Nerium AD: Nerium Oleander Side Effects (part 1)

Have you heard about Nerium AD? It is an anti-aging cream sold though the multi level marketing company Nerium International, LLC launched in August 2011.  

The cream contains it's namesake, extract from the nerium oleander plant. 

Botanicals are all the rage, so this is good, right? It's from a plant, good, right? 

Oh, did I forget to mention that nerium oleander is poisonous?

All parts of the plant are poisonous, the leaves, the seeds, the bark, the sap, the flowers and the extract. Even honey that is made by bees that use the oleander flowers for nectar is poisonous! 

Now that's one dangerous plant! 

All varieties are poisonous.  I've read, from any sources, that it is one of the most poisonous plants in the world.

Here are the beautiful oleander flowers. Beautifully poisonous.

Nerium has been used for centuries as a folk remedy for to treat a variety of ailments. It is also a favorite suicide agent in Sri Lanka. It has been used as a rat poison and an insecticide. 

There is no established therapeutic dose of oleander. So how did this poisonous extract get into an anti-aging cream? It's a good question. Read about the history of the company and you will see the connection.

A of History on the Company that Makes Nerium AD

Nerium Biotechnology, Inc., an international research and development company, claims they accidentally discovered nerium oleander's amazing anti aging benefits for the skin from research that was done on the cancer drug  Anvirzel.  

Dr. Robert A. Newman, who is a scientific advisor  for Nerium Biotechnology, provided safety data from previous research and studies, experience from an FDA trial at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, the analytical method and analysis for the determination of oleandrin in blood plasma.  

Dr. Huseyin Ziya Ozel, a Turkish physician, began studying and using oleander extract as an anti cancer drug in 1966. Oleander was mixed with water and used as an oral treatment. He was issued a patent the drug Anvirzel in the US and Europe in 1992.  

Nerium says, it's a "first of it's kind botanical drug containing cardiac glycosides for potent inhibition of the proliferation of cancer".  

Just so you know, cardiac glycosides are chemicals that slow the heart rate. They can slow the heart rate so much, that the heart stops beating. 

That is why oleander is so poisonous. 

Studies showed the drug had some effect on killing cancer cells, but this drug, Anvirzel, was never approved for use.  An interesting note, the American Cancer Society says that eighth century Arab physicians first used oleander as a cancer treatment.

Cancer.org says " The effectiveness of oleander has not been proven. 

In test tube studies, oleandrin, one of the substances found in oleander extracts, caused apoptosis (a specific type of cell death) of prostate cancer cells. In other test tube studies, Anvirzel appeared to slow the growth of human bladder cancer cells, but human studies are needed to determine whether it will work in people. 

Very early studies of carefully dosed Anvirzel in people with cancer have not yet shown that it helps. Side effects included nausea and vomiting, aches, and redness at the injection site, but the drug did not appear to affect the cancer in these patients. 

One very early study of 18 patients with advanced cancer was done primarily to determine the best dose of the drug. No measurable responses were noted in patients’ cancer during this small study. Although there are claims that Anvirzel improves quality of life, reduces pain, increases energy, and causes cancer regression and remission, available scientific evidence does not support these claims." 

They also say,  "An injectable oleander extract with the brand name of Anvirzel was available at one time, but it has not been approved for marketing by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). 

In March 2000, the FDA warned Anvirzel’s manufacturers to stop promoting the product as safe and effective after it found misleading information on their website. The FDA noted that claims were being made based on preliminary and inconclusive data. A company cannot claim a drug is safe and effective unless it has been fully tested and shown to be so." 

Whoa! That is not good news for Nerium Biotechnology. 

All that money spent on research and development! There had to be some way to make back all that money that was spent! 

Oh wait! 

Nerium Biotechnology accidentally found out the nerium oleander has amazing anti aging benefits!  An anti aging cream. The world is searching for the fountain of youth. Market it right, and it could be a bestseller! 

What do you think is happening? People are buying NeriumAD at $110 a bottle, $80 if you sign up for auto shipping, oblivious to the fact that it contains a deadly toxin. Imagine that!

Nerium Oleander is Toxic

Now, the brand partners say nerium extract is not toxic. 

One brand partner was highly offended when I compared the toxicity nerium oleander extract to another well known toxin, Botox. She told me if I find any proof that oleander is toxic, I should show her the proof. 

Another brand partner did not know anything about oleander being toxic, so she decided she would ask Nerium International if it was indeed toxic.

She reported back to me, "They do not use the toxic part of the plant, which is the flower. They use the leaf which is not toxic."  Really? All parts of the plant are toxic.

The company is emphatic that the product is safe. 

Safety testing has shown that Nerium AD is safe. 

Obviously it is safe or people would be dropping dead. 

So why aren't people dropping dead? 

I suspect that there is very little nerium oleander in the product. The company's proprietary active ingredient blend is under lock and key. We will delve into why the product is safe even though it contains a poisonous extract another day.

(see Neruim Part 2: How does it work)

But know this, all types of oleander are poisonous. 

Let's review it again. 

Here is an excerpt from Ortho Books, Shrubs and Hedges,  

"All parts of the plant are violently poisonous. Be extremely cautious with clippings from pruning. Smoke from burning plant parts, green or dried can cause respiratory irritations. Contact with leaves can cause dermatitis, Ingesting even small amounts can cause severe illness, even death." 

Did you see that? ALL PARTS OF THE PLANT ARE VIOLENTLY POISONOUS no matter what the company and the brand partners tell you.

What I See as an Esthetician 

As an esthetician, I look at skin all day long. I also talk to people about the condition of their skin and the skin care products they use, therefore, I can tell you what I see and what I hear. 

I can see that the people who have used NeriumAD have a little improvement in their skin. Wrinkles are still there, but slightly less prominent, most likely, due to the hydration of the skin from the aloe in NeriumAd. That crinkly look you see in sun damaged skin is still there. Brown sun spots are still there. 

I have also seen rashes and irritations. 

Now, what I hear from the people who have used it is, NeriumAD doesn't make enough difference in their skin for the price. People say they see a difference at first, but the improvement doesn't last long. Plus, some people have actually reported chest pains and nausea.

There are active anti aging skin care ingredients that do create some improvement in the skin. 

Here is a link to a nice list from Total Beauty: Top 12 Anti Aging Ingredients. 

I find the clients who have the youngest looking skin are those who use sunscreen religiously, use anti aging skin care products, get facial peels, moisturize regularly, use Retin A, and get Botox and/or Restylane or other filler injections. 

We are battling a break down of the elastic tissues in our skin and gravity. It takes a big effort to make aging skin look younger. 

Yonka  creates amazing anti aging creams that work together to stimulate elastin production in the skin. Yon-Ka is a French skin care line that creates fabulous botanical skin care products. 

I've worked with the Yonka skin care line for years. It's very safe and effective. I recommend it if you are looking for an anti aging product the works. It's a bit expensive, but it actively improves the skin with no toxic ingredients.

So to recap, here is a list of the side effects of the Nerium Oleander plant and it's extract.

The Side Effects of Nerium Oleander

Adverse Cardiac Effects

Nausea

Vomiting

Dermatitis: Skin Rashes

Skin Irritation

Hives

Death

Has curiosity gotten you in spite of the danger ? If you simply must try Nerium for yourself, try it for less with no automatic monthly shipping. Get it on Amazon. 
Shop for Nerium on Amazon

Here is more in my NeriumAD series:

NeruimADPart 2: How does it work?

NeriumAD Part 3: Ingredients

NeriumAD Part 4: An Aloe Products

Links for more info:

Poisonous Plants

Paula Choice Neruim Review

Ethereal Aura Spa

Thanks for stopping by!

        Have a Beautiful Day! 

xo

Jill

Licensed Cosmetologist, Esthetician, Makeup Artist

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