USANA Pyramid Scheme? – What USANA Reviews Neglect To Tell You

In this review article, we are going to be talking about the Usana pyramid scheme rumours going around. Unlike other Usana reviews, this article will help you make an informed decision about this company.

We will also be talking about the products that this company sells, whether or not they are any good, and whether or not the Usana business opportunity could be a viable option for you.

I bet I can guess the reason that you’re reading Usana reviews online.

You were probably approached by a Usana associate about starting your own home based business selling health and wellness supplements. 

But you rightly figured that you should do some research first before just blindly jumping into something.

That tells me you’re a thoughtful person who values facts and critical thinking.

You don’t simply take anything at face value.

Good for you.

So before we answer the questions, what is the Usana business and is Usana a pyramid scheme, let’s go into a brief history of the USANA company.

USANA Company | A History

The Usana company is relatively young when compared to its sister behemoth companies Amway and Shaklee.

But this company has been around for 3 decades now, so they are well established with plenty of momentum.

Dr. Myron Wentz founded the business when he moved his diagnostic testing company from Salt Lake City to West Valley, Utah in 1992.

Upon that move, he changed the structure of his company into a multi level marketing health and wellness supplement manufacturer.

In 1993, Dallin A. Larsen was hired as vice president of sales for the Usana company.

He later got promoted to special advisor of Usana’s president and the board of directors. Larson later went on to start his own network marketing company called Monavie in 2005.

In 2011, the company received authorisation from the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) to sell over the counter drugs.

They partnered up with HealthCorps and in 2019, Usana’s Kids Eat foundation started distributing food to combat childhood hunger in the Utah area.

Usana also became an official partner of the well-known endurance race brand Spartan Races.

They began providing supplements to the endurance athletes participating in the Spartan Races in various countries around the world. 

USANA Lawsuit

Many of the other Usana company reviews you might find are not going to share with you the negative stories associated with the business.

They are simply trying to sell you Usana products or recruit you into their business.

I will do neither.

I am not associated with this business in any way so I can tell it like it is.

The truth is, they have certainly faced a few lawsuits over the years.

But this is really not unusual for any large company, especially an MLM company.

Amway and Herbalife for example, have been mired in lawsuit after lawsuit over the years.

In early 2007, Usana was investigated by the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission), the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) and the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation).

They were being accused of operating an illegal pyramid scheme.

But after a thorough investigation from various 3 letter government organisations, the business was deemed to be a legitimate network marketing company and did not meet the criteria for a pyramid scheme.

The Usana business underwent a very similar situation in China in 2019.

They were eventually forced to shut down operations in China by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party).

What Does USANA Stand For?

Usana claims to put a heavy priority on science-backed health.

I know this claim sounds quite lofty and I am typically very sceptical about claims like these.

But after doing some digging and reading through the Usana website, they appear to hold true to this claim.

As opposed to many other health and wellness MLM companies, there has not been a lot of controversy about the effectiveness of the products. 

Are USANA Products Effective?

Before we really dig into the effectiveness of Usana products, let’s briefly go through the 3 main product lines.

USANA Nutritionals

The main product sold in this line is called Cellsentials.

Cellsentials is a multivitamin sold by Usana which has a scientifically formulated combination of probiotics, vitamins, and minerals.

Usana claims that the formula activates your body’s natural immune system to fight off toxins and maintain energy like the traditional American diet simply can’t do.

USANA Diet And Energy

The diet and energy line consists of meal replacement shakes, protein bars, and energy drinks.

Usana claims that the use of these products will not spike blood sugar or insulin like many of the foods we eat on a daily basis.

This in turn, promotes satiation, meaning that you won’t experience those annoying hunger pangs.

USANA Sensé & Celavive Personal Care

This line consists of skin care and hair & body care products.

The Celavive skin treatment products are probably the most well known in the personal care line sold by Usana.

The formulation of this skin treatment promotes long lasting hydration and fights the visible signs of aging. 

Are USANA Products Really Effective?

The video above is a short documentary about the founder, produced by Usana. The opinions in the video do not express my own.

When looking for Usana reviews online, they are overwhelmingly positive.

This is quite rare since the majority of people tend to only write a product review if they had a bad experience.

Additionally, the Usana products were tested by ConsumerLab in 2001.

They passed all the tests conducted by ConsumerLab, which included testing for selected elements and their ability to dissolve in a fluid (meaning that they don’t simply pass through your digestive tract).

So are Usana vitamins good?

The answer appears to be yes since there really is not a lot of negative press to be found about any of the Usana product lines.

Usana products are sold in 24 countries worldwide with hundreds of thousands of users, so any bad experiences would surely have been made public in the last 30 years of operation.

Why Is USANA Expensive?

Usana products certainly sell for more money than anything you would find in your local grocery store.

The truth is, they spend a lot of money on research and development of their products.

In fact, Usana claims to have 60 scientists on staff who work on cutting edge health and wellness research.

While most of the cheap vitamins found in big box retailers are not really harmful, most of them are downright ineffective and simply pass through your digestive tract without giving you any of the benefits. 

Is USANA Worth The Money?

I have never personally tried Usana products, but I can tell you that many multi level marketing companies produce a very high quality product. 

I have been using a multivitamin from a competitor to Usana for 10 years now and I don’t plan to ever stop using them.

So I can tell you first hand that some of these direct selling companies produce very high quality products that many people buy regardless of the business opportunity attached to them.

So are Usana vitamins worth the money? 

Considering the lack of negative reviews and the independent tests done by ConsumerLab, I would say yes.

Would you rather buy a cheap multivitamin from your grocery store that doesn’t do anything at all, or spend a bit more and actually get a tangible benefit?

Are USANA Products Safe?

Yes.

Multi level marketing companies like Usana are very closely watched by regulators due to the pyramid scheme allegations, which we will get to later in this Usana review. 

But because of the close watch by government regulators, any potential concerns with the products sold are very quickly looked into.

And as we discussed earlier, Usana products have experienced very little controversy.

Are Usana Products All Natural?

No.

The ingredients that go into Usana products come from various sources.

Some of the vitamins come directly from plants while others are produced synthetically.

Some of the vitamins and minerals come from natural sources but have been synthetically modified to increase the health benefits.

So Is USANA Good For You?

This is a difficult question for me to answer honestly since I have never used Usana products personally.

Again, the Usana reviews online are overwhelmingly positive so I would feel very comfortable taking them myself. 

Usana has received endorsements from many high profile people such as Dr. Oz and various Olympic athletes.

So is Usana healthy?

Yes, I believe so.

Which Is Better, USANA or Amway?

This is a very common question asked by someone looking into this business.

The answer depends on whether you are talking about the products or the business opportunity.

If you are asking about the products, I think they are both solid. Both Amway and Usana products have undergone public scrutiny and lived to tell the story.

I would recommend asking around to see if you personally know anyone that uses either brand so that you can get a first hand opinion.

In terms of the business opportunity, I would recommend Usana over Amway.

Here’s why:

Amway has dealt with countless lawsuits and negative press over the many decades that they’ve been in business.

If you talk to someone about joining your Amway business, the first thing they will do is Google the business.

And they will find nothing but bad press.

This will make it difficult for you to recruit anyone into your organisation.

Usana on the other hand, has a much cleaner reputation.

While they were investigated by the United States government in 2007, Usana clearly passed the scrutiny of the government regulators. 

This will make it much easier for you to add people to your team when you’re building this type of business.

USANA MLM | What Is The USANA Business?

So how does the Usana business work?

As I’m sure you know, this company uses a business model known as network marketing, sometimes called multi level marketing, MLM or direct sales.

Rather than spending millions of dollars on retail fees and advertising campaigns, they choose instead to share their profits with their customers.

If you use and love the Usana products, you can also sign up to be a Usana distributor…

Or Usana associate…

These two terms are used interchangeably.

Usana products are not sold in retail stores.

The only way to buy them is through an independent distributor.

After you become a Usana associate, you can start earning commissions by sharing your product experience with the people you know, or even new people that you meet.

You can also build a team of distributors underneath you.

This is called recruiting, and it’s truly where the massive incomes are made in the Usana opportunity.

When you build a team of associates underneath you in the Usana home business, you will earn commissions not only from the sales you make, but also from the sales made by your team members.

Not only that, but when your team members start building their own teams, you can also earn commissions from those sales as well, down several levels deep.

When your team gets big enough, it will start growing continually, without your efforts.

When you hear people talking about making passive income in Usana network marketing, this is what they’re talking about.

This is the point where exponential growth could start taking place and your income would start growing massively without a lot of effort from yourself.

If you truly understand network marketing and you enjoy talking to people, then Usana as a business could be a good opportunity for you.

If you need a more detailed explanation of the network marketing business model, you could check out this MLM deep dive article.

Is USANA A Pyramid Scheme?

No. 

As we discussed earlier in this Usana review, the United States government regulators did a deep investigation into the Usana MLM.

They found that it did not meet the criteria for a pyramid scheme.

So what exactly is a pyramid scheme and how is the Usana MLM different?

There is a fundamental difference between a pyramid scheme and the Usana business model (network marketing).

You see in a pyramid scheme, there is not actually a product sold.

People are simply paying for a spot in a pyramid shaped organisation.

The earlier you get a spot in the pyramid, the higher up you are and the more people have a spot underneath you.

When somebody joins the pyramid, all of the members above the new person get a piece of the money that was paid to join.

So the people who get in early make a ton of money while the people lower down in the organisation are basically paying for nothing.

And that’s really the point.

They are paying for nothing.

If there is a business that doesn’t sell a product or service, that business will inevitably collapse.

There is no other way that it can end.

A real business is just a value for value for exchange.

People exchange money (value) for a product or service that they wish to use (value).

A network marketing company like the Usana business is not really that different from a traditional business model.

People pay money to receive products that they wish to use.

The only difference is the means by which the products are distributed into the marketplace.

Another Reason For USANA Scam Rumours

Look, not everything about the Usana business model is great.

Many of the people who sell Usana products tend to be a little overzealous.

They’re not necessarily professionals, especially when they first get started.

But they’re ecstatic about their exciting new Usana business opportunity and they really see the power and leverage of network marketing… 

This often causes them to be way too aggressive.

They might make unrealistic claims about the products.

Or perhaps they’ll try to convince people that they will make millions in their first year if only they sign up for their business opportunity.

This can sometimes lead to people feeling like Usana is a cult.

Which will be a huge turn off for many people.

The truth is, anything worthwhile takes hard work and dedication.

And that includes network marketing.

And when a Usana associate makes it sound too good to be true, it leads to high scepticism.

This is where many of the Usana scam allegations come from.

USANA Compensation Plan

A Usana MLM review would not be complete without talking about how the compensation plan works.

How exactly would you make money should you decide to get started with the Usana business opportunity?

Their pay plan is based on the Binary Compensation Plan type. 

There are 4 main types of compensation plans typically used by network marketing companies.

You can learn about the different types of MLM pay plans in this article.

But for now, let’s just focus on the Usana compensation plan. 

The video below does a great job of explaining the way that the Usana business opportunity pays you. 

Bear in mind, I am not a Usana associate. I’m not trying to convince you to join the business.

The opinions in the video do not express my own, I just think it’s a good source of information.

Of all the different types of MLM pay plans, the Binary plan is definitely the one I like best. It does a great job of generating excitement in your team and motivating them to work hard on their business. This of course, translates to a higher income for you.

Now that you know how the Usana business works, you’re probably still wondering if it’s right for you.

Is USANA A Good Business Opportunity?

All kidding aside…

Yes, I believe it is.

But it depends.

The very first network marketing company I ever joined was a health and wellness company too. I was very excited about the opportunity and I really enjoyed using the products.

In fact, I still use the products to this very day, over 10 years later.

But the truth is, I didn’t really have a passion for health and wellness.

At least not enough to build a career in it.

Because of my lack of passion for the products, I wasn’t ever able to make more than 500 bucks in the business.

But if you truly have a passion for health and wellness and you love sharing with other people the products that you use to improve your well being, this could be a good opportunity for you.

Personally, I like the network marketing business model.

It really does give you a lot of leverage.

And it allows for a regular Jane or Joe like myself to build a very big business without having to invest millions into startup costs.

How To Start A USANA Business And Succeed

If you’re reading this Usana MLM review, then you’ve probably been in contact with a distributor recently.

If this is something you’re interested in and you’re ready to get started, you would need to reach out to the person who first introduced you to the business.

You would then sign up as an associate underneath them and join their team.

So you know how to get started…

But how do you succeed in your Usana home based business?

As we discussed earlier, the real power of this business model is when your team starts growing without you.

It will take a lot of work and deliberate action to get to this point, but it’s certainly possible.

So how do you get there?

The key is duplication.

It’s just as important for your team to effectively add more people and sell products as it is for you to do so.

This means that when you add someone to your team, you want them to be able to duplicate what you did.

Network marketing is not really just about sales and recruiting…

It’s about teaching.

You need to follow a simple system that your team members can see you implementing so that they can do it themselves.

And you will learn this system from your upline.

The person who brings you into the business will have a system that you need to follow exactly as it is taught.

This will likely be a simple system that doesn’t require any type of special skills.

Just put your ego aside and do what you’re taught to do.

The systems that are typically taught in network marketing are intentionally created because they are easy to duplicate.

So just do what you’re taught to do, and teach others to do the same.

This is how you will build a long term stable income in the Usana business.

You can read this article where I did a deep dive on how to succeed long term in ANY network marketing business.

Can I Sell USANA Online?

Yes!

You will probably be taught to make a list of your family, friends, and any and all of your acquaintances.

You will then need to talk to all these people about your products and/or business opportunity.

And you should certainly do this first.

The system is taught because it works.

But eventually, you will probably run out of people to talk to.

At this point, you will need to come up with a Usana business plan that you can implement on the internet.

And the internet can be a very powerful tool for building a network marketing business.

Imagine having people reach out to you, ready to join your business?

This can only happen using internet marketing strategies to build your Usana business.

The Internet Marketing Plan

Internet marketing really comes down to 3 basic steps.

1 – Provide value online

The beautiful thing about the internet is that it can give absolutely anyone a voice.

No matter who you are, you have a platform. 

If you want to attract hungry prospects to you, you should be using a platform to provide value to people.

Teach them everything you know about your products without ever trying to sell to them.

Simply provide value.

If a potential customer out there is asking themselves a question about whatever niche your business is in, then YOU should be the first person that comes to their mind.

You want to become the trusted advisor, a thought leader in your niche.

You could do this with a YouTube channel, a podcast, Twitter, Reddit, related forums, or any other type of social media platform that you could think of.

2 – Build a list

If you continue to provide value to your followers online, you can eventually get them onto an email list. 

Create some type of free digital gift, like an informative eBook for example.

In order for your followers to get this free gift, they would need to enter their email address into a form.

This would then add them to your email list.

3 – Provide value to the list

Once you have a new prospect on your list, you should still continue to provide value.

Send out emails consistently in order to continue building trust.

This will keep your readers coming back for more, keep them from unsubscribing, and will have them ready to buy anything you recommend.

The truth is, you still need to make money, right?

You are running a business after all.

I recommend keeping 80% of your emails purely value based, and 20% of them recommending products to buy.

We are living in the digital age and if you refuse to use the internet to your advantage, you’re leaving money on the table.

You can learn the exact process for building any MLM business online in this deep dive digital marketing guide.

USANA Business And Products FAQ

I want this Usana business review to answer any question you could possibly have about this business.

These are some of the most common questions I’ve heard from people.

If anything is missing, feel free to leave a comment with your question below this article.

You could also consider having a look at our network marketing FAQ page.

USANA MLM Review Summarised

Out of all the Usana reviews out there, I hope that this one has served as the best one to answer all of the questions you may have about the company.

Long story short, this is a well established company.

They have experienced a relatively small amount of controversy when compared to other companies in the network marketing industry.

If you are concerned about the Usana pyramid scheme stories you’ve no doubt found, you can put that concern aside.

This is a company that spans the globe, they provide decent products, and they have a powerful compensation plan that pays out quickly and rewards those who do well.

If you have a passion for health supplements and you enjoy using the Usana products, then you could likely do very well in this business.