This is my Beautycounter consultant review where I discuss my experience, and answer your frequently asked questions including how much money you can make, the discount we get, the requirements and more!
Have you been considering becoming a Beautycounter consultant or just want to learn more about the brand and the opportuntity? If so this post is for you. I have been a Beautycounter consultant for many years now and decided it was finally time for me to write my Beautycounter consultant review. I have had the most incredible experience working with Beautycounter and could not imagine my life without Beautycounter at this point. The friends I have made, the work I get to do and the extra income it brings in every month have all been so, so helpful.
Before I tell you all about the consultant opportunity with Beautycounter I think it's important for me to tell you a little more about the company. I have written a lot more about this before so please refer to this post for more details but I will give you a brief overview here too!
Table of Contents
- What is Beautycounter?
- How much it costs to sign up as a Beautycounter consultant:
- How much time does it take?
- How do you make money?
- What are the requirements of being a consultant?
- How much money do you make?
- Do consultants get a discount?
- Do you have to join a team?
- Other opportunities for consultants:
- Why being a consultant is great for bloggers and influencers:
- Do you like being a consultant?
- Is there anything you don't like about being a consultant?
- Frequently asked questions:
- Other posts you will want to read:
What is Beautycounter?
Beautycounter is a skincare and beauty company based out of California. They make products for babies, children and adults (both men and women). Their products are available in both the US and Canada and their goal is to make products that not only perform well, but are also safe for human health.
Unfortunately, because the personal care industry is under-regulated, currently many products on the market contain ingredients that are known to cause, or linked to many different health problems.
Beautycounter believes that we should not have to compromise our health in the name of beauty. From that standpoint they are also actively working with the governments in both Canada and the US to try and get stricter laws passed regulating the personal care industries in our countries (I actually got to to go Ottawa in May 2019 to speak with parliament as part of my work with Beautycounter).
In terms of Beautycounter's products, they use a combination of both safe natural and safe synthetic ingredients (since not all natural ingredients are safe, and not all synthetic ingredients are harmful they are trying to combine the best of both worlds).
Their main goal is product safety and performance. Their ingredient selection process is extremely rigorous to ensure they are only using ingredients that are known to be safe for human health. As far as I know they have the strictest testing of any company in the industry. They test every batch of their products for contaminants and they test every batch of their colour cosmetics for heavy metal contamination to ensure that they are safe. They disclose all the ingredients they use on their labels so you know exactly what you are putting on your body and they have a partnership with Tuft's University where they test ingredients for safety.
Beautycounter is a certified B corporation, meaning they have very strict standards for not only their products but also the people they employ and work with, and the planet. Beautycounter is also Leaping Bunny certified, EWG Verified, is a part of the Chemical Footprint Project, is a CarbonFree partner with Carbonfund.org, is an active member of the American Sustainable Business Council (ASBC), and is a member of the Safe Cosmetics Business Network.
The sourcing of their ingredients is also extremely important to them. For example, they only use child labour free mica and are actively working to reform the mica industry as a whole as the mica industry is generally built on child labour.
Okay, so now that you know a bit more about Beautycounter, let's talk about what it's like to work with them as a consultant!
How much it costs to sign up as a Beautycounter consultant:
Becoming a consultant is simple, you just sign up online through this link. Joining costs $50 in the US, or it's free if you are in Canada. Signing up as a brand advocate gets you access to your online website so you can start your business right away.
In addition to the enrolment fee, when you join you have the option of purchasing various starter sets of products. These are great because they are all 40-44% off, compared to the usual 25% discount that we get as consultants. These kits can be a great investment so that you have products to use for yourself, for showing customers, using at events or sampling!
These sets range in price depending on which one you choose. Again, these are totally optional but can be a great way to start your business off strong (or to get some goodies for yourself at an amazing price). These starter sets do change every so often so if you want more information about them just reach out!
How much time does it take?
This is probably one of the most common questions that I get asked. The great thing about working with Beautycounter is that how much time you dedicate to your business is completely up to you.
When I joined many years ago I was still in residency and working over 100 hours a week in the hospital, so I had very little time to spend on Beautycounter. At that time I probably spent a couple hours a month on my Beautycounter business. And even though I was spending very little time on my business I was able to start making money.
Now that my business has grown and my income from Beautycounter has increased, I probably spend 1-4 hours a week on my Beautycounter business (I also still work full time as a rheumatologist and run my blog), but how much time you need to spend will depend on your schedule, your goals, and how much money you would like to make.
Some people join solely for the discount and don't try to earn any money from their Beautycounter business, so for them they don't spend any time building their business. I typically tell people that if you want to be successful with your business, if you can dedicate 1-2 hours a week when you first start that will set you up to do really well.
How do you make money?
Beautycounter consultants make money in a couple ways. First is by selling products, and second is by building a team (if you wish - this part is totally optional).
We make 25-35% commission on the products that we sell ourselves (the more you sell each month the more you make). The great thing about it is that people just purchase through our links online, so we don't have to stock products or hold inventory (that's actually not allowed).
The other way you can make money is by building a team. This is entirely optional, but can be so much fun! I have personally chosen to build a team and find it so rewarding. Helping other women and men gain financial freedom, connect with other like minded individuals and experience huge personal growth has been so amazing to see. I love helping my team members and watching them achieve their goals!
If you do build a team you make 5-9% commission on your team members sales (down to two levels below you - this built in safety net is one of the ways that prevents this business from becoming a "pyramid scheme") so it is another way you can increase your income. But again, this part is totally optional and not required.
You can also earn optional incentives, cash bonuses, trips and other prizes and gifts along the way as well.
What are the requirements of being a consultant?
We have very few requirements as consultants. We have no requirements to buy products ourselves, no requirements to sell a certain amount each month or build a team.
The only requirement that we have to stay active as a consultant, is that every 6 months we need to sell $750 US worth of products. The other great thing is that our own purchases count toward that $750 requirement, so assuming that you do buy a few things for yourself, it ends up being less than $750 that you actually need to sell.
However, even if you don't make that cut off there are no penalties! You just stop being a consultant, so it's incredibly flexible. That's why many people simply sign up just to take advantage of the discount rather than with the intent to build a business (yes this is allowed). However, if you do put in effort, the $750 cut off is not hard to achieve. Many of the consultants on my team make that requirement within their first one to two months.
In terms of how you actually run your business, that's really up to you. There are so many ways to make it work. Simply talking to friends and family, booking one-on-ones with people, sending or giving out samples, lending out products for people to use, hosting events or having friends or family host events, doing virtual events, using social media platforms such as Facebook or Instagram etc.
Everyone's business looks a little different and you will find what works for you. I personally run a lot of my business online and don't do as many in person events, but others on my team are incredible with events and do most of their business that way. It's extremely flexible! I personally never pressure people to do things they don't want to do. This business is supposed to be fun, so you will find what you love to do and I encourage people to utilize their strengths and do what works best for them.
How much money do you make?
So this is entirely up to you, and no income is guaranteed. As I mentioned earlier, how you run your business is completely flexible. If you don't spend any time on your business, you likely won't make any money. But if you spend time on your business and are consistent with your effort, overtime you can make really great money. I find that the key is consistency and not giving up too soon. Building any successful business takes time, so having long term goals can be really helpful.
I am not allowed to share my own earnings publicly, but if you are curious to know, please just email me at erin.carter.md@gmail.com and we can chat (I am very transparent with people when they ask as I think this is very important so please don't hesitate to reach out).
I always tell people that you just never know what is going to happen in life, so having a second source of income, and one that you can earn from home, is so important!
For your reference, below is the 2019 income disclosure information from Beautycounter's website and here is the link to the 2022 income disclosure . You will see that there is a huge variation in how much money people earn, and no income is guaranteed. Again, many people just sign up for the discount or don't spend any time on their business so don't make any money, but then there are people who do work their business and make a very good income (I have been fortunate to fall within this category).
Do consultants get a discount?
Yes! We always get 25% off all the products (hence why some people just join for the discount). Also, when you enrol you have the option of purchasing various starter sets of products that are an even better deal (they are 40-44% off). As well, when new products launch we get them at additional discounts and often have the ability to win free products, swag and other gifts as well.
Do you have to join a team?
No, you do not have to join a team if you become a Beautycounter consultant! If you would prefer, you can sign up directly under Beautycounter corporate. However, most people don't choose this option. This is because if you join a team you get so much more help with your business whereas if you join under corporate you don't get the same kind of support.
For example, if you sign up with me and my team, I act as your mentor and help you as much as you need. I also have many other resources that I offer my team including a team Facebook group, Voxer thread, team calls, one on one coaching calls, team incentives, custom team resources (like photos, scripts etc), team events and more. Plus joining a team is so much more fun! I have met so many incredible friends though my larger Beautycounter team and am so grateful for their mentorship and support.
Other opportunities for consultants:
If you want, being a Beautycounter consultant can lead to other amazing opportunities. For example, in May 2019 I was one of twenty consultants who had the opportunity to travel to Ottawa and speak with parliament to help fight for stricter personal care laws here in Canada. It was an incredible experience and I learned so much!
They offer a similar opportunity for US consultants, where every other year they travel to Washington DC to speak to members of congress. I have also spoken at conferences and training sessions and won trips to exotic locations. I've also met the most incredible people through this business, many of whom have become my best friends.
Why being a consultant is great for bloggers and influencers:
Are you a blogger or influencer? If so the Beautycounter opportunity cannot be beat. Of course, every audience is different, but I’ve found that Beautycounter is so much better than any other affiliate program I use. If you’re a blogger and you like the products and the mission, you really should consider it!
Most affiliate programs pay anywhere from 1-15% commission on items bought through your links, but Beautycounter pays 25-35% which is so much better! About 90% of my blog income comes through Beautycounter. This has also allowed me to grow my blog even more as the extra income has allowed me to hire a virtual assistant, a blog coach, personal assistant and someone to manage Pinterest for me.
I've written more about this topic on my post, How To Make Money From A Blog if you are interested in learning more.
Do you like being a consultant?
Honestly I love it! Working with Beautycounter has been so much fun and so much more rewarding than I ever would have expected. I didn't really know what to expect when I signed up as I had never worked with any other direct sales brands before but I am just so grateful that this opportunity came into my life.
Between the friendships, extra income, flexibility and personal growth I just feel so lucky. The work is so flexible, can be done on your own time, and really doesn't even feel like work. And since Beautycounter is such a young company, the potential to do well is still so huge! I cannot wait to see what the next few years brings for the brand!
Is there anything you don't like about being a consultant?
My one main complaint, and the complaint I hear the most from my team members, is that we don't get free shipping. However, since we get such a steep discount on the products, I totally understand why corporate can't also give us free shipping.
Frequently asked questions:
Nope! Pyramid schemes are actually illegal so no business is allowed to be a pyramid scheme. Beautycounter is a direct sales brand. You can purchase their products directly through their website, through consultants (like me) or through select partnerships like the one we did with Target a couple years ago, and Sephora in 2020. You do have the option of building a team and you will benefit from your team sales if you do so, but there are few built in safety nets from preventing it from becoming "a pyramid." For instance, we only make commission down to 2 levels below us and there is something called a 50% rule where no more than 50% of your volume can come from one of your team members and their downline. Plus if you choose to build a team, yes you will make more money, but you also spend time coaching your team and helping them, so the extra income helps compensate you for the extra time you put in. I think of it like any other business. The head of a company makes good money since they are helping an entire organization succeed. This is no different.
Good! I don't want you to be that person either! This business is all about sharing what you love and why you use it. You wouldn't think twice about telling your friends about your new favourite restaurant or shoes, and this is no different than that! You're just sharing what you use and love with those you care about. Plus our education is so powerful, and the products work so well that once people try them they really do sell themselves!
Our band of beauty membership is our rewards program for customers. It really is the best way to save the most money if you are a customer. Being a member gets you free shipping on your orders of $100US/$125CAD, a free gift when you enrol and 10% back on every purchase in the form of a product credit to use on your next order. There is no auto ship or requirements to shop. How you use your membership is up to you. Band of beauty members can't sell the products and don't get the consultant discount.
We get paid once a month as consultants, usually around the 10th of every month.
Wow that was long. As you can probably tell I could talk about Beautycounter all day. And I'm sure there are questions that I didn't answer, so please email me at erin.carter.md@gmail.com if you have other questions or want to chat more about the opportunity.
And if you do want to join as a consultant, just use this link! I love helping others build their businesses and would love to help you get started!
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