Is This Beauty Brand Good For You?
It’s another one of those make money online programs based on selling an arguably saturated membership that makes you money by selling other people’s expensive product kits.
Almost every distributor promotes it in the hopes of recruiting and profiting from your sales. Yes, you read that right…
They want you to join so that you can help them make more money.
It’s supposed to teach you how to become a “6-figure network marketer,” but most members don’t make any money promoting other people’s products.
That is the truth…
A small $6 commission will not make you rich.
But before we get too deep.
Chances are you heard about BeautyCounter because someone – a friend or family member – introduced you to the company. Maybe you attended an online workshop or webinar, or maybe an in-person information session.
Your head’s probably spinning. This might be the first time you’ve heard about a real way to make money outside of a typical job.
So first off, congratulations!
You’ve just entered a whole new world…the world of making money on your own terms.
However, you came in through the wrong door.
Because BeautyCounter is – plain and simple – an MLM. Throw whatever fancy name you want on it…multi-level marketing (MLM), network marketing (NWM), direct sales, or anything else, it’s the same concept:
You pay some money upfront for the “opportunity” to sell products.
The products are typically low-quality but with high price tags (because fancy labels and stuff).
You’re told that the key to building your own successful business is selling these products to friends and family, and getting them on a subscription (so you get “monthly recurring revenue”).
Unfortunately, like most people who get taken in by these types of schemes, you’ll quickly discover that the well runs dry faster than you imagined.
After all, they make it sound really simple. “Just get 5 people you know onto this magic widget, and things will just grow from there.”
And in your head, you think “How hard can it be? I know plenty of people, 5 will be easy.”
But then you do it, and you realize people look at you like you’ve joined a cult. You’ve become “that person”, who joined an MLM, and is now trying to sell questionable products or services to everyone they meet.
It puts a strain on your relationships, and you end up stuck between two worlds.
But it’s not your fault. These companies spend millions of dollars each year figuring out exactly how to brainwash and recruit people. And that’s why we’re here.
To help you find a better way before it’s too late.
So, what if there was a way you could build a passive income stream that’s actually passive?
An income stream that doesn’t require:
- Inventory
- Selling to friends and family
- Selling to strangers
- Recruiting people
- Dealing with questionable products that weigh on your conscience
An income stream that brings in consistent revenues every single month (from a couple thousand dollars to well over $10,000)?
An income stream you could actually build in your spare time, and grow as large or as small as you want to, without having to spend hours a day chasing, selling, or managing anything?
If that sounds like something you’d be interested in, check out Digital Leasing.
This is nothing like MLM, and that’s probably a good thing.
However, if you’d still like to know more about BeautyCounter, keep reading.
What Is BeautyCounter?
BeautyCounter is a skincare and cosmetics multi-level marketing company based in the United States.
Gregg Renfrew founded it in 2013.
BeautyCounter is a founding member of the Environmental Working Group’s verification program, which aims to increase the visibility of toxic-free consumer goods. As a result, the company compiled a “never list” of allegedly harmful chemicals that are not included in their products.
How Did BeautyCounter Start?
It all started with the movie “An Inconvenient Truth.”
After watching the documentary in 2006, Gregg Renfrew, the founder and CEO of BeautyCounter, became convinced that her next venture would be one that introduce cleaner, less environmentally damaging products to the market.
Gregg discovered in 2011 that only 30 ingredients are banned in personal-care products in the United States. (By comparison, the EU has a limit of 1,400.)
As a result, she founded BeautyCounter to transform the beauty industry by developing clean, high-performing skincare and makeup products, as well as fighting to change the laws governing what can and cannot be used in products.
What Are The Beautycounter Products?
Their products are divided into 3 categories:
Skin Care
- moisturizers
- cleansers
- serums
- treatments & masks
- toner & mists
- essence
- sun protection
- eye & lip care
- face oils
- men’s skincare
Makeup
- face
- eyes
- lips
- brushes
- sets
- makeup removers
Bath & Body
- moisturizer
- sun protection
- body wash & scrubs
- hair care
- hand care
- baby & kids
- men’s care
Where Are Beautycounter Products Manufactured?
The majority of their products are made in the United States. Their eye pencils are made in Mexico.
Are Beautycounter Products GMO-Free?
No, the company claims that it cannot guarantee that its products are completely free of GMOs.
According to Beautycounter, they are unable to obtain certification in many cases, and in others, they may decide to use an ingredient that is not GMO-free.
Are Beautycounter Products Petrochemical Free?
No. According to Beautycounter, they avoid petrochemicals linked to health problems, such as sodium laureth sulfate, polyethylene glycol, propylene glycol, petrolatum, toluene, DEA, MEA, or TEA.
However, most of plant-derived ingredients have been processed with chemical oil-derived ingredients at some point (though none are left in the final products).
This is why they do not claim to be completely petrochemical-free.
Are Beautycounter Products Preservative Free?
No, according to the MLM company, beauty companies require preservatives in cosmetics containing water or aloe to keep the product from becoming tainted.
The company assures its customers that while developing their skincare line, they tested different preservatives (none of which were on their “Never List“) before settling on the ones they use now.
They stated that they chose preservatives that are effective at low concentrations and that they use different preservatives for different products based on performance.
(Sodium, for example, may work well in one product but not in another, so phenoxyethanol or potassium sorbate may be substituted.)
Are Beautycounter Products Clean And Safe?
They aren’t the most natural product on the market.
Beautycounter may be more environmentally friendly, but it does not use chemical-free ingredients. Instead, they use synthetics in their products, but only those shown to have little to no effect on the human body.
There is a Beautycounter product that is comparable to another clean brand, but the ingredients are two times longer.
I believe they use more synthetics to extend the shelf life of their products, which is understandable, but some people prefer products that contain fewer and fewer synthetics. This is just a matter of personal preference, but it’s important to note for this Beautycounter review.
According to a Reuters Health report, dermatologists warn that “clean” skincare products that are free of certain chemicals are not always safer than their traditional counterparts.
In a news editorial published in JAMA Dermatology, the authors write that arbitrary descriptions of products as “clean” or “natural” are not regulated, and many of these products contain high concentrations of ingredients that can cause irritation and allergies.
“We wanted to shed light on the fact that the ‘clean beauty’ movement is more of a business model and marketing tool that plays on the trend of people wanting to use natural rather than synthetic products right now,” says Dr. Bruce Brod of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, who co-wrote the editorial.
“Instead, we need to take a more balanced approach when choosing which products to use on our skin,” Brod said over the phone with an interviewer.
Brod and co-author Dr. Courtney Blair Rubin, a dermatologist in Philadelphia, stated that natural skincare sales increased by 23% between 2017 and 2018, accounting for roughly a quarter of the $5.6 billion in annual skincare sales.
Is Beautycounter A Legit Company or A Scam?
So, is BeautyCounter a scam?
Not technically. You can make money with this program, but it’s definitely not as easy as the company makes it sound.
There’s a ton of work to be done upfront, no real guarantee of success, and – most importantly – the actual commissions are pretty small.
Now, there’s nothing wrong with front-loading the work and making the money later.
But if you’re grinding it out for 3 months and then your reward is a $50 commission, it’s not really worth it.
What if, instead, you could do that same 3 months of work (in your spare time), and your reward was a $500 to $2,000 payment that came in every single month?
And what if you actually didn’t need to wait 3 months? What if you could get started today and have your first payment in a week?
And what if you could double it next week?
Well, that’s the power of Digital Leasing.
And, unlike an MLM, you can legitimately do this from anywhere. It’s a true lifestyle business.
Your laptop and an internet connection is all you need.
Some of the most successful students in this program run their entire 6-figure businesses from:
- A camper in the middle of the woods
- A beach chair on the water in Mexico
- A small villa in Greece
They’re able to travel around, living their lives first, and focusing on their income second.
Because even if they stop working for an extended period of time, the money keeps coming in.
So adventure, memories, and experience are the top priority.
And they never have to worry about how to pay for the next trip, or consider asking for time off.
If this sounds more like the type of life you want to lead, just click here to find out more about Digital Leasing.
Can You Really Make Money As A Beautycounter Consultant With Their Compensation Plan Model?
As a consultant, you start out with a 25% commission, but that percentage increases (up to 35%) depending on how much you sell each month.
But let’s simplify the compensation plan even further. You can make money by doing the following:
- Retail Commissions
- Personal Sales Bonus
- Override Commissions
- Frontline Business Builder Bonus
There is a lot that comes with Network Marketing that many people find hard.
In fact, check out the Top 5 Reason Why Most Network Marketers Fail.
The bottom line is that the only way to earn more money is to recruit people, build a team, and help them sell.
So, yes, you can make money with network marketing, but if you’re going to put in the effort to learn how to do this business (which, believe me, isn’t easy), you might as well make some REAL money.
How Much Does It Cost To Become A Beautycounter Consultant?
To become a consultant, you must first purchase an Enrollment Kit, which includes materials and products as well as access to their technology platform for consultants.
This includes a public-facing Personalized Website for accepting orders and enrollments, a full-featured mobile app, and Behind the Counter functionality (which allows Consultants to manage their retail sales and team members, take advantage of training and tools, and more).
Beautycounter also provides onboarding and development training, coaching, and consultant mentoring.
Digital Enrollment Kit (Required)
Price: $50
Includes:
- Personalized Website
- You will have access to all of the selling tools that you will need (Behind the Counter)
- A Customized Training Platform
Purchase A Starter Kit.
Options for a starter kit include:
- Flawless In Five – $135
- Skin Care Basics – $290
- Counter+ Booster – $158
- Skin Care Best Sellers – $545
- Deluxe Skin Care – $730
Do Beauty Counter Consultants Have To Pay An Annual Fee?
Accounts must be renewed once a year. This renewal provides continued access to the Consultant platform, which includes a Personal Website, mobile app access, and Behind the Counter.
Do Beautycounter Consultants Need To Keep An Inventory?
No, Beautycounter Consultants are not required to maintain an inventory or make a minimum purchase. Beautycounter clients and members can place orders directly with the company and have them shipped directly from the warehouse.
A Beautycounter Consultant may be eligible for sales credit when Clients and Members shop directly with Beautycounter online or in their retail stores (they must specify you as their Consultant at the time of checkout).
If you want to gain first-hand experience with their products and share them with others, you can choose to purchase an assortment of them.
During your enrollment, you will have the opportunity to purchase specially curated Starter Kits at a huge discount. Beautycounter also offers a risk-free return policy on all purchases.
Do I Have A Monthly Sales Quota To Sell As A Beautycounter Consultant?
To advance to Consultant leadership and earn overrides, sales bonuses, and monthly volume targets, you must sell to clients and members.
Every six months, one must accumulate at least 1,200 in Qualifying Volume (QV) to maintain active status.
This figure includes personal orders as well as sales to Clients and Members. Consultants who do not meet the Consultant activity requirement will be eligible for a free one-year membership in the Band of Beauty program.
Membership in the Band of Beauty is a program that rewards loyal customers. You get a lot of benefits for just $29 per year. One of them is free shipping on orders of $100 or more.
Pros And Cons
Pros
Unlike other MLM companies, I like the effort the fact that they do not use an auto-ship system.
Moreover, unlike other Multi level marketing companies, Consultants are not required to keep a physical inventory of products on hand.
Customers can simply place their orders online and the products will be shipped directly to them from the company warehouse.
Cons
Beautycounter claims to have “stricter guidelines and regulations in place to shift the personal-care industry away from using harmful and questionable ingredients.”
However, problems arise when Beautycounter and its distributors link such statements with the MLM’s business opportunity. This is because, according to the MLM company’s 2019 income disclosure statement, the vast majority of Beautycounter consultants make little or worse losing money in their business.
Beautycounter is one of the most transparent companies in the beauty and direct sales industry.
However, it appears that neither the company nor its consultants are honest or transparent about the Beautycounter business opportunity. If they truly wanted to be transparent, they would reveal the average salary of a Beautycounter consultant in their marketing pitches.
According to Beautycounter’s income disclosure statement in 2019, the average initial investment for new consultants to join the business opportunity last year was $440. This includes a $98 enrollment kit (or $50 for a digital kit), a $135-$730 starter set of Beautycounter skincare (which the income disclosure statement says is optional, but the Beautycounter website says is required as STEP 2), and an annual $50 renewal fee.
After that, Beautycounter confuses the data by only giving distributors’ average monthly incomes, which isn’t very clear.
The issue with averages is that if 99 consultants earn nothing and one earns $1 million, the average income for those 100 consultants is $10,000, despite the fact that the typical income for consultants is zero (though your chances of earning $1 million in any MLM are far worse than one in a million).
Are There Alternatives to BeautyCounter?
Yes, there are plenty of MLM companies to choose from if you want to pursue this business model. Here are just a few:
What Is My Top Recommendation For Making Money Online In 2024?
Our review team has spent months researching, reviewing, and vetting dozens of business models and thousands of programs.
While there may be no “perfect business”, the research IS conclusive:
Digital Leasing is the #1 online business model for those just starting out.
Whether you’ve never made a dollar online, or you’ve been in this space for a while but never really “made it,” Digital Leasing is for you.
Why?
1) It’s Flexible: got an hour a day? You can do this. Ready to drop everything else and dive in full time? You can do this. Yes, the more time you put in, the faster you see results. But even with a little time each day, you can move the needle in a Digital Leasing business.
And because this system is so flexible, you don’t have to constantly be working to make more money. It’s called PASSIVE INCOME because if you stop working, the money doesn’t.
Imagine taking 3 months off to just tour around Europe, rent a cabin in the woods to write a book, hike the Appalachian Trail, or live on the beach and surf all day.
This is only possible if you have an income stream that’s not tied to your time.
2) You Own & Control EVERYTHING: With MLMs and Network Marketing, you don’t really own anything. You have no control over the quality of products. You don’t even own your “team”.
Look at the fine print for most of the agreements folks sign when they join one of these companies. At any point, the company can change your commission structure, reduce your profit margins, or kick you out entirely.
With Digital Leasing, you own the assets, which means you have all the power and all the control.
3) Little To No Startup Costs: It’s possible to get into Digital Leasing with zero dollars upfront. Because, using the strategies outlined in this program, you can get a client to pay you BEFORE spending a penny out of your own pocket…even before you do any work.
Even without getting paid in advance, you can have your first Digital Rental Property up, running, and generating profits for less than $100.
4) No Inventory: Alright, so most MLMs don’t make you buy the products and fill your garage with them anymore (unlike the good ol’ days), but you’re still in a physical products business.
And physical products always have physical limitations. Even if you don’t have to manage the inventory, you still have to deal with supply chain shortages that cause major delays.
Imagine finally landing your first customer, and then losing them after one sale because they had to wait 6 weeks to get their order.
With Digital Leasing, a 100% online business, you never even have to think about that risk.
5) Easy To Duplicate: Ok, here’s the best part: once you have your first Digital Rental Property up and running, you can literally DOUBLE your income with a few clicks, a couple keystrokes, and a single phone call (and you don’t actually need the phone call).
Remember: each Digital Rental Property is worth $500 to $2,000 a month in semi-passive income (over 95% profit). Every time you decide to create another one and increase your income, it gets easier.
Because you have more knowledge, more experience, more results, and more momentum.
If you wanted to double your income with an MLM, you’d have to double your customers OR double the average order size of your existing customers. And, guaranteed that’s a lot harder than a few clicks and a few minutes of your life.
6) Make Money Helping Real People: This part is what makes it all worth it. In an MLM, your “upline” might convince you that what you’re selling improves people’s lives, but deep down, you likely know that’s not true.
Most of the time, you’re either selling a dream or a poor-quality, overpriced product with a fancy label.
And that makes it pretty hard to sleep at night.
But with Digital Leasing, you’re actually helping people by solving your clients’ biggest problem:
Small, local businesses need more customers, and with Digital Leasing, you are unleashing a flood of happy, paying customers for these businesses.
You make money by helping them make money.
Not a big, faceless corporation either…a small business owner who’s using that money to put food on the table for their family, start a college fund for their kids, or take care of a sick parent.
Once you see how Digital Leasing makes a real impact in the lives of real people, you’ll sleep like a baby with a big smile on your face.
Now, the choice is yours.
You could continue browsing, looking at opportunities like BeautyCounter which could one day make you money.
You could continue researching, never making a decision.
OR, you could take a look inside, consider what you really want, and join a program that makes your dreams a reality. At the same time, joining a community of over 2,000 successful students that are living life on their own terms thanks to Digital Leasing.
A consistent, reliable, semi-passive stream of income that doesn’t depend on you or your time to keep producing profits.
All while genuinely helping real people who are grateful and happy to pay for it.
If this sounds more like what you want out of life (or if you just want some nice side income), click here to learn more about Digital Leasing.
