Rodan And Fields Scam Review | Is It A Pyramid Scheme or Not?

In today’s article, we are going to be discussing the Rodan and Fields scam allegations, whether or not they are true, and whether this business model can be a good opportunity.

You’re probably here because somebody introduced you to the Rodan and Fields MLM business opportunity.

Perhaps a friend or family member, or maybe even a complete stranger.

And maybe you’re a bit intrigued, but you figured you should do some research before blindly jumping into a home business opportunity.

Especially one that sounds too good to be true.

After all, if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.

But I’ll cut right to the chase…

Is Rodan and Fields a pyramid scheme or some type of scam?

The honest truth?

No.

It’s not a pyramid scheme or scam.

BUT…

It was probably misrepresented by whoever introduced you to the business…

Which is why many people wrongly think this is a scam or some type of pyramid.

Most of the folks promoting these MLM opportunities do a very poor job of explaining the merits and limitations of MLM (also called network marketing).

Because the truth is, it’s NOT easy to be successful in this business.

Oh don’t get me wrong, it can be done.

But if somebody tries to tell you that you will get filthy rich by doing very little work…

You should run.

Run fast.

Anyway…

In this Rodan and Fields review, we’re going to do a deep dive on this business. Here’s what we’ll be covering:

• The history
• Brief product overview
• How the business works
• The compensation plan
• Pyramid scheme allegations
• How to succeed
• FAQ

So let’s get into it!

History Of Rodan and Fields

Kathy Fields and Katie Rodan founded Rodan and Fields in 2002 and originally started selling their products in department stores.

One short year after the company was founded, it was purchased by Estée Lauder, an American manufacturer of personal care products

In 2007, Kathy and Katie reacquired their old company and transitioned the business model from traditional retail sales to direct sales, or multi level marketing.

This business model allows anybody to become an independent distributor for Rodan and Fields and earn commissions for their product sales and the sales of people that they recruit.

In 2018, TPG Capital, a private equity firm in the United States, bought a small stake in Rodan and Fields. At the time, this business was valued at over $4 billion and produced over $1.5 billion in annual sales.

Not too shabby for a 16 year old brand.

Headquarters for Rodan and Fields is located in San Francisco, California.

Rodan and Fields Products

Rodan and Fields sells primarily skin care products. This includes:

• cleansers
• toners
• moisturisers
• creams
• exfoliators
• sunscreens

You may or may not have heard of Rodan and Fields until you were introduced to this business opportunity…

But you’ve likely heard of Proactiv. 

Well, the founders of Rodan and Fields were actually the original faces behind the creation of the Proactiv brand.

So their experience as it relates to skin care product development goes back way farther than that the founding of Rodan and Fields in 2002.

The Rodan and Fields products are grouped into 6 separate product lines. We are not going to go super in depth in terms of describing the products…

You came here because you’re interested in the business opportunity, right?

And there are many other Rodan and Fields reviews online that talk specifically about the products.

But let’s briefly cover the 6 main product lines.

Bear in mind, I am not affiliated with this company in any way. The following product videos come directly from the company, so any views expressed within the videos do not reflect my own.

REDEFINE Regimen

The REDEFINE product line is focused on anti-ageing, by fighting fine lines and deep wrinkles. 

The REDEFINE products use a Multi-Med Therapy that attempts to deliver the appropriate treatment your skin needs based on the time of day.

Since you are exposed to different environments at various times during the day (eg: sleeping at night and exposed to elements during the day) it stands to reason that this is a good approach.

REVERSE Regimen

The REVERSE product line claims to visibly repair skin that has been damaged by the process of ageing and environmental factors such as sun exposure.

Many of us have received an unhealthy amount of sun exposure on our skin, especially at a young age…

All for the purposes of tanning and looking more attractive.

But long term, many people have experienced negative effects from the unprotected sun exposure.

This formulation claims to be capable of reversing some of that damage.

UNBLEMISH Regimen

The UNBLEMISH product line was formulated to treat and prevent acne. 

There are some disclaimers online that if you have sensitive skin, you may want to consult a professional such as a doctor before using this product.

This formulation is designed to get deep into your pores in order to get down to the roots of many acne problems.

SOOTHE Regimen

The SOOTHE product line is designed to — you guessed it — soothe irritated skin. They claim that it treats dry, red, and uncomfortable skin by replenishing skin moisture.

The SOOTHE formulation is designed to strengthen the moisture-barrier in order to help your skin retain its moisture and softness for longer.

SPOTLESS Regimen

The SPOTLESS product formulation is specifically designed to treat and prevent acne in teenagers and young adults.

Many teenagers are plagued with acne… at the exact time when they are desperate to appear healthy and attractive to the opposite sex.

This can have damaging mental health effects.

It’s worth taking care of your teenager’s acne problems so that they can focus on what really matters as they’re developing into the adults they will become.

RECHARGE Regimine

The RECHARGE product line is designed to help your skin retain moisture and boost its defences against aggressions that it faces in the environment.

Rodan and Fields products have undergone a few independent clinical trials which showed decent initial results. It’s worth noting that the trials were done on a fairly small scale and not peer reviewed.

So take it with a grain of salt.

You can see some of the results here.

Does Rodan and Fields Work?

Based on the clinical trial we briefly mentioned earlier, these products appear to work quite well.

I don’t personally have any experience with Rodan and Fields products so I can not say for sure if Rodan and Fields is a good product or not…

But I have been using a competitive and comparable brand for many years now, with great success.

Rodan and Fields Products Reviews

Like I mentioned already, I don’t have any personal experience with these products. But there are many reviews to be found online and they are overwhelmingly positive.

Of course, there are some bad reviews too.

On the Better Business Bureau website for example, the reviews are mostly negative.

But that really is to be expected on the BBB website.

People tend to flock to that website to log complaints.

And let’s be real…

Every single company on the planet will receive some negative feedback if you talk to enough people.

Most of the bad reviews about Rodan and Fields are related to their customer service, not the quality or effectiveness of the products.

So to the Rodan and Fields executives…

If you’re reading this, you may want to shape up your customer service department!

Why Is Rodan and Fields So Expensive?

There are a few reasons for this…

But the main reason that Rodan and Fields is more expensive than something you would find in your grocery store is because the products are all manufactured in North America.

Most of the products you’ll find in big box retailers have extremely deep supply chains and a lot of the ingredients and labour are outsourced to low cost economies like China.

Where To Buy Rodan and Fields?

These products can not be purchased from any retail stores.

You can only buy them directly from an independent distributor.

Is Rodan and Fields Safe?

Are Rodan and Fields products safe to use?

This is one of the most common questions people ask when it comes to personal care products…

And rightfully so.

Rodan and Fields appear to be completely compliant with all FDA regulations, though they do not yet have the official FDA stamp of approval.

But you can be sure they are being very closely watched by regulators.

You see, there is a lot of scepticism around direct sales and MLM companies, so regulators watch these companies like a hawk.

By and large, Rodan and Fields products appear to be quite safe, with one major exception…

Lash Booster.

Rodan and Fields Lawsuit

It is extremely common for network marketing companies to face lawsuits. 

MLM giants such as Amway and Herbalife have dealt with multiple high profile lawsuits related to the business model and the misconceptions that exist around network marketing and pyramid schemes.

But the Rodan and Fields lawsuit is something different entirely.

In 2018, several class action lawsuits were launched against Rodan and Fields in regards to a product called Lash Booster.

Lash Booster, according to Rodan and Fields marketing, gives users “the appearance of lush, longer-looking lashes.”

The lawsuits claimed that the company failed to disclose side effects caused by the key ingredient used in Lash Booster.

The key ingredient is called isopropyl cloprostenate, which is used to treat eye conditions such as glaucoma.

Users of Lash Boost have claimed to experience moderate to serious side effects such as:

• change in iris color
• eyelid drooping
• itchy eyes
• eye/lid discoloration
• thinning and loss of eyelashes/loss of eyelash hair
• eye sensitivity
• eye infections
• and vision impairment

The lawsuits are still underway, but it appears as though Rodan and Fields has submitted a proposal to settle the case. You can learn more details at the litigator’s website.

It’s worth noting that Lash Boost is banned in Canada due to the use of isopropyl cloprostenate.

Why Is Rodan and Fields Banned In Europe?

Rodan and Fields is banned in Europe due to the use of many ingredients restricted by the European Union.

These ingredients include:

• DMDM Hydantoin
• Diazolidinyl urea
• Retinyl palmitate
• Methylisothiazolinone

Big words, I know. 

Don’t worry. I can’t pronounce them either.

How Does The Rodan And Fields Business Work?

There is a fundamental difference between the Rodan and Fields business model and the way a traditional retail business works.

In a traditional business, products are exclusively sold through retail stores and big box outlets.

These companies spend millions of dollars in advertising campaigns and retails fees in order to receive brand awareness and get their products in front of customers.

With a business like Rodan and Fields however, the profits are passed down to their customers and independent distributors instead of already wealthy executives.

Is Rodan and Fields an MLM?

Yes.

Absolutely.

So what does that mean?

MLM, also called multi level marketing, direct sales, or network marketing, is a business model that allows the regular Jane or Joe to start their own home business.

Products sold through the Rodan and Fields MLM model are exclusively available through independent distributors (home business owners) instead of big box retailers.

So how does MLM work?

When you sign up as a distributor, you will be required to sell products.

For every product you sell, you will earn a commission.

Now to be honest, the commissions are not really that big.

It would be really tough to build a full time income by just selling Rodan and Fields products to the people you know.

But there is another way to earn income with this business…

By building your own sales team.

So not only will you earn commissions from products that you personally sell, but you can also earn commissions from sales made by the people you recruit into your team.

Not only that…

But the people you recruit can also build their own sales team.

And you can earn commissions from those sales as well.

Down several levels deep.

So let’s talk about exactly how the commissions are paid out.

Rodan and Fields Compensation Plan

There are 4 main types of compensation plans commonly used by network marketing companies:

• Unievel
• Breakaway
• Forced Matrix
• Binary

Each of these compensation plans has pros, but also each have their own unique limitations.

You can read about the different types of plans in this MLM deep dive article.

Due to the limitations that each compensation plan has…

Many network marketing companies create very complex pay structures that take bits and pieces of 2 or more of these plans and combine them to make a more lucrative plan.

In the case of Rodan and Fields, they combined the Breakaway plan with the Unilevel plan.

So let’s try and break this down in the most simple way possible.

What Is The Commission For Rodan and Fields?

There are really 2 ways to make money with Rodan and Fields:

• Selling products
• Building a sales team to sell for you

Every time you personally sell a product, you will earn a commission of 16-25% depending on a few different circumstances.

Those are not huge commissions…

You would need to personally sell A LOT of products in order to earn a full time income.

But the real money is earned when you build a sales team underneath you that will sell their own products and build their own teams.

Not only will you earn commissions from your own personal sales…

But you will also earn commissions for each sale made by a member that you recruit into your team.

PLUS…

When your sales team starts recruiting their own members, you can also earn commissions from those sales.

Hopefully that makes sense!

For the sake of simplicity, we are not going to talk about the Breakaway part of this compensation plan.

Here’s all you really need to know:

You can build your team as wide as you want, and as deep as 5 generations.

This means that you can recruit as many consultants directly underneath you in your organisation as you want.

So over time, you could have many consultants working directly underneath you, making sales and earning you commissions.

You will also earn commissions from sales made by your team members, down to a maximum of 5 generations.

Given enough time and hard work, you could eventually build a team of thousands of people, all working to earn you commission checks.

This can become very profitable over time.

As we alluded to already, there are many nuances and complexities to the Rodan and Fields compensation plan.

You can learn more about it in the official comp plan document published on the company’s website.

How Much Do You Make Selling Rodan and Fields?

The potential to build a gigantic income with the Rodan and Fields business is very real.

But how much do MOST consultants earn in this business?

Let’s be honest…

The vast majority of Rodan and Fields consultants don’t even make enough money to replace their jobs.

In fact, less than 1% of consultants earn over $15,000 per year.

This is all outlined in the Rodan and Fields income disclosure.

The truth is, many people who start a Rodan and Fields business start with the false expectation of easy riches.

And when they realise how much work it actually takes, many of them drop out.

It’s not because they’re lazy or anything like that…

It’s because they were sold a false set of goods.

This is why I wanna be honest with you. 

So that if you decide to move forward with this business, you will have realistic expectations and can move forward knowing exactly what to expect.

Do Rodan and Fields consultants make money?

Yes.

Will it be easy?

No!

Is Being A Rodan and Fields Consultant Worth It?

It depends.

The very first MLM business I ever joined was another health and wellness company.

It was a fantastic company and a really good opportunity.

In fact, I still use the products to this very day, over a decade later.

But I was not able to succeed in the business.

Why?

It’s because I simply didn’t have a passion for health and wellness supplements.

Look…

If you are trying to build a business that you’re not passionate about, how do you expect to sell the products and opportunity with conviction?

If you don’t personally believe what you’re telling your potential customers, they will not believe you either.

Also, you will quickly run out of steam.

So if you have a real passion for skin care and you truly love these products, then this could be the life changing opportunity you’ve been looking for.

How Much Do Top Earners Make At Rodan and Fields?

The absolute top earners in Rodan and Fields earn millions of dollars per year.

That might be hard to believe, but it’s true.

But remember, they did not do it overnight.

They took deliberate action for an extended period of time to produce results like this.

It’s not “get rich quick”…

It’s “get rich over time by taking deliberate action”.

Who Are The Top Earners In Rodan and Fields?

It’s pretty tough to find a list of the top earners in Rodan and Fields.

Some MLM companies publish this information, and some don’t.

Rodan and Fields does not.

However…

The best known Rodan and Fields consultant is Sarah Robbins. 

While it’s not known if she is the absolute top earner in this company, she is definitely among the top.

Here’s a video from her YouTube channel.

So let’s chat about some of the negative rumours about this business…

Is Rodan and Fields A Pyramid Scheme?

The short answer:

No.

So then why do so many people think that Rodan and Fields is a pyramid scheme?

It’s because in the past, there have been many illegal Ponzi and pyramid schemes that were disguised as legitimate network marketing.

Innocent and unsuspecting people would join these schemes and when they inevitably collapsed, they lost all their money.

These illegal pyramids received a lot of high profile press.

And for good reason!

But unfortunately, because the criminals running these scams claimed to be MLM businesses, the broader public now believes that MLM itself is a scam.

But there is a fundamental difference between a Ponzi or pyramid scheme and network marketing.

You see…

In a Ponzi scheme, you would be paying for a position in a pyramid shaped organisation.

That’s all you get for your money.

There are no valuable products or services sold into the real economy.

And that’s really the difference.

In a legitimate network marketing company like Rodan and Fields, there are real products being sold that many people buy and consume regardless of the business opportunity that’s attached.

An illegal pyramid scheme that doesn’t sell valuable products is destined for collapse.

There’s no other end game.

What keeps a business sustainable is the fact that it is providing value to the public.

Products and services that consumers keep buying again and again.

If there’s no value being provided, the business can not be sustained.

What About The “Pyramid” Shape?

It’s true that the shape of the organisation looks suspiciously like a pyramid.

This often confirms in peoples’ minds the suspicions that they had.

But let’s think it through…

Any organisation will inevitably organise into a hierarchy.

There’s no way around it.

Hierarchies are necessary for human cooperation.

Even a traditional business always takes on a hierarchical structure.

Have a look:

Looks suspiciously like a pyramid scheme, doesn’t it?

The difference with network marketing is that you can potentially earn more money than any of the people above you in the pyramid shaped organisation…

If you perform better, then you will make more money.

But in a traditional corporation, you will never out-earn the CEO if you are working in the mail room.

Unless you are able to move your way up the corporate ladder and displace others as you go.

Network marketing is inherently more fair than any other business model we know of.

So if you’re gonna claim Rodan and Fields is a Ponzi scheme, then you also need to call every corporation on earth a Ponzi, by extension.

Just to remain logically consistent.

Another Reason For Rodan and Fields Scam Claims

There is another common reason that people have come to these “Rodan and Fields MLM scam” conclusions.

It’s because of the way that the business has been represented.

You see, when a brand new distributor gets started in network marketing, he is often quite excited and overzealous.

He just found this exciting new opportunity that could finally allow him to quit that dreadful job he’s stuck at day after day.

And as he starts sharing his exciting opportunity with his family and friends, he discovers that they are not nearly as receptive as he thought they would be.

He finds out that building this business is quite difficult because his friends and family are just not interested.

As time goes on, he becomes increasingly desperate.

He can sometimes come across as annoying and downright obnoxious.

This really turns his loved ones off.

And they start thinking that he’s been roped into some type of scheme or cult.

And thus, many of the Rodan and Fields scam rumours are born.

Pros and Cons

As you can probably tell, I am quite biased.

I like the network marketing business model.

But I also realise that not everything about MLM is good.

Unlike other Rodan and Fields business reviews, I want to be straight with you and let you know both sides of the coin.

So let’s talk about the bad stuff.

Rodan and Fields CONS

There are 4 negative things that I would highlight about the Rodan and Fields business model. To be honest, these 4 cons apply to network marketing in general.

Cult-like

Because of the overzealous nature of many new distributors, outsiders often see MLM companies as cults. 

This can hurt your credibility.

Stigma

Due to some bad actors in the past, the reputation of network marketing has been badly damaged over the last few decades. 

This can make recruiting quite difficult.

Results Based Compensation

In my opinion, this is actually a good thing.

The problem is, you will make no money when you first get started unless you can make sales right out of the gate.

This is not a job.

You will not receive a paycheck just for showing up.

Strained Relationships

Many new network marketers tend to become frustrated when their loved ones don’t see the power of this business model.

Don’t let this happen to you.

Your personal relationships are way more important than your business.

You must understand that the vast majority of folks you talk to will have zero interest in starting a home business.

That’s OK!

Get used to hearing the word “no”.

You will need a thick skin.

Network marketing is basically a numbers game. 

If you talk to enough people over time, you will eventually grow a team that will start growing itself.

Rodan and Fields PROS

Now let’s talk about some of the advantages that network marketing offers.

No Income Cap

There is effectively no limit to the amount of money you can earn in network marketing.

Once you have a team of distributors that are diligently working on recruiting more distributors, your income will keep growing year after year.

With minimal effort on your part.

I want to reiterate…

This is not an easy point to get to.

But many have done it, and you can too.

Low Barrier To Entry

Unlike a traditional business, you can get started in network marketing with as little as a few hundred bucks.

Starting a McDonalds for example, would require you to invest hundreds of thousands of dollars.

That’s a lot more pressure!

Can Be Done Part Time

Going back to the McD’s example, you would need to quit your day job in order to open a McDonalds.

If the restaurant fails, you would lose everything.

With network marketing, you can keep the security of your day job while building up your business income on the side.

Digital Marketing

A network marketing business allows you to build a global organisation thanks to the tools available to you on the internet.

Theoretically, you could build this business without ever leaving your home!

How To Succeed With Rodan and Fields

As we discussed already, there are two ways to earn income with Rodan and Fields:

• Sell products
• Build a team to sell products for you

You will need to focus on both of these earning paths in order to take full advantage of what this business can do for you.

But there is one main thing to focus on if you want to build a long term sustainable income stream with Rodan and Fields:

Duplication.

So what is duplication?

Duplication is what happens when the folks you recruit into your team can duplicate your success.

Makes sense, right?

When you get started in Rodan and Fields, you will be taught a system that folks have used before you to build a profitable organisation.

You must follow this system closely.

It has been intentionally designed to make the process as simple and duplicable as possible.

Think about it…

If you go out and learn how to do high pressure closing, you will likely be able to recruit a LOT of people.

But the people that you recruit will be looking to YOU for leadership.

They will be looking to emulate what you did.

And if you recruit someone using high pressure sales tactics, that will be very difficult to duplicate.

People will quickly become frustrated with their own lack of success and drop out.

While you may have the skills to recruit a lot of people, you will be stuck constantly recruiting and replenishing the people that you lose.

You need to keep things simple and easy to duplicate.

Just follow the system that’s laid out before you and your recruits will do the same.

You may want to check out this article where I talk about all the nuts and bolts of how to succeed with MLM.

Taking Your Rodan and Fields Business Online

You should not immediately focus on building your business online, unless that’s what your company is teaching you to do.

Start out by following the system that’s laid out before you.

This will likely revolve around creating a list of family and friends and speaking to them about your products and business opportunity.

This is a great place to start, but you will eventually run out of people to talk to.

At this time, I would recommend you turn to the internet.

After all, we live in a digital world.

We may as well take advantage of the tools available to us, right?

There are 3 basic steps to take in order to build your business online.

I. Create Content

This can be done with a YouTube channel, a blog, or a social media profile.

The whole goal of your content creation is to provide value.

Think about what your potential customer would be looking for online…

Probably entertaining, educational content about your products or business model, right?

This is what you should be creating content about.

If you keep providing value via your content, you will slowly start to build an audience online.

An audience that trusts you and views you as an authority figure and thought leader in your niche.

This is how you build trust online.

II. Build A List

You should never talk about your company or products in your content.

No sales pitches.

Ever.

Just provide value.

Your main objective with your content creation is to get people onto your email list.

But how?

Two things:

• Create a free gift – This could be a video course, PDF book, or webinar recording. It should provide crazy value 
• Collect email addresses – The free gift is an incentive for people to join your list. The only way they get the gift is by entering their email address into a form.

III. Sell & Recruit

Once you’ve got people on your list, you should regularly send out emails.

Keep providing a ton of value in your emails.

The folks on your email list should look forward to opening your emails every week.

But you have to make money, right?

Every now and then, you can sprinkle in an invitation to buy a product or get on a phone call with you to talk about your business.

I would recommend you keep the ratio at 20% salesy and 80% value.

Think about the types of emails that you actually open up on a regular basis…

That’s how you should model your emails.

This was a very simplified explanation of internet marketing. Feel free to check out this deep dive on how to build an MLM business using digital marketing.

Rodan and Fields FAQ

Before we end this Rodan and Fields review, let’s answer a few common questions.

If you still have any questions about this business after reading this article, feel free to leave it down in the comments section and I will do my best to address it ASAP!

Rodan and Fields Review | Conclusion

Now that was a lot of information!

I hope that you got all your questions answered.

My goal with this article was to provide a realistic view of this company. 

I’m sure my bias was pretty obvious… I am a fan of network marketing companies.

But I don’t want to sugar coat it either. There is good and bad stuff to be said about Rodan and Fields.

The question you’re probably asking yourself is this:

Is the Rodan and Fields business opportunity good for me?

So here’s the question that I would ask YOU:

Do you have a passion for health and skin care?

If so, then this could be a good fit for you.

One of the first network marketing companies I ever joined was also a health and wellness company.

It was a really good company. 

Well established.

Quality products.

Great people.

But I was never able to make the business work for me.

And it was because I simply didn’t have the passion for health and wellness that I needed to sell the products with conviction.

If you are in business JUST to make money, you will not succeed long term.

You need to have a passion for what you’re doing.

It should be something that excites you.

Something that makes you feel excited to get out of bed in the morning.

If that’s what Rodan and Fields does for you, then this could be the opportunity you’ve been looking for.

Reach out to the person who first introduced you to the business to learn more.

Hopefully you got some value out of this article and you can move forward with confidence and conviction, knowing you’ve got all the facts!