The holistic health public speaker, businesswoman and mum to Matthew and Miranda Kerr told 50 women and “one brave man” in Wodonga on Friday, November 6, she felt compelled to use her family’s famous name to share her health and wellbeing mantra.

“As a family we are dedicated to health and wellness,” she said.

A former self-confessed “walking-talking perfume shop”, Therese was diagnosed with tumours on her spleen during 2001 before her spleen was removed the following year.

She said it transformed her life and put her on a path to wellness.

“It’s the best thing that ever happened to me in my life; it’s great to now have such vitality and vibrancy in life,” she said.

“I believe perfume was a major cause of my endometriosis and tumours on my spleen.”

Therese said the cosmetics industry was self-regulated, the majority of products were untested and the label “fragrance” covered a harmful cocktail of chemicals.

“Any cosmetics company can release any product and put it on the market without any testing; it’s safe until proven otherwise,” she said.

“My goal is to influence young women so our babies aren’t being born pre-polluted.”

Therese said the rise in cancer in the western world – particularly among children – was related to the plethora of untested chemicals in the marketplace.

She said conventional sunscreen, deodorants, hand sanitizers, toothpaste and even baby shampoo and wipes were full of harmful chemicals.

“Conventional deodorant is locking in toxins,” she said.

“A lot of breast cancer is now found in the upper quadrant of the breast; chemicals are being found in tact in the breast tissue.”

Therese, who is also the wellbeing ambassador for Australian Certified Organic, urged diners to go through their bathrooms and purge anything with fragrance or a toxic chemical load. 

“Every day we put a chemical burden on our body,” she said.

“If you don’t want chemicals in your body, buy certified organic. We used to live in a world that was organic but we stuffed it up; now organic isn’t even organic.”

The crowd dined on organic lamb and chicken and vegetarian dishes prepared by La Maison Cafe and Organic One wines produced at Jerilderie, personally recommended by the Kerr family.

Therese donated 10 per cent of proceeds from sales of her Divine By Therese Kerr range on Friday to Aspire Support Services in Albury.