MLM companies are everywhere.
When you hear of another MLM company, you want to know if there’s an opportunity to make money.
I am very familiar with Beautycounter because my sister is a consultant, and my wife uses their products.
Just because I have connections with the products and company doesn’t mean I believe that an MLM company, such as Beautycounter, is the best way to make a passive income.
Fundamentally, all MLM companies are the same. You have to get in at the ground floor to make money. It’s also stated that less than 6% of people involved in an MLM company earn more than 6k in profit every year.
Needless to say, I’m not a big fan of MLM companies.
When my sister told me about Beautycounter and the big opportunity that I had to make money with the company – I was all ears.
What BeautyCounter is All About
Beautycounter is a company that sells beauty products that are made with ingredients that are safe to put on your body.
- SKINCARE
- MAKEUP
- BATH AND BODY
The price of these products vary, but they seem reasonably priced for the quality of product that they sell. Most MLM companies have to markup their products pretty high because of the downline and payment structure – that being said – the prices are not terrible.
We use the Beautycounter sunscreen, and I must say it’s a good product. The price for their sunscreen was about $40. Which is higher than just picking up sunscreen from your local drug store or Amazon, but the product uses safe ingredients, and that’s their marketing juice.
They are very transparent about what ingredients that put into their products, so you know what you’re putting on your body.
This transparency has helped them develop what they call the never list. This is a detailed list of 1500 questionable chemicals that you should never use.
This is from their website:
- Benzalkonium Chloride-A disinfectant used as a preservative and surfactant associated with severe skin, eye, and respiratory irritation and allergies. Found in: sunscreens, moisturizers.
- Butylatedhydroxy Anisole and Butylated Hydroxytoluene-Synthetic antioxidants used to extend shelf life. They are likely carcinogens and hormone disruptors and may cause liver damage. Found in: lipsticks, moisturizers, diaper creams, and other cosmetics.
- Coal tar hair dyes and other coal tar ingredients-A byproduct of coal processing that is a known carcinogen. It is used as a colorant and an anti-dandruff agent. Found in: hair dye, shampoo.
- Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA)-A chelating (binding) agent added to cosmetics to improve stability. May be toxic to organs. Found in: hair color, moisturizers.
- Ethanolamines (MEA/DEA/TEA)-Surfactants and pH adjuster linked to allergies, skin toxicity, hormone disruption, and inhibited fetal brain development. Found in: hair dyes, mascara, foundation, fragrances, sunscreens, dry cleaning solvents, paint, pharmaceuticals.
- Formaldehyde-Used as a preservative in cosmetics. A known carcinogen that is also linked to asthma, neurotoxicity, and developmental toxicity. Present where quaternium-15, DMDM hydantoin, imidazolidinyl urea, diazolidinyl urea, sodium hydroxymethylglycinate, 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3 diol (Bronopol), and several other preservatives are listed. Found in: shampoo, body wash, bubble bath.
- Hydroquinone-A skin-lightening chemical that inhibits the production of melanin and is linked to cancer, organ toxicity, and skin irritation. Found in: skin-lightening creams.
- Methylisothiazolinone and methylchloroisothiazolinone-Chemical preservatives that are among the most common irritants, sensitizers, and causes of contact skin allergies. Found in: shampoo, conditioner, body wash.
- Oxybenzone-Sunscreen agent and ultraviolet light absorber linked to irritation, sensitization and allergies, and possible hormone disruption. Found in: sunscreen, moisturizer.
- Parabens (methyl-, isobutyl-, propyl- and others)-A class of preservatives commonly used to prevent the growth of bacteria and mold. Parabens are endocrine (or hormone) disruptors, which may alter important hormone mechanisms in our bodies. Found in: shampoo, face cleanser, body wash, body lotion, foundation.
- Phthalates (DBP, DEHP, DEP and others)-A class of plasticizing chemicals used to make products more pliable or to make fragrances stick to skin. Phthalates disrupt the endocrine system and may cause birth defects. Found in: synthetic fragrance, nail polish, hairspray, and plastic materials.
- Polyethylene glycol (PEG compounds)-PEGs are widely used in cosmetics as thickeners, solvents, softeners, and moisture-carriers. Depending on manufacturing processes, PEGs may be contaminated with measurable amounts of ethylene oxide and 1,4-dioxane, which are both carcinogens. Found in: creams, sunscreen, shampoo.
- Retinyl palmitate and Retinol (Vitamin A)-A nutrient that may damage DNA and speed the growth of skin tumors when used topically. Found in: moisturizer, anti-aging skincare.
- Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLS and SLES)-SLS and SLES are surfactants that can cause skin irritation or trigger allergies. SLES is often contaminated with 1,4-dioxane, a byproduct of a petrochemical process called ethoxylation, which is used to process other chemicals in order to make them less harsh. Found in: shampoo, body wash, bubble bath.
- Synthetic flavor or fragrance-An engineered scent or flavoring agent that may contain any combination of 3,000-plus stock chemical ingredients, including hormone disruptors and allergens. Fragrance formulas are protected under federal law’s classification of trade secrets and therefore can remain undisclosed. Found in: all types of cosmetics.
- Toluene-A volatile petrochemical solvent that is toxic to the immune system and can cause birth defects. Found in: nail polish.
- Triclosan and Triclocarban-Antimicrobial pesticides toxic to the aquatic environment; may also impact human reproductive systems. Found in: liquid soap, soap bars, toothpaste.
Beautycounter says,
While all of our ingredients are sourced with a higher standard of safety and quality in mind, it is well recognized — and accepted by regulatory authorities around the world — that incidental, trace levels of a chemical may inadvertently be introduced in a cosmetic product due to the complexities of the supply chain and manufacturing process. At Beautycounter, we work incredibly hard to minimize — but unfortunately, can’t eliminate — the potential that a product may contain trace levels of a chemical from The Never List™.
As far as their products are concerned, Beautycounter has a solid offering. They put the welfare of others first in their company, and that is the way that it should be. You would hope that other companies also cared about their customers well-being, like Beautycounter, but that just isn’t true.
In this post, we are not looking at the company from a product perceptive, but as a business opportunity.
How Do You Make Money With Beautycounter?
Can someone make a full-time income from selling Beautycounter? In a minute you’re going to see that it’s challenging.
Like every MLM company, there are two ways of making money with only one being promising.
You could sell products. Sell to all your friends, family, co-workers and maybe even go door to door. After a while, you’re going to run out of customers.
The second method, and the only promising one to make a real income, is by building a team.
Basically, you sign people up to your team, and you make money by their success. This is called a downline, and it’s very popular with any MLM company.
As you grow your team, the more money you can make. The more success that you’ll enjoy, but this doesn’t come easy.
DoTerra is an MLM company that sells essential oils. The price of DoTerra’s essential oils are a lot more than other pure essential oils online. This means that the marketing department has to work hard convincing people that another companies essential oils are far less superior than DoTerra’s oils. This can be dishonest. The same is true with Beautycounter.
Because Beautycounter is in such a competitive niche, I find that most consultants spend their time bashing other companies products then promoting their own. It can be so competitive selling beauty products in a saturated market and because there are so many other MLM companies selling beauty products, it can be difficult to find customers.
Can I Make A Full-Time Income With Beauty Counter?
The answer is yes. If you work hard and build a large enough downline, you can make a lot of money. There are people that make up to 10,000 a month with an MLM company, but it’s very rare.
Most Beautycounter consultants live on Facebook Live, promoting products and attacking other companies. My sister is on Facebook all of the time talking about Beautycounter products. She told me that they are encouraged to use Facebook more these days, and interact with customers.
These consultants host online sales parties, which try to enlist family and friends to become a consultant and join their downline.
An MLM consultant can be very annoying, and people run for their life when they see them coming.
The hours and hours of work is creating a passive income. At the end of the day you’re just trading time for money. As I mentioned above, 94% of MLM consultants earn less than 6K a year.
The odds of you making money with any MLM company is very small, and this includes Beautycounter.
My #1 Recommendation
If you are looking to make money online or create a reliable passive income stream, I recommend that you use the affiliate marketing model.
No one likes to nag friends and family all the time or spend hours on Facebook trying to build a MLM team. You can make money using the internet without ever selling face to face.
Using Wealthy Affiliate, I have built several online businesses and have created an awesome passive income.