Shaklee Get Clean's Concentrated Cleaners

Shaklee review over at Groovy Green.

See how it stacks up.

Thanks for including this piece about Shaklee products. Maybe it's just me, but I haven't been able to find the ingredient list for their products. I'm pretty sure it was there months ago when i first found out about their products but now it's not. Anyone?

**Author's response**

Hi Tammi,

Thanks for your note and your question. Each individual product's page has a "product brief" and "read the label" pdf document; they don't list specific ingredients, but might give you a better idea about what is (and isn't) in their products. Thanks for reading!

-CD

CLICK HER FOR GET CLEAN http://www.shaklee.net/qualitylife/prodMain

this Shaklee cleaning products is very much useful to household. when we use non-toxic products products for cleaning purposes that will helps us to be healthy and prevents from toxic products.......

Get Clean in Colorado! Just go to www.shaklee.net/blackforesthealth

Hello,
I was so inpired when I started studying, researching, learning, and exploring companies that would be worth my time and effort to represent.
Not, only is the Shaklee Corporation environmentallly friendly and number one in nutritional science, it has remained a very respected company of integrity and dependability.
For 50 years Shaklee has provided pure, natural, high-grade, premium products for the health and wellnes of human beings and the earth.
I am glad to have this opportunity as a Shaklee Independent Distributor to share the wonderful health, home, beauty, air/water, tasty supplemental drinks--and all the pure products that they have to offer.
I offer my services for you on the web, online store at a safe, secure site. I can also be reached at http://www.iseepure.com. We all work together as a family, because as Shaklee distributors, we know that the revolution to change to the path to pure products is essential now...for our children, animals, ourselves, and the plan http://www.Shaklee.net/Joan_distributor
Austin, Texas
Go Clean and Go Green
Happy Earthday,
Joan

Hi,
I just wanted to remind everyone about the perfect solution to clean air and clean water. Check out my store at http://www.shaklee.net/Joan_distributor.The products Shaklee has offered will clean the air and your water...so not only is your home clean with the cleaning products, but your air and water.
http://www.iseepure.com
You can order securely online with me.

Sincerely,
Joan

I have used the Shaklee Cleaners for 24 years, and they are amazing. No smell, no toxins, easy to work with and very economical. If you'd like to learn more about Shaklee and the "Get Clean" products, feel free to contact me.

Diana Richardson
Shaklee Distributor
New Brunswick, Canada
george@nb.sympatico.ca

Is Shaklee like some sort of Amway-like pyramid scheme or what? Why is every comment on this thread from people hawking this stuff?

YES it's a pyramid scam just like Melalueca, Amway, Mary Kay, Tupperware, etc.....

It is not a pyramid scheme. It is MLM -network marketing. Shaklee is a wonderful company.

MLMs are a perfectly legal and legitimate way to do business. Shaklee's been in business for 50 years with a totally unblemished record. How many traditional businesses can say that?

I can not speak for other distributors, but do agree that this is not the appropriate venue to "hawk" your goods. Those people with successful MLM businesses know that this is about relationships and "permission marketing" not in your face "ya gotta love my products or else" techniques.

I have found both Shaklee products and business opportunity to be a wonderful addition to my business life and personal health. My point...don't judge unless you have all the facts. Some things really are as good as they seem to be.

I raised my son on and cleaned my house with Shaklee products back in the '70's... they were excellent products then, and excellent products now. How many companies can say that? I am now re-introducing myself to the company again... after trying other "natural" or environmentally conscious companies... not one of those other companies can compare to Shaklee. I am thrilled it is the same as back then and I am in the process of converting all of my cleaning supplies and nutrition products back to my old and trusted friend!

I would really like to know what is in shaklee's Get Clean products. To find out how safe they really are

Why is it so challenging to find the formulas to use in setting up one's caddy? I checked bottles, dispensers, printed info that came in the box, catalog, etc and the most information I have found is your above description at this website. Did I miss something???

Other feedback: I find the light green print difficult to read without intense focus. Is it just me???

Peter and Mikhail,
At first glance to people that have not studied or been involved with MLM, may think they are pyramids.
But people for centuries thought the world was flat.

Shaklee is authentic. It provides a product in demand. It has been in business for 50 years so the products must be reputable.

A closer look at the Shaklee opportunity with an open mind will present:
A reputable product properly placed in a global trend towards "Green" lifestyles.
Ownership that is willing to invest in the growth of the company.
A compensation plan directly tied to effort. How many traditional businesses pay their help in relation to their effort?.
It is perfectly positioned for the time, with a product line that performs as is designed, developed and marketed.

Peter and Mikhail,
At first glance to people that have not studied or been involved with MLM, may think they are pyramids.
But people for centuries thought the world was flat.

Shaklee is authentic. It provides a product in demand. It has been in business for 50 years so the products must be reputable.

A closer look at the Shaklee opportunity with an open mind will present:
A reputable product properly placed in a global trend towards "Green" lifestyles.
Ownership that is willing to invest in the growth of the company.
A compensation plan directly tied to effort. How many traditional businesses pay their help in relation to their effort?.
It is perfectly positioned for the time, with a product line that performs as is designed, developed and marketed.

Also, if Shaklee were questionable, why would Treehugger offer it as a reputable company?

Bill
Bill@4BetterLiving.net
www.4BetterLiving.net

I too was looking for the ingredients of Shaklee products. I zoomed in on the product label for the disinfeecting wipes and found they contain ammonium chloride which has not been tested for toxicity. How can we be sure this is a "Green" product?

I have used the Shaklee Cleaners and products for 5 years, and don't have a need to switch to another brand. The products are amazing…. If you'd like to learn more about Shaklee and the "Get Clean" products, feel free to contact me.

Thomas Aubrey
Shaklee Distributor
healthchoice@cox.net
http://www.shaklee.net/aubrey

I did my own digging and found out the Shaklee really does walk the talk. They were the first company to be certified carbon-neutral by the EPA. Their research is impressive. If you're looking to buy Get Clean products online, check out: http://www.veryhealthylife.com/healthy_home.html

Here's the ingredients, it was easy to find on the website.

ACTIVE INGREDIENTS
Octyl decyl dimethyl ammonium chloride.... 0.03990%
Dioctyl dimethyl ammonium chloride ........ 0.01995%
Didecyl dimethyl ammonium chloride ....... 0.01995%
Alkyl (50% C14, 40% C12, 10% C16)
dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride....... 0.05320%
INERT INGREDIENTS .............................. 99.86700%
Total............................................................. 100.00000%

Copy and paste each one of these listed ingredients into the database here:

http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/sis/htmlgen?HSDB

Then enjoy your reading... there's a lot of material. Two of the ingredients have other ingredients that they are made from (same as wine or beer). These will show on the database findings.

Earthly Green: Beyond Organic
A Source of Safety for Your Family, Pets, and The earth

Earthly Green: Natural Health, Wellness, and Beauty

Earthly Green is an independent distributor of Shaklee products. The mission is to provide health and income opportunities to people all over the world. Earthly Green helps keep families, homes, pets, and the Earth green & safe. Earthly Green is a pioneer in building a better tomorrow. We provide earthly organic eco green & friendly products: safe and healthy families, pets, and the Earth

All Natural Beyond Organic Health Products
- Contribute in Protecting & Saving the Earth
- Non-Toxic Biodegradable Home & Industrial Cleaning Products
- Beyond Organic Nutritional Supplements
- Improve Health and Wellness
- Increase Vitality
- Lose Weight
- Combat Fatigue & Stress
- Improve Sleep
- Decrease Risk of Disease
- Improve Athletic Performance
- Air Purifiers/Filters
- Water Filters
- Natural Skin Care
- Weight Management
- 15 % discount for members
- Online Catalog & Ordering
- Phone Orders
- Income Opportunity

A 100% Satisfaction Guarantee on every nutritional, personal care, and household product sold. Shaklee has maintained an uncompromising ethical and value system for over 50 Years.

Visit us at:
www.shaklee.net/earthlygreen
or at
www.earthlygreen.org

Or email us at:
Earthlygreen.org

You said:

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Here's the ingredients, it was easy to find on the website.

ACTIVE INGREDIENTS
Octyl decyl dimethyl ammonium chloride.... 0.03990%
Dioctyl dimethyl ammonium chloride ........ 0.01995%
Didecyl dimethyl ammonium chloride ....... 0.01995%
Alkyl (50% C14, 40% C12, 10% C16)
dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride....... 0.05320%
INERT INGREDIENTS .............................. 99.86700%
Total............................................................. 100.00000%

Copy and paste each one of these listed ingredients into the database here:

http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/sis/htmlgen?HSDB

Then enjoy your reading... there's a lot of material. Two of the ingredients have other ingredients that they are made from (same as wine or beer). These will show on the database findings.
----------------------------------------------------------------

Well, guess what? I went to the website, looked up every single one of those long chemical names, and not A SINGLE ONE was recognized by that website.

Guess that's not a path to credible info afterall....

Hi all:

I concur with the comment above...I tried to find info on the Shaklee H2 product on the National Institutes of Health weblink above and couldn't pull up a single thing.

I did manage, however, to pull up this one lone MSDS sheet on-line under my search for 'Basic H2':

www.time4more.com/Downloads/English/Files/Basic-H_MSDS.pdf

SECTION II - LIST OF INGREDIENTS
Ingredient Name Chemical Abstract Services Registry Number Max %
Deionized Water CAS – 7732-18-2 72.0

Pareth 25-7 (Surfactant) CAS – 38131-39-5 22.0
Linear Alcohol Alkoxylate (Surf.) CAS – 37251-67-5 9.00
Dowicil 75 (Antioxidant) CAS – 4080-31-3 0.150
Hydrochloric Acid (pH Adjuster) CAS – 7647-01-0 0.050
Butylated Hydroxytoluene
(Antiox.) CAS – 128-37-0 0.015
D & C Green #5 (Colour) CAS – 4403-90-1 0.002
Methyl Paraben (Colour Preserv.) CAS – 99-76-3 0.001

A couple of caveats: I can't confirm the validity of this Canadian MSDS sheet, and the product is listed as Shaklee 'Basic H'...not 'Basic H2'

That being said, I think there are more than a few red flags here.

I've been researching household & commercial cleaning products for a couple of months now. One thing that I've really noticed is that companies who have a truly 'green' product will almost always list their ingredients on the packaging. In detail.

There are also a lot of companies who list a bunch of green criterion ('no animal testing', 'non-toxic', 'natural', etc.) but don't manage to provide the full ingredients. Almost without exception, when I finally track down the MSDS information on these products, there is always a decidedly non-environmentally friendly product swimming along with the herbal extracts.

The fact that Shaklee doesn't post their ingredient list on-line, on their products, or anywhere that is readily accessible is making me eye my new 'Get Clean' kit with a great deal of trepidation.

There are NO federal, state or any other all-encompassing guidelines which regulate the use of any environmental product claims. Saying that you are 'all natural' doesn't mean diddly.

IF the MSDS information above is correct, there are a couple of reasons why Shaklee wouldn't want to disclose their full ingredients list.

1. Butylated Hydroxytolune is an antioxidant otherwise known as BHT. Studies have linked BHT to endocrine system disruption and brain & nervous system issues. You can also find published research that ties BHT to mutative effects in animal tissues.

Shaklee even warns against BHT, albeit in food products:
http://content.nhiondemand.com/SHK/HC1.asp?objID=100211&ctype=hc

2. Most truly 'green' products don't use artifical color. The D&C Green #5 listed in the MSDS above can come in several different formulations. The greater potential issue, however, comes with the methyl paraben, which is used as the color preservative. Anyone who has bothered to read this far on this website probably knows about the whole paraben debate...in a nutshell, parabens have been found to interfere with gene expression, and there is speculation that our bajillion paraben-containing household & personal care products might be causing us harm.

That being said, who knows if I have the right MSDS page?

But that's the point, isn't it?

Shaklee could easily address this by posting the information on their website for anyone to access. Until they do this, I would be very hesitant to use - or recommend - their products.

I am just glad that when I became pregnant, I started reading up about not using harsh chemical cleaners around me and my unborn child. I found natural cleaners that would not affect us. When I found this company , I was amazed that there was little to no smells in all there cleaning products. Now that my son is 2 and wants to help mommy all the time, I can let him help me and I don't have to worry. Sometimes he tries to take a taste, and although I tell him no, I am not very worried because I know it won't harm him. I like the little extra help I get from him, and we can have fun when cleaning.

Lisa M.
Shaklee Independent Distributor
http://www.SwitchYourStore.com
http://www.GoGreenAndProfit.com

Guys, I hate to burst everyone's bubbles but I am a chemist and any of these ingreidents will kill you in concentration. There is no safe cleaner other than water.

I would also like to point out that without all the products that people call harsh, our life span would not be where it is.

And one final note, even water can kill you if you drink too much of it.

Randy

To Randy the Chemist:
It's true that water is the only safe cleaning solution...and even 'misuse' can lead to the formation of mold & mildew under your carpet, etc.

That being said, I'd still rather have a bucket of coconut based surfactants over a petroleum product any day of the week. I think everyone is trying to make better choices, and the issue in this particular thread is that it is hard to make choices when basic information isn't readily available.

As a follow-up to my long Shaklee missive above, I'd like to volunteer this email that was sent from the Shaklee customer service team today. I had asked them to elaborate on the MSDS information available for the Basic H2 product:

Thanks for your inquiry regarding the ingredients in Shaklee Get Clean products.

While the ingredient base for most of the Get Clean products are from sustainable sources such as corn and coconut, we do not list the specific ingredients for all of the cleaners as some of the formulae are proprietary. In the case of Basic H2 Organic Super Concentrate Cleaner: other than what is available in the attached Material Safety Data Sheet ( MSDS) and Basic H2 product bulletin that is available on the product page, our company policy is to not divulge the specific ingredients in this unique formulation. However, we can tell you that the active ingredients in the products are sustainably- sourced from corn and coconuts.

The ingredient information we currently provide for our products actually exceeds the legal requirements for manufacturers of household cleaners - who are required to list ingredients on labels only if they are hazardous, have legal limits, or are required by the EPA. Indeed, if you peruse the labels of many competitor products who claim they do list ingredients, you will note that they often list anionic surfactant, non-ionic surfactant, stabilizer, etc., which is simply a detergent builder list and not the actual ingredients in the product. Ingredient information we do make available can be found in the respective product bulletins which are accessible online at our public website, as well as in the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) we make available in compliance with the U.S. Department of Labor's OSHA Hazard Communication Standard, 29 CFR 1910.1200. To access the product bulletins, go to www. shakleegetclean.com. Click on " Products" and then select a product. On the lower right hand side of each product page, look for a link to the bulletin.

You will find ingredient information in the attached Get Clean Ingredients document also.

Your Friends at Shaklee

First-off, the chemist is correct and even water is often contaminated. Still, we can do better than traditional cleaners in terms of human health and the environment and Shaklee has been a pioneer in that area since they produced one of the first biodegradable, non-toxic cleaners (the original Basic-H) in 1960.

The formula has changed, however. There are no colors in Basic-H2 and it is Green Seal Certified, a third party certification by a non-profit, mostly designed for commercial products rather than those for household use, but Basic-H2 qualifies for both. You can find out more about them and their criteria at www.greenseal.org .

Also, keep in mind that super-concentrated products are meant to be diluted with water and in the case of Basic H2, very dilute. This saves packaging waste and greenhouse gas emissions for transport, but it does require a bit of responsibility on the user's end to actually put those two drops of Basic H2 into a 16 ounce bottle of water to make your window cleaner (costing less than 1 cent per bottle).

It also means that whatever ingredients you might consider "dangerous" are diluted. Still, the only thing to worry about with this product is that it can irritate your eyes and you would have to rinse it out with water. Why? Because it has a surfactant, a fancy word for the substance (from corn and coconut sources) that actually does the cleaning.

One thing I like about Shaklee is that their products actually work. They get things clean. A friend of mine, upon switching to Shaklee from other "eco" laundry detergents they used with their greywater system (to reuse water from their washing machine to water the plants in their backyard) said, "Our clothes are finally getting clean!". That is important, too.

All the other Get Clean products are similarly safe and non-toxic. The only exception are the Germ-Off Wipes. ANY product that disinfects, kills bacteria and viruses. Kills. Anything that is capable of killing, even a lowly bacterium, is not totally safe for human health either. Because many people feel they need a disinfectant, however, Shaklee was kind enough to try to make a better one, alcohol-free and strong enough to kills things like E. Coli and Samonella while dilute enough to be safer than most. One key aspect to this one is that it is in the form of a wipe. This means that those nasty disinfectants are NOT going down the drain and destroying marine ecosystems or polluting groundwater. Better than the alternative, right?

You can always request the Material Data Safety Sheets from Shaklee if you would like more scientific information, but be aware that you might end up more confused, since everything has to be listed with its chemical name rather than the source it came from. Shaklee cleaners are sourced from vegetable rather than petroleum products and they will give you a long, long list of what dangerous chemicals are NOT in the products at www.shaklee.com/company_getclean.shtml and at www.shaklee.com/company_greenclean.shtml . Many of these ARE in other products that market themselves as green and safe. Check out the products you use at the National Institutes of Health website, www.householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov/index.htm . Also note that cleaning products are not the only dangerous items you might use. Lots of personal care products are pretty sketchy too. Shaklee makes safer alternatives for these as well.

Finally, look at two things. One, the company making the "green" products. Are they living up to your environmental standards in other ways? Shaklee was the first Climate Neutral Certified Company, helping the EPA to create criteria so that companies' claims can be substantiated or not. Shaklee does not just purchase credits, but instead directly supports green development projects in the US and abroad in partnership with Jeffrey Sachs and the UN Millenium Promise and they use 100% green power. They also collect and recycle large quantities of cardboard from other companies as well as their own operations. Their headquarters is one of the greenest in California. And they have taken steps to reduce their own packaging and other environmental costs. Perhaps the most important step, however, is how Roger Barnett, the CEO is publicly urging other companies to follow suit, even at such high-level events as the G-8 meetings.

And two, how is their money spent? Zero dollars are spent on advertising. The money goes back into research and development, into developing better products, back to the hundreds of thousands of small business people, the independent distributors who share these products with their families, friends and neighbors; and finally, significant contributions go to supporting science that is helping to preserve the planet, such as the Wild Dolphin Project (21 years partnered), four arctic and antarctic expeditions of National Geographic award-winning explorer and global warming researching, Will Steger (21 years partnership), Jacques Cousteau, Ocean Alliance and other ocean-research organizations, tree-planting and more with Green Belt Movement in Kenya, American Himalayan foundation, A Million Trees, A Million Dreams, disaster relief and more. Find out more at www.shaklee.com/causes_achievements.shtml and about their partners at www.shaklee.com/causes_partners.shtml .

All,
I couldn't help to post a comment on all that as I was, out of pure curiosity, looking for shaklee ingredient as well. To me, the fact that the cleaning product might contain some stuff that could be toxic is beyond the point and I'll explain why.

First, the fact that shaklee use only biodegradable product, less packaging and try to be eco-friendly in its prodution is sufficient to use their product.

As for the toxicity, as Ryan mention, even water can kill you. I do not think that he ment by contamination, but by drinking to much of it in a short amount of time. Drinking 10 gallons of water in 30 minutes may cause your stomac some damage that could kill you.

As for ammonium chloride, I personally wouldn't be too concern about that since you could find some similar "toxicity" data in MSDS if you look for sodium chloride (table salt) or sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and it would state that in too big quantity, those product could kill you...

For those of you who has a concern about "where some product comes from" either vegetal or oil, well, in either way, the final product would be the exact same... it is not rocket science, it is only chemistry... you can not create apples from oranges, but both of them will give you carbon at the end... Thinking that one is better than the other is like thinking that Motrin is different than ibuprofen.

Finally, thinking that something must be safe because it's natural is totally wrong!!! Try to eat or smoke poison Ivy or snake venom and let me know if you survive... it is totally natural, but how dangerous!!!!

The label "natural" should not be a substitute for safe, and everyone should look into what's in it before using it, just out of curiosity. And even if it is natural, I strongly believed that some testing should be done, of the same type as any new chemical product, before being use in human.

Thanks, I hope it helps!
Caroline

I find that a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing. With people so concerned about what might kill them, it begins to sound like a chicken little mentality. I could say sex is a communicatable disease with fatal results but that is a really dumb way to look at it.
When it comes to Shaklee, they have a lot to back up their safety claims. They have a 50+ year track record of incredible integrity and safety and efficacy of their products. Still, someone who is allergic to say, soy, wouldn't be advised to use their soy protein - but that doesn't make it unsafe or bad.
Even from a business standpoint, shaklee is considered the crown jewel of the network marketing industry for the same resasons. It is very hard to find legitimate badmouthing over the company. I've tried to find stuff myself and haven't.
In the end, it comes down to using your own judgment and trying and seeing for yourself if a product works for you.
I for one am completely sold on Shaklee for my nutritional needs as i've experienced the increased wealth and vitality in my own life and those around me.

Terry Carter
http://www.shaklee.net/livefree
http://massageline.blogspot.com
http://www.unlimitedimagination.org

Does anyone know if H2 is a disinfectant? For example, can i use it to clean a counter top that has had raw chicken on it?

Hi Elizabeth,

No Basic H2 is not a disinfectant, just a multipurpose cleaner. Buy the Basic G if you want a disinfectant, it is not part of the get clean line , but is listen in the home category.

Lisa M.
Shaklee Independent Distributor

Breath again at
Switch Your Store

Take our Intro Pack Challenge at
Go Green And Profit

My question is about Shaklee Soy Protein. I have been a Shaklee vitamin supplement user for years and am thoroughly plesed with their products for all the great reasons others have said here. But, as times get tough, I sometimes look for alternatives. I compared their protein to Whole Foods store brand and found it similar in content except for two things: (1) Shaklee's is "soy lecithin" and Whole foods is "soy isolate" and (2) Shaklee's is 3 times more expensive!

Does anyone know why the difference in price?

thanks!

Gus,

I think I can answer your questions.

Just today, I was listening to a CD lecture about soy that was made by a doctor who has a PhD in molecular and cellular biology and is also a research scientist. She mentioned that most soy products use heat in their processing, which damages much of the beneficial soy isoflavones. In addition, the heat used in some to sterilize can contribute to the production of nitrites in the soy. She pointed out, however, that Shaklee uses only cold water processing, which never is higher than room temperature, and therefore produces a soy protein that is "as pure as a new soybean".

Shaklee's soy is also made from non-genetically modified soy, and contains high levels of isoflavones, just as a soybean. Soy Milk, however, has very little of the soy isoflavones.

The main ingredient in Shaklee's Soy Protein is soy with all it's natural isoflavones. The ingredient of soy lecithin you were reading on the label is listed under "Other ingredients".

Although Shaklee's soy protein products cost a little more than a dollar per serving, the other products you compare it to are cheaper due to the less costly processing, and as a result, the inferior quality of the protein.

This doctor did mention another brand of soy protein which has a similar processing as Shaklee's, but it is only available in Germany, and costs three times as much as Shaklee.

If you'd like to know more, send me an e-mail from my website which is

www.HarmonyAndHealth.net

Thanks! That helps. It's hard to pass up a 1/3 difference in price without knowing the reason why!

Gus

In reponse to the MSDS posted by Lisa, that is for the original formula Basic H. The new Basic H2 is formulated differently. The linear alcohol alkoxylate and the dye are not in the new formulation. I have a paper copy of the MSDS for Basic H2, and the ingredients listed are "surfactant mixture CAS# 110615-47-9 and 68515-72-1" and "nonionic surfactant CAS# 68551-12-2" If you plug those CAS numbers into google, you can come up with more information.

Here is the information Shaklee provides on the Get Clean line:

While the ingredient base for most of the Get Clean products are from
sustainable sources such as corn and coconut, we do not list the
specific ingredients for all of the cleaners as some of the formulae
are proprietary. The ingredient information we currently provide for
our products actually exceeds the legal requirements for
manufacturers of household cleaners - who are required to list
ingredients on labels only if they are hazardous, have legal limits,
or are required by the EPA. Indeed, if you peruse the labels of many
competitor products who claim they do list ingredients, you will note
that they often list anionic surfactant, non-ionic surfactant,
stabilizer, etc., which is simply a detergent builder list and not
the actual ingredients in the product.

Ingredient information we do make available can be found in the
respective product bulletins which are accessible online at our
public website, as well as in the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)
we make available in compliance with the U.S. Department of Labor's
OSHA Hazard Communication Standard, 29 CFR 1910.1200.

Get Clean Products - General Ingredient Base

The ingredient base for most of the Get Clean products are from
sustainable sources such as corn and coconut, and a mix of natural
enzymes, as well as mineral-derived compounds, such as sodium
carbonate.

More specifically:

Basic H2™ Organic Super Concentrate Cleaner – the active ingredients
in this product are derived from corn and coconut. Fragrance-free and
color-free.

Basic H2™ Organic Super Concentrate Wipes - the active ingredients in
this product are derived from corn and coconut. The wipes are
composed of 80% Paper/20% Polypropylene and are biodegradable.
Fragrance-free.

Dish Wash Liquid Concentrate – the active ingredients in this product
are derived from corn and coconut. Fragrance, color-free.

Dish Wash Automatic Concentrate (Powder) – a natural enzymes-based
product that also includes mineral-based
ingredients such as sodium carbonate. Fragrance-free, color-free.

Fresh Laundry Concentrate Liquid - the active ingredients in this
product are derived from corn and coconut along with natural enzymes.
Fragrance, color-free.

Fresh Laundry Concentrate Powder - the active ingredients in this
product feature mineral-derived ingredients such as sodium carbonate
and natural enzymes. Fragrance, color-free.

Fresh Laundry Concentrate Powder Free - the active ingredients in
this product feature mineral-derived ingredients such as sodium
carbonate and natural enzymes. Fragrance-free, color-free.

Nature Bright® Laundry Booster & Stain Remover - a natural enzymes-
based product that also includes an active oxygen re-brightener and
mineral-based ingredients such as sodium carbonate. Fragrance-free,
color-free.

Soft Fabric Concentrate – the active ingredient in this product is
quaternary surfactant for softening and anti-static properties.
Fragrance, color-free.

Soft Fabric Fragrance-Free Dryer Sheets – the active ingredients in
this breakthrough product are vegetable-based quaternary surfactants
and the sheets are 100% paper. Fragrance-free.

Scour Off™ Heavy-Duty Paste – the abrasive agent in Scour Off is a
fine grade of silica flour (sand). The product also contains calcium
carbonate (chalk); a small amount of raspberry oil for the fragrance;
and iron oxide gives the product its distinctive color. Fragrance, no
added color.

Germ Off Disinfectant Wipes - the active germicidal ingredients are
quaternary ammonium-based for triple action effectiveness of
disinfecting, deodorizing, and cleansing. Fragrance.

Fresh Laundry HE Compatible Fragrance-Free Concentrate Liquid - the
active ingredients in this product are derived from coconut along
with natural enzymes. Can be used in standard washing machines as
well as HE appliances. Fragrance-free, color-free.

Jen
http://www.squidoo.com/safecleaning

Tonight I started researching Shaklee's mostly as a result of my friends determination to switch over to their products because of their "natural" appeal.
Out of curiosity I stumbled here to find many others doing as I, trying to figure out how 'natural' these products are.
We are often skeptical of be-all claims: and so we should be! No matter how much a company praises their own capabilities, without a simple ingredient list i become disenchanted.

Checking out an MSDS to verify the quality of a product to use in your home?
Save yourself some time, and money.
Instead of a $150 investment, do it for under $10: buy yourself some vinegar, lemon juice, and baking soda. Get your guns out, and use your elbow grease if necessary.
...And if you feel like splurging invest in some essential oils.
I think a lot of the time we are so busy looking for a miracle product that we often overlook simple solutions.

There is nothing wrong with a company that uses MLM marketing. What is wrong with MLM marketing is the people who think they are going to do it for a few years and then live off the other people who they "get in".

I think sometimes what you think you want, isn't really want you really want...or need the most.

Matthew 6:24

A post I made this morning to my L.A. Living Foods Group.
Jock

* * *

Friends,

I just wanted to warn people on this group about Shaklee, a multi-level marketing company that promotes itself as a way to heal planet earth--and, oh, by the way: you can make 6 figures if you teach enough people "under" you to sell the right way. :)

Here's their introductory verbiage:

"WE'RE ABOUT A BETTER WORLD
At Shaklee, doing business and doing good are not mutually exclusive. We've been demonstrating that for 50 years."
http://www.shaklee.com/causes_environment.shtml

And from Dr. Forrest C. Shaklee himself, in large teal-green letters:

"The more you share with others, the more valuable your share will become."
http://www.shaklee.com/company_legacy.shtml

Dr. Shaklee's words remind me of how car companies -- in response to the Green Movement -- began painting their cars green. Nothing like a green SUV to give you confidence that a car company is doing the right thing, eh?

Before I continue, let me make it clear that I don't believe that Dr. Shaklee, or a single one of Shaklee's executives or distributors, has questionable intentions. I believe that the company is well-intentioned from top to bottom.

But the road to hell is paved with good intentions, and the level of naivete in this company is significant. (Please see documented research below.)

Further, the immediate and heavy emphasis on how much money distributors can rake in makes it clear that the company is not really about planet earth but about securing a mega-yuppie income for me and me and me.

Let's start with Shaklee's vitamin C.

Vitamin C

Shaklee has three vitamin C formulas. All of them contain vitamin C only as ascorbic acid. To a real nutritionist, this is immediately a red flag. Ascorbic acid is not vitamin C. Ascorbic acid is a fraction of vitamin C. For the scoop on the fractional vitamin scam, check out Tim O'Shea's brilliant expose:

http://thedoctorwithin.com/index_fr.php?page=articles/whole_food_vitamins.php

Do other vitamin companies use ascorbic acid as vitamin C? Sure. In fact, most do. So what's wrong with Shaklee using ascorbic acid as vitamin C? Nothing -- unless Shaklee wants to claim that it is an innovator / leading-edge planet-healer in the nutritional realm.

FlavoMax

What about Shaklee's flavonoid blend, FlavoMax? Certainly the list of ingredients is impressive: blueberry extract, elderberry extract, grape seed extract, green tea extract, lemon bioflavonoids, citrus bioflavonoids, passion flower extract, quercetin. Nothing bad for you there, right?

Oops, except for the "gelatin capsule." Gelatin, as you may not want to know, is from boiled 1) pig, horse, and cattle bones, 2) pork skins, 3) cattle hides, 4) and pig, horse, and cattle connective tissue and organs. Hmm . . .

Kind of puts a crimp in the Shaklee claim:

"Everything that goes into every Shaklee bottle is designed to make you healthy." (http://www.shaklee.com/company_val_health.shtml)

And why is nothing on the flavonoid ingredients list either organic or Oregon Tilth? How is eating extracts from conventionally produced produce making us or the planet healthier?

Shaklee execs reassure us:

"We make products from the purest natural ingredients. And we take stringent measures to keep out pesticides, contaminants, and other unnatural things that simply don't belong there."
http://www.shaklee.com/company_val_harmony.shtml

So Shaklee takes "stringent measures to keep out pesticides," but they won't go so far as to actually use organic ingredients. Hmm . . . ;)

And, just wondering -- why should any of us take blueberry and elderberry extract when we could just eat blueberries and elderberries? "Green tea extract"? How about just drinking some regular old (organic) green tea? "Lemon/citrus bioflavonoids"? How about eating a lemon?

Did our very healthy foremothers and forefathers need a vitamin company to keep them healthy, or were people healthy and happy for millennia before vitamin companies came along?

Soy Protein Drink
http://www.shaklee.net/healthyfriends/product/20665

One gets a good feeling from Shaklee's "Energizing Soy Protein" drink mix . . . Unless, of course, one has done the research, as Dr. Tim O'Shea did for his article, "The Magic Bean? Soy-tainly Not!"
http://thedoctorwithin.com/index_fr.php?page=articles/magic_bean.php

The last thing any of us (including menopausal women) need to put into their bodies is soy protein isolate. There is nothing worse for you (except possibly pasteurized cow's milk). Don't believe me? Check out Dr. O'Shea's article "The Magic Bean" above.

O'Shea does not implicate FERMENTED soy that is found in tempeh and miso. Fermented soy is good. But tofu, soymilk, and soy protein isolate are without any doubt detrimental to human health in myriad ways. For my personal experience/testimonial about non-fermented soy, email me at jock@spontaneouscreation.org.

Vitamin E
http://www.shaklee.net/healthyfriends/product/20112

But hey, at least there's nothing wrong with Shaklee's vitamin E, right? All natural . . .

Oops, there's that pesky gelatin capsule again. Horse tendons anyone? And there's also "Soy Oil" and "Soy Lecithin," a scary pair. See O'Shea's article:
http://thedoctorwithin.com/index_fr.php?page=articles/magic_bean.php

These are just the first four products I looked at. I haven't looked at any others, but hey, that doesn't mean you can't. Just click on the product and then click on "Read Label."

Because You Should

"SOMETIMES YOU DO THINGS BECAUSE THEY ARE GOOD FOR BUSINESS. AND SOMETIMES YOU DO THINGS JUST BECAUSE YOU SHOULD. Among these are our donation of vitamins and nutrition drinks to undernourished children and earthquake victims."
http://www.shaklee.com/causes_community.shtml

So Shaklee is donating fractional vitamins and nutritionally questionable drinks to undernourished peoples? Hmm . . .

Scary Rez

Check out the scary resume of Roger Barnett, Chairman and CEO of Shaklee Corporation:
http://www.shaklee.com/company_lead_ceo.shtml

10 Trees?

"10 trees planted -- the environmental equivalent of passing on one Get Clean Starter Kit to a friend."
http://www.shaklee.com/company_val_world.shtml

Huh?

Show Me The MONEY

But hey, forget all this tree-hugging b*llshit. Let's talk money:

"In fact, we've paid out over $3 billion in commissions. Billion with a 'b.' "
http://www.shaklee.com/company_val_success.shtml

Thanks, Shaklee.

Planet Saver?

My question:

Is Shaklee really saving the planet, or is it channeling resources into plastic vitamin bottles that will bump up against your children's legs when they're trying to take a dip in the oceans of 2020?

My feeling:

My feeling is that the last thing the planet needs is another company doing the same thing other companies are doing, but with teal-green marketing.

Sincerely,
Jock Doubleday

AIDS factualist, vaccine factualist, and 9-11 factualist

Director
Natural Woman, Natural Man, Inc.
A California 501(c)3 Nonprofit Corporation
http://www.SpontaneousCreation.org
director@spontaneouscreation.org

Jock Doubleday is the author of
"Spontaneous Creation:
101 Reasons Not to Have Your Baby in a Hospital, Vol 1:
A Book about Natural Childbirth and the Birth of Wisdom and Power in
Childbearing Women"

To answer Lisa's question about soy -- I just posted two articles on soy and why Shaklee's soy is different on my blog at http://www.livinglavidaverde.blogspot.com

Hope that helps!

Krista

Where in the world in Columbus, Ohio ( preferably
West ) is a Shaklee dealer ? I am getting
desperately low on Basic H and have to use it,
as I am allergic to soaps, etc.
M.E.Filer

I am so blessed to have found a totally honest company that has all of its ingredients listed on everything - isnt that the way it should be, since we are all being so decieved. It is called MIESSENCE and website is www.jsorganics.net. If you are looking for 100% natural that is certified organic with the proof in the logo. This is worth checking out.

You have to be joking, chemicals, acid, high PH, dye. Yeah very natural.

I resently attended a Go Green-event and found a great company, Shaklee that have been producing safe-environmental cleaning products for over 50 years. I decided to try their Basic H-which is use to clean windows and its an all purpose cleaner with no chemicals. LOVE IT! I tried it on my furniture, counters and even washed my tile and wood floors and was very impressed how a few drops of this concentrated product cleaned so well. I nowl look forward to cleaning as there are no fumes flowing in the air and into my lungs or my family and lingering as other cleaning products. Then I ordered the GET CLEAN fresh laundry concentrate, the soft fabric concentrate and the dish wash concentrate. Guys I will never buy another product again.

If anyone is interested in trying Shaklee visit www.shaklee.net/thefuture Totally Green-chemical free products that save you money and great for your health!

Shaklee was the first company in the world to be Certified Climate Neutral, meaning they leave no carbon footprint on the planet. They also have product that are green seal certified which is a very hard certification to receive.

Shaklee Corporation Wins 2008 Stevie(R) Award for Best Corporate Environmental Responsibility Program

Shaklee is the first consumer products company to offset 100% of
greenhouse gas emissions through the EPA Climate Leader's program and
use 100% green power

You can find that article by googling it.

For over 50 years they have been in business and with nothing bad ever said about them.

Someone mentioned the Basic H, that product is no longer part of the product line they now have the new and improved Basic H2.

I use their shampoo and body wash for my children and a few months ago I placed an order for some and it was on back order for over a month. The reason when inspecting the batches as they do constantly, they found an ingredient they had to test to make sure it was natural. Companies with something to hide are not going to pull their products off the market when they could be making money on them. Look Shaklee up in the BBB and see what you find.

I have a healthy family and healthy pets thanks to Shaklee.

I am with the company because they stand for all I believe in and teach through my blogs on the environment.

I am a huge environmentalist and as there are many companies that come and go when it comes to selling online Shaklee has stood the test of time.

This is not the proper platform to hawk our products, I agree with that.

Cheryl C McNeil

Shaklee was the first company in the world to be Certified Climate Neutral, meaning they leave no carbon footprint on the planet. They also have product that are green seal certified which is a very hard certification to receive.

Shaklee Corporation Wins 2008 Stevie(R) Award for Best Corporate Environmental Responsibility Program

Shaklee is the first consumer products company to offset 100% of
greenhouse gas emissions through the EPA Climate Leader's program and
use 100% green power

You can find that article by googling it.

For over 50 years they have been in business and with nothing bad ever said about them.

Someone mentioned the Basic H, that product is no longer part of the product line they now have the new and improved Basic H2.

I use their shampoo and body wash for my children and a few months ago I placed an order for some and it was on back order for over a month. The reason when inspecting the batches as they do constantly, they found an ingredient they had to test to make sure it was natural. Companies with something to hide are not going to pull their products off the market when they could be making money on them. Look Shaklee up in the BBB and see what you find.

I have a healthy family and healthy pets thanks to Shaklee.

I am with the company because they stand for all I believe in and teach through my blogs on the environment.

I am a huge environmentalist and as there are many companies that come and go when it comes to selling online Shaklee has stood the test of time.

This is not the proper platform to hawk our products, I agree with that.

Cheryl C McNeil

I have been researching Shaklee and other products that are touting their "green" ness. My question is why aren't all of the ingredients listed on the package? I have heard that if you contact the company they will send them to you...just like Melaleuca, but why can't they just be transparent from the beginning and list what is in there??

I have been using Shaklee Get Clean supplies to clean my house. I was not using them for the tile floors and would like to know the mix to use. I have the measurments for wood floors, but not tile. Thanks.

I have been researching Shaklee and requested info from them and received the samr thing others have talked about. I have MANY allergies and sensitivities and CANNOT use any product or eat anything unless I know exactly what's in it. It's unfortunate, their products may be safe for me but I'll never know because of their lack of information.

I was first introduced to Shaklee back in the late 1950's. I was visiting my Grand father in a very rural town in Oregon. My Grandfather told our family about this amazing product called Basic H. He used it to clean his farm animals and goats before milking them. He also used it to clean his dishes, windows, truck, tractor, he even took bathes using the product. The amazing thing was that all of his water that had BAsic H in it went to his vegtable garden for irrigation. His vegtables, fruit, and plants were unbelievably healthy all year long. His windows were clean, the dishes were easy to clean, and so on. As I was growing up my parents began using the Basic H as well. Nowour family currently has 4 generations using Shaklee products. The primary reason we all use then is because they work and they are substantially less expensive that store purchased products and they are environmentally clean. Here is a family that has been GREEN long before the phrase was coined. It is not a scam because it is like any other business that is available to people. You get out of it what you put into it. I know people who are very successfull with Shaklee. I personally don't try to make a living with the products but we sure do use them including vitamins and food suppliment. I will also get the products for friends and family or anyone who wants the great products. Again I am not making a living at it or trying to. I believe in what the products do. Granted, there are a lot of scams out there but Shaklee is not one of them. Remember you get back what you put into life. If you sit on a couch you get a couch potato belly and life, if you work hard you will reap what you sow. Shaklee is for real and not a scam.

Eugene Wagner

I love Shaklee! They are so rarely written up anywhere and their products are so much better than any other green products out there. Their labels don't contain all the product information, but if you go to the website and click on the individual product you are interested in, there is a product info pdf you can download and read.
www.shaklee.net/allysonskinner

You can also order all the products from that site. Their other products are incredible as well--not just their cleaning products.

I am really surprised Treehugger endorsed this brand. I see so much debate here in the comments it's clear the ingredients are ambiguous at best and harmful at worst.

Through my own research, I have learned that surfactants are not necessarily our friend. I am wondering why anyone thinks they need something 'extra' in their cleaning products to do the work? True greeners know the simplest and most basic cleaning products are made from natural products, like vinegar (which you can make safely at home, by the way), hydroge peroxide, baking soda, essential oils and herbs.

I was so disturbed to read one mother's comment that she wasn't concerned if her toddler injested a little of the Shaklee cleaners and let him help her when she cleaned, exposing him to these chemicals when their own website warns against eye contact and injestion. That's just scary to me.

Why would anyone, ANYONE, want to pollute their home and endanger their helath and that of their children with chemicals they can't pronounce, or worse even find on the internet? Your child could lick the surfaces of your furniture, walls, windows and floors safely if you cleaned them with herbs, vinegar or baking soda.

There seem to be some angry people out there that feel the need to rip apart this wonderful company that has been trying to do the right thing for 50 years. Basic H has been around since 1960, and if everyone had been using it for the past 50 years, we could actually eat fish out of the Great Lakes and they wouldn't be finding fish and frogs with mixed sexual organs and extra fins and legs. Triclosan and fragrances from antibacterial handsoaps are found in almost every living creature on Earth- yes, all those yummy smelling lotions and handwashes from the body shops are actually an environmental nightmare! You see, Basic H is a surfactant that is made from coconuts and corn and it just changes the water molecule so that the water cleans better. It breaks down and returns to Nature in a few days, unlike petrochemicals that will be around for eternity. My friend reads MSD sheets for a living and she said Basic H is quite harmless and, yes, you could ingest it without worry. My friend's 2 yr. old child died after ingesting just 2 squirts of Resolve carpet cleaner. Some farmers actually worm their cattle with Basic H, and you can use it on plants to keep bugs off and it will help your plants to absorb nutrients better, as it is a soil conditioner. Kids can help with cleaning the house, as the Basic H has no chemicals to harm them. I'll take my chances with Shaklee products any day, as opposed to killing myself with commercial brands- I feel so much healthier since I switched to the Get Clean products.
And as for the questionable resume of Roger Barnett, who are you kidding? He is a brilliant, caring, humanitarian who wants to help people all over the world. Their son had an asthma attack at age 3 and they traced it back to their cleaning products. He and his wife have been on Oprah telling the story. I have personally met the man and he is incredible. So Go Green with Shaklee's Get Clean- I love it!