Is Rodan and Fields a Pyramid Scheme Scam or Legit? [2022 Review]

The overview and rankings

Name: Rodan and Fields

Founders: Dr. Katie Rodan & Dr. Kathy Fields in 2002

Website URL: rodanandfields.com

Type: Skincare MLM 

Products (Including Pricing): 50 out of 100

Success Stories: 5 out of 100

Price To Join MLM: $45 to start + $395-$995 starter kit

100SV per month = ~$100 per month (30 out of 100)

What To Look For In An MLM:

What is Rodan and Fields?

Rodan and Fields is a personal care Multi-Level-Marketing company that sells skincare products to help people get rid of acne. 

It was founded by best friends, Katie Rodan and Kathy Fields in 2002. They are qualified dermatologists so they have a lot of experience working in the skincare industry.

Rodan and Fields offers everyday people the chance to make money through the "direct sales" business model.

It's really the same as an MLM business model, as you will notice when you see the compensation plan, but some companies try to avoid using this term due to the negative connotation. 

You can find out more about the business from the founders in the 2-minute video below...

It seems like a pretty legit opportunity, right?

Well you're smart enough to know this is just a promotional video from Rodan and Fields. 

So you're probably still wondering...

Is Rodan and Fields a pyramid scheme?

No, Rodan and Fields is not a pyramid scheme. 

They sell legit products and their consultants can make money from selling these products.

Most decent MLM companies do this too, but a more appropriate question to ask about any MLM company is...

Is Rodan and Fields a "pyramid scheme in disguise"?

What is a pyramid scheme?

A company that promises payment to members for recruiting more people rather than selling a product or service.

Most MLM companies do sell some sort of product or service.

However, some MLM companies use these products to hide the fact that the only way their consultants can earn good money is by recruiting more people.

These companies act like a "pyramid scheme in disguise".

This Rodan and Fields review will investigate the company in more detail later, but for now you can learn how to spot these "pyramid schemes in disguise" in the 5 minute video below...

Success is hard to find with Rodan and Fields

In fact, success is hard to find in any MLM company.

Did you know that between 73% and 99% of all MLM representatives lose money?

Rodan and Fields fits into this range with at least 90% of their "active consultants" losing money according to their income disclosure.  

And that data is only taken from the consultants that did earn some commission in that year (46% were consultants that didn't earn a penny).

This means that 95% of all consultants lost money in 2018.

It doesn't mean it's impossible to earn money from Rodan and Fields, but it's important to be aware of this before diving in.

How does Rodan and Fields work?

Rodan and Fields produces a range of skincare products. 

But rather than marketing these products themselves they save on advertising costs by getting everyday people to help them. 

In return, these consultants can earn a commission for any sales they make and bonuses from sales their "downline" makes.

It's like a win-win in theory! 

Rodan and Fields products

If you are seriously considering joining any MLM company then you will need to understand their products in more detail if you want to see any success.

There are dozens of different products at Rodan and Fields that fall under one of the following product lines:

• Redefine - cleansing mask, toner, eye cream etc. ($20-$384)
• Reverse - sunscreen, exfoliation, toner etc. ($42-$376)
• Recharge- mask, cleanser, sunscreen etc. ($40-$342)
• Unblemish- Acne treatment, toner etc. ($30-$320)
• Spotless- acne wash, clearing treatment etc. ($34-$297)
• Soothe- Replenishing cream, gentle cream wash ($42-$311)
• Enhancements- lash boost, serum, SPF makeup etc. ($36-$331
• Essentials- Vitamin D supplement, moisturizer, sunscreen etc. ($19-$32)

As you can see there is a lot on offer but most of it is based around skin care and, in particular, removing acne. 

You need to be aware that there are a lot of other MLMs that offer similar product such as:

The competition is fierce in this industry!

So to understand how Rodan and Fields stands out let's dig into the...

Rodan and Fields Redefine Regimen - flagship product

It's hard to say exactly what Rodan and Fields main product is, but it's worth mentioning their "Lash Boost" tends to be very popular (even though this is definitely not what the owners focus on!)

The main thing Rodan and Fields focus on is their "regimens" and in particular their "redefine regimen"...

It contains:

• Cleansing mask
• Toner
• Sunscreen 30 SPF
• Restorative cream
• Rejuvenation mask
• Face mask brush
• Tool to apply face mask

This Rodan and Fields review will look into the price of these products later on. But for now let's understand the unique selling points.

These products help your skin to feel:

• more hydrated
• refreshed
• smoother skin
• plumper
• more healthier looking

You can see more about the products and benefits here. 

There are mixed reviews around the products on the internet, with the most common one being the price as an issue (they're really expensive). 

But if you want to learn more about the range of products you can watch the 5-minute video below...

How to make money with Rodan and Fields MLM

This is likely the part that you are interested in if you are reading this Rodan and Fields review. 

So let's get into it...

There are 2 ways you can make money as a R&F consultant:

1. Sell their products to earn commission
2. Recruit more people and earn bonuses from their sales

So you don't actually earn money by recruiting people. 

You just earn bonuses and commissions from any sales or purchases your "downine" make. This is another way that Rodan and Fields avoids being called an outright pyramid scheme.

How much does it cost to join Rodan and Fields?

It costs $45 to get the "business portfolio" and become a consultant.

Once you have that you will be encouraged to purchase a "business kit" that ranges in price for $395, $695 or $995.

Each kit has a different set of samples, tools and regimens for your personal use or to sell on. 

You can find all of the information for the business kits here. 

But the costs do not stop there amigo...

Rodan and Fields monthly cost

This is the part that often takes people by surprise and is the number 1 reason as to why so many people lose money from MLMs...

To remain "active" and get commission for the sales you make you have to hit a "sales quota" every month. 

At Rodan and Fields this is 100 "SV", which is around $100 worth of products that you need to sell every month. 

If you cannot sell that amount then you will need to stump up the costs yourself. 

This means in reality the total cost to get started for your first year is:

• $45
• $395, $695 or $995
• $100 x 12

Year 1 expenses = $1,640- $2,240

Obviously this is a lot less than starting a typical bricks and mortar business like a restaurant. However it's certainly more than $45!

Rodan and Fields compensation plan

For some reason MLM companies like to make their compensation plans harder to understand than a strong Scottish accent. 

Rodan and Fields is no different. 

So I will do my best to keep this simple...

There are 5 ways you can get paid from Rodan and Fields...

1. Retail profit (16%-25% commissions)
2. Consultant commissions (10% commission from L1 downline)
3. Personal team commissions (5% commission on CV from your personal team)
4. Generation commissions (more bonuses from your team)
5. Performance bonuses 

Seriously just look at that crazy table above!

You don't need to know all the details here to get started and they make it seem like there's far more ways to get paid than there really are.

In reality all you do is:

1. Sell products
2. Recruit people

And do you notice that 4 out of 5 ways to get paid require you to recruit people?

If you want to understand the compensation plan a bit more then feel free to watch this pretty confusing 5 minute video...

Or find the full 15 page Rodan and Fields compensation plan here. 

Is Rodan and Fields a scam?

No Rodan and Fields is not a scam.

They sell legit products and they pay their consultants exactly like they say they will. 

However, is this the best work from home opportunity for you?

Only you can be the judge and the rest of this Rodan and Fields review will help you decide...

Just to be fully transparent with you, I am not a distributor myself and I do not endorse Rodan and Fields in any way.

I have researched the website, testimonials and information on the Internet to get to the bottom of what this program genuinely does. This is because I have been burnt from programs just like this in the past and I want to prevent others from making the same mistakes. If you’d like to learn how to “Spot an Online Marketing Scam” then click the highlighted text.

Common positive reviews

Here are some of the common positive reviews that we have found in Indeed where people are talking about its job opportunity...

• "If you are motivated and people oriented you can make money with Rodan & Fields. This is a flexible work from home position. I did not like the required minimum product purchase as a consultant and subscription to their website (at the time over $100) each month to qualify for earnings from your sales."
• "Over a three year period I spent more than I love the flexible work schedule. Work at your own pace. Lots of training available. Make your own hours. Clients love products. Rewarding business. Unlimited success."
  

Common negative reviews

And here are some of the common negative reviews we also have found in Indeed...

• "The products were phenomenal but getting people to pay those prices in small town USA on something that they have to replenish every two months proved to be a huge obstacle."
• "Do you like meeting new people and improving their lives with amazing skin care? But if your answer is no, then this is not the company for you."

What I like about Rodan and Fields

So there are some things that I like about the Rodan and Fields MLM program. 

It helps to prove that Rodan and Fields is not a scam. 

Key Terms:

• Pyramid Scheme – recruits members via a promise for payment from referring others to the service rather than providing a product
• Affiliate Marketing- Connecting a customer to a product they are looking for and receiving a commission for doing so
• Red Flag - A warning sign

#1 Proven history

Did you know that only 1 in 3 MLM companies last longer than 10 years?

Well Rodan and Fields was founded in 2002.

The long history proves that Rodan and Fields is not a scam and is not likely to just disappear tomorrow.

#2 Positive product reviews

So many MLM companies have spam reviews because there are so many "consultants" trying to sell the products. 

However on Consumer Affairs you can get a very honest look into a companies products...

You can tell that some reviews are honest and there are many 4 star reviews, which suggest people aren't being overly biased. 

This is a great sign as it shows that real people are using Rodan and Fields products.

Also, many of the negative reviews were actually to do with the MLM itself and the "pyramid style" commission structure rather than poor products.

#3 Credible founders

The founders are qualified dermatologists and not just some wannabe rich entrepreneurs trying to make a quick buck.

To run a successful MLM company for this long is impressive and they should be super proud of what they've achieved. 

However, if you're like me, you probably aren't interested in how well the founders are doing. You probably want to know, "will this business be profitable for me?"

Well let's see...

What I don't like about Rodan and Fields

There are some hidden truths about Rodan and Fields (and many MLMs) that people do not realise until it's too late. 

It is possible to make money from them, but how likely is it?

#1 Expensive products

This is always the first thing I check in any MLM company. 

Just look at what is on offer on the market...

• Rodan and Fields Cleansing mask = $10.48/ oz
• Amazon cleansing masks = $0.62- $7.84/ oz

It costs 25%-1500% more for very similar products elsewhere. 

Now, you're probably thinking... well maybe it's only for this cleansing mask?

So let's work out the difference in cost between some highly rated products on Amazon and Rodan and Fields flagship products...

• Paula's choice toner (4 oz) = $29.50 (4.4 out of 5 stars from almost 2,000 reviews)
• Thrive moisturising sunscreen (2 oz) = $24.95 (4.3 out of 5 stars from over 200 reviews)
• Aveeno restorative cream (1.7 oz) = $18.77 (4.4 out of 5 stars from 500 reviews)
• Allurey eye mask (15 pairs) = $14.90 (4.8 out of 5 stars from over 1,000 reviews)

Total cost of highly rated Amazon products = $115.11

Rodan and Fields = $256 or $230 with PC Perks

I'm going to be totally honest with you here. I really don't know what makes great skin care products. However, all of the products I have found in about 10 minutes of research have hundreds if not thousands of positive reviews. 

They all contain very similar if not identical ingredients and many of them have more ounces in the pack. 

Yet Rodan and fields still costs 120% more than exactly the same type of products!

I even saw this a lot on consumer affairs...

I may not know a great deal about skincare but the 1 star reviews all say very similar things!

When you combine this with the next hidden truth, you start seeing the true colors of the company...

#2 Hidden monthly expenses

Hidden truth number 1 is not the end of the world by itself for an MLM company. 

But when you add in the fact that you need to sell a certain amount every month to stay active it does become concerning...

If you don't sell $100+ worth of products every month, guess who has to buy it?

Yeah you, the Rodan and Fields consultant!

This is a huge red flag because it's a sign that Rodan and Fields operates like a pyramid scheme in disguise. 

Recruiters sales pitch to people becomes...

"Buy these expensive products and you can also earn pocket money"

Instead of...

"These are the best reasonably priced products I have found"

Very few people will be able to sell $100+ of skin care products straight away. This means the only way to offset the cost is by recruiting people into the MLM...

#3 Is Rodan and Fields a pyramid scheme in disguise?

The first 2 points together make it very likely that Rodan and Fields operates like a "pyramid scheme in disguise". 

But just look at their compensation plan...

Does this look familiar?...

If that isn't enough to make you see that the only way you can earn a decent income (or not lose money) with Rodan and Fields is by recruiting, the take this into account:

• 4 out of 5 ways you get paid requires you to recruit
• the majority of consultants lose money

This brings us nicely onto...

#4 Most cosultants fail

We've already established that 95% of all consultants lose money at Rodan and Fields as you can see in their income disclosure...

But only 0.3% of all consultants earn over $15k a year. 

That means that only 1 in 333 consultants earn over $15k a year!

Find the full Rodan and Fields income disclosure here to see for yourself. 

#5 Downward trend

The final nail in the coffin for me is found on Google Trends...

Most MLM companies have a "early momentum phase". If you can get in before this phase it's possible to make the most of the increasing interest in the company to attract more people to it. 

However, Rodan Fields is now on the decline. 

Newer companies such as Farmasi are still rising sharply and prove that there are potentially better opportunities out there.

My opinion - Rodan and Fields MLM

OK let's get to the point. 

Here's what I think about this work from home opportunity...

The expensive products and monthly sales quota means that you are going to have to recruit people into the company to make any decent money from this MLM. 

That means that it really operates like a pyramid scheme in disguise.

When you add the fact that the company is on a downward trend, it will be super hard to find people interested in joining. 

If you are a beauty influencer or someone that knows how to use online marketing, then it may be possible to make money from Rodan and Fields.

But it's not really the most ethical way to make money knowing what you know now...

How I make passive income online

MLMs are not scams or illegal. However, I'm not a fan of them because of the restrictions to the expensive products you have to promote.

Once I learnt about affiliate marketing, I realised it's a far superior business model because:

• You can promote anything you want and truly own the business
• You never need to sell to friends and family
• It's completely free to start

In 2018 I had no idea what affiliate marketing was.