Welcome to my Rodan and Fields review!
Chances are, one of your acquaintances invited you to buy Rodan and Fields skincare products and to make tons of money with it.
The opportunity seems too good to be true, but the promises are just too attractive to get passed up.
If that’s the case, this review is tailored-made for you. In this article, we will see if this business opportunity will really make you rich, or is Rodan and Fields a scam?
Name: Rodan + Fields
Niche: Skincare
Type: Network Marketing / MLM
Founder: Dr. Kathy Rodan + Dr. Katie Fields
Costs: $45 one-time + $100/month
Best For: People who are good at recruiting members and face-to-face selling
Rodan and Fields Review Summary
For those of you who want a quick Rodan and Fields review, here you go.
Contrary to rumors out there, Rodan and Fields is not a scam. It is a legit MLM business opportunity that has been around for more than 10 years, and it’s possible to make real money if done right.
They provide various types of skin care products, and they have generated more than $1.5 billion revenue in 2018.
However, here’s the bad news – approximately 98% of all consultants fail to make a minimum wage (before expenses). This is not just Rodan and Fields’ problem, it’s common for all MLM companies.
The reason behind the high failure rate is that people join the company without having the right expectations and skill set.
To succeed, you need to first understand the skincare products offered by the company inside-out.
After that, you will talk to a lot of people, do face-to-face selling, follow up with prospects, recruit new consultants, and coach them to do the same. This is how you expand your sales team and make more commissions.
A lot of Rodan and Fields consultants rely on just selling to and recruiting family and close friends into their network, which is not sustainable and destroys relationships. Don’t do this – it’s just not worth it.
If you prefer to work alone without recruiting anyone, there are much better alternatives out there to make a decent second income.
What You Need to Know About MLMs
You are doing the right thing reading up Rodan and Fields reviews and doing your own research, because not everyone is suitable for this business model.
Since Rodan and Fields uses multi-level-marketing structure to make sales, you are expected to do the following:
- Try Rodan and Fields products and understand them
- Sell the products
- Attend trainings and conferences (at your own costs)
- Recruit new consultants
- Motivate and train your consultants to do the same
This is the basic commitment expected of you for every multi-level-marketing company that you will join.
Other prominent MLM companies, such as Amway, Melaleuca, Isagenix and Younique use the same method to expand sales.
When you first join a company like this, you will be instructed to come up with a personal name list to contact and recruit.
MLM recruiters like to use this method because this name list is your “warm market” – you know them personally and they are more likely to “support your business”.
If you don’t feel comfortable with this, or if you don’t like to do face-to-face selling and following up with your prospects, you will do much better with a business model that doesn’t involve direct human contact.
Yes, it’s possible to make money without meeting a single client or recruiting anyone. It’s called affiliate marketing, and it’s how I make a 4-figure side income every month using just my laptop.
Of course, everyone has different dispositions, so what works well for me may not be suitable for you.
It takes hard work to make money whether you choose MLM or affiliate marketing, so you might as well choose one that suits your personalities.
With that said, if you think you have what it takes to beat the odds in MLM companies, let’s dive straight into the full Rodan and Fields review!
Table of Contents:
What Is Rodan and Fields?
Rodan and Fields founders
Rodan and Fields is also known as Rodan + Fields or more aptly, R+F.
It’s founded by Dr. Katie Rodan and Dr. Kathy Fields (creators of Proactiv, another prominent skincare brand) back in 2002.
However, it was not a MLM company back then. In 2003, they sold the R+F company to the cosmetic giant Estee Lauder.
Even with the promotion of a multinational corporation, R+F failed to gain traction and commercial success. In 2007, the founders purchased the company back from Estee Lauder and converted it to a MLM.
Since then, R+F has grown exponentially with the help of more than 300,000 consultants and achieved more than $1.5 billion revenue in 2018.
Our question in this review is – just how much are the consultants making for their effort? As a potential consultant, this is a question you should ask, too.
We’ll talk about that in the later sections, for now let’s take a look at what R+F has to offer.
Rodan and Fields Products
R+F categorize their products under 4 main regimens and miscellaneous products, namely:
- REDEFINE Regimen
This is a skincare regimen that layers cosmetic ingredients and peptide technology to reduce the signs of aging.
. - REVERSE Regimen
This regimen improves skin discoloration to address dull, uneven skin tone, and dark pigmentation. It also provides exfoliation, skin tightening and skin brightening.
. - UNBLEMISH Regimen
This product line tackles the acne process – from clogged pores to excess oil, and to prevent new blemishes from surfacing.
. - SOOTHE Regimen
It contains a group of products designed for sensitive skin. Contains cream wash, skin treatment, moisture cream, and sunscreen.
. - Essential and Enhancement Products
These miscellaneous products do not fall into any regimen, but they include various daily skincare essentials such as makeup remover and moisturizer.
I’m not an expert in cosmetics and skincare products, so obviously I’m not going to do a detailed review on these products.
Feel free to visit sites like Derm Review for more information. According to them, R+F is one of the more expensive brands out there.
Rodan + Fields products are expensive, and the price point is in line with what you’d expect at department stores and high end cosmetics boutiques.
The Derm Review
This is to be expected, because R+F has to earn more profit per sale to compensate its army of consultants.
This is not a good sign for potential R+F consultants, because not only you are competing with 300,000 consultants out there, you have to push a product that is more expensive than its competitors as well.
It comes down to whether the consumers are willing to pay extra dollars and purchase R+F products from you. How much do they really trust R+F?
What really determines your success with R+F is the general population’s impression on the company.
How do Consumers View Rodan and Fields?
As a potential R+F consultant, it’s very helpful to know about the company’s products and reputation before you start selling them.
After all, your success hinges on:
- Product quality. Are people going to keep buying from you?
- Company’s reputation. Do people shun away the moment you mention R+F?
One of the best ways to find out is to look at existing feedback and comments about the company. What are the consumer saying about R+F?
I’ve collated the typical comments about the company here.
Generally, consumers like the wide range of products to choose from, and R+F has done a good job categorizing them into clear regimens that are easy to follow.
Some loyal consumers prefer R+F skincare products even though it’s pricey because they offer good quality.
After all, the products have to be decent for a skincare products company to thrive for more than a decade.
Look through the positive reviews and you’ll realize that most of them talk about the extensive product choices and good product quality.
Challenges as a Rodan and Fields Consultant
However, not all consumers are satisfied with the company, either.
In fact, we have found substantially more negative reviews than positive ones from R+F consumers.
According to multiple consumers, it is difficult to cancel memberships and get refunds. They keep getting charged even though a request for cancellation has been submitted.
There are also unsuspecting auto-ships and hidden charges, as some customers were shocked when they are charged for unauthorized repeat orders.
One customer experienced severe reaction and was told to keep using the product.
If we look at these issues deeper, we find out that most of them are rarely caused by product quality (even though there are some cases of allergies). The main problem lies with forceful sales and act of greedy consultants.
You see, when a company sells their products mainly through commission-based consultants, you will see a lot of hard-selling and dishonest acts.
Just keep in mind that the consultant that you signed up with will earn a commission every time you make an order.
So when you sign up for a customer account through a consultant, they are obligated to let you know if you are put into an auto-ship program.
They are also obligated to put your safety first by instructing you to stop using the products if you experience severe reaction.
In some cases, greedy consultants choose to place profits before their customers. This results in dissatisfaction and ultimately, negative perception towards the company.
Unfortunately, this makes the brand less competitive and harder to sell.
In summary, you will face the following challenges as a R+F consultant:
- Negative public perception
Apart from forceful sales tactics, there was a class action lawsuit filed against R+F in spring 2018. The lawsuit alleged that R+F did not disclose the potential side effects of the isopropyl cloprostenate in Lash Boost, causing serious side effects in the eyes of users.
. - Inflated product prices
R+F products are generally more expensive than competitors because they need to account for consultant commissions.
. - Extremely high failure rate
More than 98% of all R+F consultants make less than minimum wage (before expenses). This is consistent with studies done by independent consumer watchdog agencies, which showed that approximately 99.7% of all MLM participants lose money after subtracting expenses.
Rodan and Fields As A Business Opportunity
For those of you who are serious about starting a business with R+F, the sections below are for you.
In the following sub-sections, we will go through the costs involved with starting your business, ways to make money with R+F, the compensation plan, as well as the latest official income disclosure.
How Much Does it Cost to Get Started?
The starting costs for R+F consultants are as follow (accurate at the time of writing):
Business portfolio (compulsory): $45 one-time
Starter product packages (optional): $395 – $995 one-time
Minimum order requirement (compulsory): ~$100/month recurring
Keep in mind that the starter product packages are optional. No one should force you to purchase one if you don’t feel like it.
Purchase of a $45 Business Portfolio is all that is required to enroll as a Consultant and start your Rodan + Fields business.
With that said, it’s pretty hard to promote and demonstrate the products if you don’t have any of them with you. So I’ll leave it to you whether to take up the product packages.
Unfortunately, the start-up and running cost for R+F is considered quite expensive even among all the MLM opportunities that I’ve reviewed.
Considering most people that take up this business opportunity don’t have too much cash to spare, it’s going to be quite a burden.
This is especially true for the minimum monthly order requirement of around $100/month.
R+F uses their own point systems (Sales Volume) to keep track of each consultant’s minimum purchase. If you purchase less than 100 SV, you will not be eligible for commissions that month.
You can use customer purchases to offset this 100 SV. But if you don’t have any customer, you will have to purchase the products yourself.
Compulsory starting costs:
$45 business portfolio + ~$100/month minimum order
Optional starting costs:
$395 – $995 starter product packages
No extra cash to spare?
Learn how to build your second income with just a laptop.
How to Make Money with Rodan and Fields
As with most MLM companies, there are 2 main ways to make money with R+F:
- Sell products and earn retail commissions
- Recruit new consultants into R+F and encourage them to do the same. You receive bonuses as you rise in ranks.
Even though you may start out selling products, the main income potential lies in recruiting members and building up a sales team.
As you get more consultants under your name, you will need to coach them to make sales and in turn, recruit more consultants.
Many MLM recruiters like to use the analogy of a doubling penny. According to them, you just have to recruit 2 members, who will in turn recruit 2 more, and soon you’ll be enjoying unlimited passive income.
Of course, this is overly simplified and idealistic.
Don’t fall for this fallacy, instead evaluate the opportunity objectively in terms of running costs and the likelihood of recruiting new consultants consistently.
Rodan and Fields Compensation Plan
If you wish to get into more details, here’s the 85-pages long, complete Rodan and Fields compensation plan and policies.
To put it simply, there are 11 ranks that you can climb in the R+F compensation plan, from Consultant all the way up to RFX Executive Consultant.
When you first purchase the $45 business portfolio, you will start at Consultant level.
R+F compensation plan summary
As you fulfill the stipulated requirements, you will advance in ranks and become eligible to earn more commissions.
For example, to advance from Consultant to Active Consultant, you need to purchase at least 100 SV worth of products per month. This requirement becomes the basic requirement as you advance to next ranks.
To advance from Active Consultant to Executive Consultant, you need to recruit new consultants and achieve 600 PSQV (Personally Sponsored Qualifying Volume) – also known as team volume per month.
This is why you can only go so far without recruiting consultants. If you insist on just selling products (without recruiting), you will be stuck at Active Consultant level forever.
Such is the premise of the MLM game. This is also what drives most R+F consultants to recruit new members. Your income potential become severely limited without recruitment.
Anyway, here’s the quick rundown on the various ways you can make money according to R+F compensation plan:
- Retail Sales Profit
You buy products at consultant price and sell them at retail price for a 25% profits.
. - Consultant Commissions
Commissions from selling the $45 business portfolio when you recruit new consultants.
. - Personal Team Commissions
Commissions passed to you from the sales of your personally recruited consultants.
. - Generation Commissions
Additional commissions made when you advance to Level 1 Executive and above. You need to have at least 1 personally sponsored Executive Consultant in order to advance to Level 1 Executive yourself.
. - Performance bonuses
Miscellaneous bonuses and rewards you can get when you unlock new ranks, including cash, holiday rewards, etc.
Reality Check: How Much Do Rodan and Fields Consultants Make?
The actual income of R+F consultants doesn’t look encouraging
According to the official income disclosure released by R+F in 2017, only the top 1% of the paid consultants were paid more than $30,185 annually.
Here’s a summary of the income disclosure.
Over the course of 2017, R+F had 397,790 enrolled consultants.
56% of them received at least 1 payment. 44% did not make any money with R+F.
Out of the 56% paid consultants, only top 1% earned more than $30k per year. 90% of them made $2k or less.
This paints a pretty grim picture on the actual income of R+F consultants.
What makes it worse is that the income shown is before expenses. In other words, the income disclosure doesn’t include:
- Business package costs
- Monthly order requirement costs
- Training and conference fees
- Travel expenses spent on promoting R+F
Even though the data was based on 2017 income disclosure, there is no reason to expect drastic differences in 2019 and beyond.
Here’s the income disclosure back in 2016, and the stats look pretty much identical.
Why Do Most Rodan and Fields Consultants Fail to Make Money?
To put it bluntly, no one joins R+F to make friends or to make money money for the company.
Every consultant joined at some point to achieve just a single goal – to make more money for themselves and for the people they love.
However, the odds are heavily stacked against you if you become a R+F consultant without the correct expectations and skill set.
Try asking someone who earns a commission when they make a sale at store (e.g. cosmetic shops). They’ll tell you it’s more difficult than it seems to close a deal.
In these cases, the customers in the shops are already interested in the products they are offering.
Now imagine how hard it will be to convince people to want your product in the first place?
This is the harsh reality faced by many R+F consultants. They are selling expensive cosmetics to people who are not looking for these products.
To make one successful sale, they may have to pitch the products to dozens of prospects, many of them close friends and family members.
Even if they do make a sale, it may be at the expense of a long-time friendship.
Things get even more difficult when it comes to recruiting members. Here’s the all-too-familiar story of damaged friendship due to MLM recruitment and sales pitches.
You can probably imagine why relationships can easily be ruined by friends or family members who vehemently try to sell you stuff or recruit you into their sales team.
Are You Cut Out to be a Rodan and Fields Consultant?
When it comes to R+F, the real money lies in recruiting a lot of consultants.
It’s the reality of every MLM – the big money resides in recruiting a large following of members and keep motivating them to make sales.
Let’s do a bit of self-reflection on whether you are cut out for the network marketing business model:
- Do you enjoy talking to people and introducing MLM opportunities to others? Can you take rejections with a smile and keep on pushing forward?
- Apart from your family and friends, do you have other ways of approaching new prospects? Don’t make the classic mistake of losing family and friends over an MLM company.
- Are you ready to attend weekly or monthly meetings with your team and sponsor? Joining an MLM team is a commitment. You are expected to recruit new members and make sales, or you are a liability.
If your answers to all three questions above is a unanimous “YES!”, then you might just have what it takes to thrive in R+F and make it to the top 1% that really makes money.
I have been involved in MLMs before, and unfortunately, these were the top 3 reasons why I quit and looked elsewhere.
How I Make A Sustainable Income
If your answer to any of the questions above is a definite NO, you are probably not cut out to be a network marketer.
Fortunately, there are other avenues to make sustainable side income at home. One such methods is called affiliate marketing.
In affiliate marketing, you make a commission when you introduce relevant products and services to people who need it.
Most importantly, you don’t have to target the people around you. I’ve never recruited anyone or sold anything to people I personally know.
In fact, I’ve never met any customer or answer to anyone. This is the benefit of going online and leveraging on a website that works 24/7.
If you want to know how I got started, read about my story and learn from my failures. I also document how I made my first profit online, and how I made it into a consistent income stream.
If you are interested to get your hands on the same opportunities, I have a great recommendation to get you started.
Check Out My Top Recommendation and My Results Here
Do note that the article above contains affiliate links, and I’ll make a commission (at no extra costs to you) if you find any of the products useful and buy them.
This is how I make money with affiliate marketing, after all – by introducing people in need (such as you) to relevant and value-adding services (e.g. training to make money from affiliate marketing).
I hope this in-depth R+F review has been useful to you. Do leave a comment if you have any questions or MLM experience to share, I’d love to hear about it!
Rosie the Roadie
The thing that stands out most to me, is from the customer complaints, that the consultants can auto-fill future orders without pointing this out clearly to their customers. I don’t have an issue with automatic refill orders, but the documentation should be crystal clear that this is what the customer is buying.
One would hope that with an auto-fill option, the consultants $100 monthly minimum order would include refills sent directly from the company as normally a customer would return to the consultant to re-order.
The final point I would like to make is as you say many consultants don’t make a living from this throughout MLM. I believe this is because most people think that they can start a business, recruit a few friends and make a living. Any business requires full-time effort, not 2 or 3 hours a week. The MLM promotors do seem to forget this message when trying to recruit new members.
If they concentrated on consultants making retail sales and tracking customers by original referral then the whole industry could have a better reputation. Especially when they can ship directly to customers on behalf of their consultants.
Just my opinion of course.
Linda
I once joined an MLM and honestly, I believe I had no knowledge about it. I remember there were skin care like this brand. Not specifically this one though. Eitherway, once I read this review, it gave me more insight regarding what MLM means and the importance of knowing your own personalities when it comes to joining MLMs.
Thanks for the great read.
Nuttanee
I have seen so many people that are so successful with MLM but I am just not one of them. I have had my share with MLM. When I was in college, I joined Amway, not it is called Buzzolute and many many others. The recent ones that I have just joined and also canceled was NPUSA, the company was originally from Japan, they sell only their Hydroginated water and Eye supplements. I joined them because they have this binary payment system which is different from all the other MLMs that I have tried. I really do want to make MLM work for me, but I just cannot sell the products ti my friends. I don’t know why, I can sell anything but when it comes to MLM products, which might be better quality than what I sell, I just do not have the passion to sell it. Do you know what I mean? I guess I feel bad when I made a money out of my friends. It is hard to explain but I might get over this and might yet rejoin another MLM.