MLM vs. Professional Products
- Sarah Neff
- Oct 23, 2015
- 2 min read
I constantly have clients ask about various multi-level marketing products (pyramid scheme), and I strongly urge you to visit the following link and read this article because it hits the nail on the head. FYI: this article is written by a financial analyst, and someone who doesn't give two craps about skincare -- he's completely unbiased.
To clarify, MLM products consist of (but are not limited to) the following: Rodan + Fields, Mary Kay, Arbonne. Professional products are anything that can be found in spas, dermatogist or plastic surgeons offices.
The first question I ask my clients are: have you read any articles on the (insert MLM) products? Because I feel like that says it all -- The articles these MLM companies write focus strictly on how much money is being made by consultants, rather than what their products can do to help YOU combat your skin concerns. Any article written on professional grade products used by estheticians, dermatologists and plastic surgeons will not only list the benefits and uses of a product but will generally also have an extensive break down of the ingredients used to formulate them because the proof is in the pudding. Would you rather buy from a company who promotes the money they are putting in their "team members" pocket or that is promoting the effectiveness of a product ...?
So why are professional products as expensive, if not MORE expensive, than MLM products?
Professional product: The cost of the product is determined strictly on the amount of active ingredient used -- the reason why pro products are so effective is because they have an obscenely higher amount of active ingredients, which is why you can only find them in businesses licensed to practice. High percentage of active ingredients = $$$
MLM product: How do you know they have a low percentage of active ingredients (other than research)? Low amount active ingredients means that even people without a medical or esthetic background are able to sell because the product is almost all fillers = very small chance of a person being harmed from the products. But even if the product is less expensive to make, why are they so expensive? How else would they pay levels upon levels of consultants?
If you want better skin, your best bet is to invest your money into going to an esthetician who is passionate about their field; not only do we have intensive schooling and state licensings that we have to pass yearly but we are *required* to take multiple continuing education courses each year in order to keep up to industry standard. Would you ask a car mechanic to sew you a dress? Probably not. So why would you let a person with no background in the biology of the skin sell you skincare products? *MIND BLOWN* Best rule of thumb: next time someone involved in an MLM tries to sell you a product, ask them to describe to you the active ingredients. If they can't, just walk away.
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