO MAKE THE $29 DECISION?