Can You Really Make Money Selling Arbonne?

The average woman will spend over $225,000 in a lifetime on beauty-related products. So, it’s no wonder companies are jumping on board to capitalize on everyone’s vanity.

And maybe you want to join a company like Arbonne and get yourself a piece of the pie, too!

But can you really make money selling Arbonne? Yes, you can make money as an Arbonne consultant if you’re one of the few who are successful. However, most consultants earn very little (or actually lose money) every month.

Let’s take a closer look at what Arbonne is, what they sell, their earning structure, how much you can honestly expect to make, and more!

Arbonne Overview

The company Arbonne was founded in 1965 by a man named Petter Morck after he worked in a makeup and skincare company in Norway. 

He wasn’t happy about all the ingredients in the skincare products that weren’t actually good for your skin. Basically, he was all about “going green” before green became popular.

The company is focused on creating high-quality, pure skincare products that are actually good for you, as well as caring for the environment.

Now the company has over 200,000 consultants across the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Australia, Poland, and New Zealand. They also have over $500 million in revenue, so it’s safe to say they’re pretty successful.

Their main competition in the multilevel marketing space would be Modere and Avon.

What Do They Sell?

Arbonne sells a variety of beauty and wellness products, in categories such as:

• Nutrition
• Skincare
• Bath & Body
• Makeup
• Hair

Their focus is on using plant-based ingredients that are 100% Vegan Certified and are backed by clinical research.

Arbonne products are notoriously expensive – so much so that they even have a question on their FAQ page titled “Why Are Arbonne Products So Expensive?” The answer, they claim, is because of their use of high quality, natural ingredients.

But just because they claim that they’re all about being green and natural doesn’t mean that they don’t use chemicals. In fact, some people feel deceived because there are some chemicals used in their products, but their marketing makes it seem like they’re 100% natural and green.

On the flip side, though, a lot of people actually like their products, even though most people do claim they’re overpriced. One thing that stands out about the products is their amazing scents.

How Do You Make Money?

You make money with Arbonne by signing up and selling on your own ecommerce website and by sending out digital catalogues to people in hopes they’ll buy from you.

You can also sell in person by hosting parties, just like most other MLM companies.

And as with some other direct-selling companies, there’s a confusing commission structure to go along with it.

Basically, they break down the ways you can earn income into four general sections:

• Commissions: the percentage of what you earn when you sell products (earn up to 35% profit)
• Override Commissions: what you earn from your “team” 
• Mercedes-Benz Cash Bonus Program: you get a bonus every month to cover the cost of a Mercedes (which is put under your name); if you stop making the required numbers, you don’t get the bonus but still have to pay for the car. For VPs and up only
• Cash Bonuses: once you reach a management level, you get bonuses based on how well your team performs

So, it’s kind of straightforward with the actual money making process: the more you sell, the more money you’ll earn.

How Much Does It Cost You?

There’s a minimum amount of products that need to be purchased through your account for you to remain active with Arbonne, which is around $150 worth of product.

When you first sign up, you have to pay a registration fee as well as purchase a starter kit, which costs about $79.

Also, if you’re active for a year, you’ll have to pay $30 annually to remain active. This price is (presumably) to cover the cost of running your website.

According to their Success Plan, on top of the registration fee, you’re also recommended to buy: 

• Welcome kits
• Business aids
• Business fees
• Sample packs

So, before we look at how much you can earn, it’s important to note that you have to earn over $150 a month just to break even, and that’s not including covering the costs of the annual fees or the starter kit.

How Much Can You Make?

If you wanted to find out how much you can expect to earn, you’d probably be directed to Arbonne’s Independent Consultant Compensation Summary for 2018.

Reading it, it seems to say that in the U.S., independent consultants (or 66% of people) make an average of $839 per year, with the top 50 consultants earning an average of over $9,000 per year!

That seems really great, but there are a couple problems that need to be addressed.

First of all, assuming the numbers they gave, the average independent consultant will only earn about $70 per month.

And, since you need to spend a minimum of $150 a month just to stay active, that presumably means that independent consultants are, on average, actually losing $80 per month.

And I think it’s safe to assume that, because the Summary even notes that the numbers they give don’t represent the consultant’s profits because they “do not include expenses incurred.”

And there’s another major problem with the Consultant Compensation Summary: the only numbers it gives are the “average annual earnings of Arbonne independent consultants who had earnings in 2018″ (emphasis mine).

That means that, when calculating the percentages of people who are independent consultants and their average earnings, it doesn’t account for those who made $0.

And before you think that the number of people earning $0 is negligible, this website claims that 83% of Arbonne consultants in 2018 earned nothing. And another website had similar findings.

So, if that’s the case, the percentages would be skewed and completely misleading. In fact, if those numbers were correct, that would mean that 94.4% of people would have earned nothing or lost money.

What I Like

• It’s an established company
• They aren’t involved in copious amounts of lawsuits like other MLM companies
• Their products have actually good reviews

What I Don’t Like

• Their Consultant Compensation Summary doesn’t include anyone who didn’t make any money (which some people claim is as much as 83% of people!)
• I feel that the marketing of some of their products is a bit shady
• Their products are seen as overpriced by most

Summing It Up

Overall, you can make money selling Arbonne, but you have to be a really good sales person and be in the top 1% of consultants just to earn a decent amount per month.

However, Arbonne products do have generally good reviews, despite the fact that they’re overpriced. And they aren’t involved in multiple lawsuits.

Whether or not you become a consultant is a personal decision, just make sure that you’re aware that the odds are against you so it’s going to take some serious effort.