Shaklee Products Review – 5 Shocking Drawbacks of Joining Shaklee You Need to Know

Is Shaklee Products a scam

Welcome to this Shaklee Products Review

Shaklee corporation is a  pioneering name in the health and wellness industry, and has been a steadfast advocate for natural nutrition and sustainable living since its inception over seven decades ago.

Making it one of the longest serving companies in the health and wellness industry.

The company has grown into a global enterprise known for its high-quality, scientifically-backed products.

From nutritional supplements and personal care items to eco-friendly household solutions, Shaklee’s diverse product line caters to a wide range of health-conscious consumers.

Operating on a multi-level-marketing model, Shaklee empowers individuals to promote and distribute its products, fostering a community dedicated to holistic well-being and environmental stewardship.

As a certified Climate Neutral company, Shaklee’s commitment to sustainability is evident in its practices and product offerings, making it a respected leader in promoting a healthier, greener world.

Before we get started we’d just like to mention we are not associated with Shaklee in any way, meaning that we are not getting paid for this review.

But what we do promise you today is an honest unbiased review so that you can go away and decide for yourself whether Shaklee is a company you wish to be associated with or not.

Let’s begin.


[Affiliate Disclosure: This Shaklee Products Review has been thoroughly researched from information and testimonials that are in the public domain. This post may contain affiliate links which means we may earn a small commission, however, this won’t affect what you pay!] 


Shaklee Products Review – Summary

Product: Shaklee

Founder: Dr Forrest Shaklee

Website: www.us.shaklee.com

Product Description: Nutritional Health and Wellness MLM

In Brief, Reasons For Joining Shaklee:

    1. High-Quality Products
    2. Commitment To Sustainability
    3. Health And Wellness Focus
    4. Business Opportunity
    5. Support And Community
    6. Discounts And Perks

In Brief, Reasons Against Joining Shaklee:

    1. MLM Structure
    2. Initial Investment
    3. Market Saturation
    4. Income Variability
    5. Crtitism And Controversy
    6. Time And Effort

Cost to join: Free to become a member, Ambassodor starter kits $49.95

Recommended: Maybe

Summary: Shaklee is one of the longest-serving MLMs in the world and therefore this should stand for something.

After all, most MLMs don’t usually hang around for very long with most never reaching the five-year period.

The products are key to any business and this is something we will be covering a little later in this Shaklee Products review.

There is also an opportunity for you to make some extra money or maybe even turn it into a lucrative business if you are interested.

Which we will also be covering in-depth, so stay with us and see what you think before jumping in head first.

However, if you are a complete newbie to all this and want an easier and more cost-effective way to make a passive business.

Then check out this affiliate marketing training platform that I would have no hesitation recommending 100%.

It is where I learned affiliate marketing and where it helped me go from zero to mid-4-figures a month.

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Shaklee Products Review – TOC

    1. What is Shaklee Products?
    2. Who is John Dorsey?
    3. Is Shaklee a Pyramid Scheme
    4. Any Success is Rare With Shaklee
    5. How Shaklee Products Works
    6. Shaklee Products Line
    7. Shaklee Products Business Opportunity – What You Need To Know
      1. How Much Does it Cost to Join Shaklee?
      2. How to Make Money With Shaklee
      3. Shaklee Compensation Plan
      4. Are Shaklee Affiliates Actually Making Money?
      5. Can You Make Money With Shaklee?
      6. What About The Monthly Costs at Shaklee?
    8. Truth in Advertising
    9. Is Shaklee Products a Scam?
    10. PROs
    11. CONs
    12. Shaklee Products -Final Thoughts
    13. Want to Know a Better Way to Make Money Online?
    14. Shaklee Products Review FAQs
    15. 5 Shocking Drawbacks of Joining Shaklee You Need to Know
    16. Feedback, Follow and Subscribe

What is Shaklee Products?

Shaklee Products login

Shaklee is a direct-selling company in the health and wellness industry that was founded in 1956 by Dr Forrest Shaklee and is based in California.

They manufacture and promote nutritional supplements, weight management, and household and beauty products.

As well as an opportunity to work from home through a network of distributors, with global operations in…

    • Canada
    • China
    • Indonesia
    • Japan
    • Malaysia
    • Taiwan

They were the first company to produce a multivitamin supplement in the US and the first company on the planet to be certified climate neutral.

A green company through and through as can be seen by their beyond carbon neutral certificate.

They even make claims to support US athletes who have won 146 medals and even an astronaut with supplements whilst in space for 12 months.

All the products are organic and 100% safe and free from any animal testing and they support many great causes. 

Since the 50s Shaklee has seen steady growth in sales to where they have gone from around $25 million in the 70s.

To where they currently are as a multi-billion-dollar company.

Here’s a short promotional video that might interest you…

Who is Forest Shaklee?

Dr Forrest Clell Shaklee was the founder alongShaklee Products founder Dr Forrest C Shaklee

with his sons of the Shaklee Corporation to manufacture and sell food supplements.

He was a chiropractor and philosopher who started in vitamins way back in the early 1900s and opened his first clinic in 1916.

At birth, he was diagnosed with tuberculosis and was not expected to live very long but a change in climate helped him to overcome the symptoms.

Unfortunately, he is no longer with us but lived to the ripe old age of 91.

Is Shaklee Products a Pyramid Scheme?

Shaklee Products are definitely not a pyramid Is Shaklee Products a pyramid scheme

scheme as they have an extensive range of products that cover many areas.

A true pyramid scheme does not have any products or services and relies predominantly on recruiting.

However, some people are saying that Shaklee is a pyramid scheme in disguise because to survive, its distributors have to recruit new blood to replace the ones who leave.

However, get it right and you will be handsomely rewarded with various bonuses.

But for anyone who wants to know more about this then continue to read…

Just for clarity on what a Pyramid Scheme is…

A pyramid scheme is a fraudulent invest strategy that convinces people to join with no services or products to show of.

The focus is based on recruitment with the ones near the top of the pyramid promissed healthy returns.

These come from people who come into the scheme but eventually the bottom teirs will get wise to what is going on and leave and eventually the whole scheme collapses.

You might like to check out Charles Ponzi, Bernard Madoff and Lou Pearlman for further reading.

MLMs are often recognised as a pyramid scheme in disguise because they hide behind products and services that have no value at all.with an MLMs you can see, Shaklee is neither but the FTC did a thorough report on everything an MLM is and not which you can read about here.

You might like to check out this short video…

Success is Rare With Shaklee

Success is rare with an MLM.

Mainly down to not making a full commitment and expecting too much too soon.

You have to remember that the top distributors may well have been with SHaklee for a number of years to get where they are.

Another factor is that you have to be good at sales and especially recruiting and this is not for most people me included.

It’s a known fact that as many as 99% that start a work-from-home opportunity within an MLM.

Do not make enough to replace a full-time income and as many as 70% leave within the first 12 months.

Those are extraordinary facts but a reality and something you need to know even if you take what we say with a pinch of salt but at least research it further.

How Shaklee Products Works

Through science, Shaklee manufactures and sells an extensive range of nutritional products that cover many areas.

A massive cost in any business is usually down to marketing campaigns which are needed to convey the message.

Recruiting others into the company enables them to save on marketing costs as this is all taken care of by the distributors.

Not only that but the distributors help to reach a wider audience in other countries.

This means the company can save and filter this down into bonuses to their distributors.

In all this is a win-win for all concerned.

Shaklee Products Line

Over the years Shaklee has gone from one product to where they currently are with in excess of 200.

Shaklee best selling products

The products cover areas like…

    • Heart
    • Immunity
    • Weight Management
    • Bone & Joint
    • Sports Nutrition
    • Kids Nutrition
    • Mind & Brain
    • Anti-ageing
    • Beauty – Skin, Body
    • Home

Some might argue that having such an extensive range of products might interfere with the quality.

But Shaklee really has got their act together on so many levels.

To check out the full range we suggest heading over to their website here

Here are a few other companies manufacturing and selling similar products…

Juvva

Jeunesse Global

Touchstone Essentials

Zallevo

Life Activated Brands

Vasayo

Shaklee Products Business Opportunity – What You Need To Know

If your interest in Shaklee is down to the ability to make some money or maybe even turn it into a lucrative business then this section is for you.

How Much Does it Cost to Join Shaklee?

There are 2 ways to join Shaklee, either as a member which means you are not actively part of the compensation plan.

This is the route we would always recommend because it means you can take it for a test drive first with around 75% that take this route.

This would cost you $19.95 which means you can take advantage of discounts.

For the entrepreneurial types who have decided to make a bigger commitment then it will cost you $49.95

There are 3 business packs…

    • Meology Personalized Nutrition Kit
    • Prove It Starter Kit
    • Business Starter Kit

At the next stage of the application, you can take advantage of the business starter packs which are all heavily discounted.

Best Sellers – $610 – $723.90

Immune Health – $145 – $164.20

Healthy Family and Home – $159 – $194.40

Best of Beauty – $260 – $318.75

 Medicine Cabinet – $200 – $244.35

Healthy Weight – $185 – $225.70

How to Make Money With Shaklee

There are 3 ways that you can make money as a Shaklee distributor.

    1. Sell the products yourself
    2. Recruit a large team and make commissions from their sales.
    3. Climb the ranks and take advantage of the bonuses

The 3rd one is explained better in the compensation plan.

As you will see shortly the only way to excel within Shaklee is to recruit and build a large team and when you look at some of the top earners.

Some of those have thousands in their team.

Shaklee Products Compensation Plan

The compensation plan is how you get paid and is what defines the company’s business structure as a pyramid.

They are almost never simple and straightforward and I often think that they are designed that way to confuse the hell out of you.

Furthermore, in some cases, we believe they make you think that you are getting a better deal than you really are.

More the reason why we don’t go into the finer details is simply that they often change and we wouldn’t want to confuse the issue.

So we give you 2 alternatives, the pdf which you can find here and gloss over in your own time or you can just listen to one of the distributors below.

Are Shaklee Affiliates Actually Making Money?

As you can see by the image below out of 100% of people who join Shaklee only 27% are business owners.

Shaklee Products Family Tree

What that means is that out of a million people, only 270,000 actually take on the business opportunity.

Let’s break the actual average income figures down a little…

74.7% earn on average $1,391 for the entire year

20% earn on average $25,494

So that means 94.7% of people who join Shaklee do not earn enough to replace a full-time job.

There are exceptions to these figures and amongst those are some who are doing well, could that be you do you think?

Anyway, for a full breakdown, we would suggest you head over to the income disclaimer pdf for 2021 here.

Can You Make Money With Shaklee?

Of course, you can make money with Shaklee Corporation otherwise Shaklee would have closed down a long time ago now.

But the question would be, “What do expect to get out of this opportunity?”

You have to make a full commitment if you want to stand any chance of having success with Shaklee meaning at least 2 years.

You can expect to earn as much as 36% provided you are prepared to work hard and grow through the ranks.

I understand that you can get paid daily as opposed to monthly which is a good thing too.

What About The Monthly Costs at Shaklee?

Something that tends to not be brought up when approached by one of their distributors is overall costs on a monthly basis.

We would call them hidden costs simply because a discussion most probably would put you off entering any agreement with Shaklee.

These costs are not dissimilar to other MLMs so what applies here will almost certainly apply to other MLMs.

There are sales quotas to meet on a monthly basis and whilst they may not see big over the year it all adds up.

With Shaklee, staying active requires 100PV (personal volume) which equates to around $100.

Now if you are good at sales and recruiting this sales volume shouldn’t be a problem but if you struggle.

Just to stay active and stay qualified for the bonuses would mean that you would have to purchase the products yourself.

Now as you can see $100/month = $1200/year just to stay active.

We haven’t even factored in what it would cost…

Autoresponder – $25 -$30/month

Shaklee products to show and demonstrate to customers

Marketing costs – $50 – $150/month

Truth in Advertising

Truth In Advertising or TINA for short is a non-profit organisation where you can find all sorts of interesting facts about companies.

It is a good place to check first when researching a company because whatever information is on the database is there to stay.

There are a couple of entries that we found which go into Health and Income claims which you can read about here.

Is Shaklee Products a SCAM?

It goes without saying that Shaklee Products Is Shaklee Products a scam

is not a scam but a legit and one of the longest-surviving MLM companies.

You are sure to find many people stating otherwise but you will find that with all MLMs.

A lot of this comes from disgruntled past distributors who joined Shaklee hoping for an easy ride and it never happens.

Any business no matter what it is takes a lot of time, hard work with plenty of patience.

The MLM business model is a tough nut to crack and not many have the sales and recruiting combination that is required.

You also have to be fully committed and have the right attitude as it’s no good going in with the mindset that I’ll give it a few months.

Straight away you are setting yourself up for failure just like we did when we tried a few years back.

This is why we wouldn’t recommend Shaklee but it’s not to say that you couldn’t succeed.

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PROs

  • Legitimate Company That Has Stood The Test Of Time:What we like about Shaklee Products

MLM companies come and go all the time with many not surviving the first 5 to 10 years. in fact, many do not reach the five-year period.

At least with Shaklee if you decided to take on the home-based opportunity you can be certain they aren’t going to close in the next few years.

  • Accredited With The BBB:

The Better Business Bureau is a non-profit watchdog group that most companies do not even bother with.

It is also a place where people will go if they have a complaint since being a member usually means something will get done about it.

This all goes to a rating and as you can see they opened an account in 1965 and since then they have been accredited and have a rating of A+.

  • A Member Of The DSA:

The DSA or Direct Selling Association is an organisation for direct selling companies and is not easy to get on their database.

It is not a matter of joining and paying your dues because you have to be vetted first and there are some stringent rules to pass before acceptance.

  • No Animal Testing:

The Shaklee Corporation are an active supporter of safe alternatives to testing on animals and all their products are animal-safe.

Independent agencies have and do test any products as and when for confirmation and safeguard.

  • All The Products Are Organic:

Beyond Organic is a term coined by Shaklee and basically means that they go further than the normal organic certificate.

Which is the GMP or Good Manufacturing Processes certificate.

  • They Are A Environmentally Friendly Company: 

We all know about the governments banging on about saving the planet by cutting back on carbon emissions.

Well, Shaklee was the first company on the planet to be certified as a carbon-neutral company.

CONs

  • They Have An Entry In The TINA Database:What we don't like about Shaklee Products

Truth in Advertising is a non-profit watchdog that reports on companies doing shady stuff.

There are 2 entries regarding health and income claims which we have mentioned earlier.

  • Hidden Monthly Costs:

A major concern with all MLMs is having to stay active as a distributor, this isn’t a problem if you can sell but most people find this a struggle.

  • Cold Calling Is Not For Most People:

When you become a distributor one of the first things they teach you is to get all your family and friends involved.

Now that is definitely a no-no if you value your friendships so what next?

Cold calling and spamming people on social media and guess what that has never worked unless you are an exceptional salesperson.

  • Interest That Is Shown In Google Trends Is Dwindling:

Unfortunately, we could only go back to when records started in 2004 and as you can see the company peaked around 2013.

But since then interest has somewhat dwindled.

Shaklee Products Interest shown from people in Google

Shaklee Products Review – Final Thoughts!

At the end of the day, Shaklee has survived over 6 decades and there are only 1 in 3 MLMs that don’t even achieve 5 years in business.

Then you have to commend them for that.

But, knowing what you know now could you honestly say that this is a good work-from-home opportunity?

Yes, you might earn some money but I can tell you that you are going to have to put in a lot of hours and hard work.

The big problem you have is trying to keep your team (if you can build one) motivated and stop them from leaving.

Considering between 50 and 70 per cent leave within the first 12 months, you are constantly having to replace those just to keep the income coming.

Would you be prepared to disclose all these facts to the people you are trying to recruit?

No, you wouldn’t because they would run a mile, so that means you have to deceive those people and it’s only a matter of time before they find out.

Wouldn’t you feel much better knowing that you can legitimately help someone?

It’s all about helping and guess what you will be rewarded generously when you do.

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Shaklee Products Review FAQs

You can see that Shaklee is a popular nutritional company not just because they have been around for over 6 decades.

But because of all the interest shown in the search engines so we thought we’d grab a few of the questions that may interest you.

  1. Are Shaklee Products Made In China?

Shaklee is first and foremost an American family-run company that supplies over 200 products and is still based in California.

It would be a mistake to allow the products not to be manufactured in the US and certainly wouldn’t go down well with their distributors.

  1. Does NASA Use Shaklee Products?

Shaklee products have been supplied to NASA since around 1993, and have been used by Mark Kelly who was a commander of one of the space shuttles.

As well as captain Scott Kelly on his 12-minute stint on the space shuttle.

  1. Why Is Shaklee Good?

A study suggested that people who used Shaklee supplements were healthier all around although there is no real concrete evidence of this.

  1. Is Shaklee Safe?

All Shaklee products are organic and free from harmful chemicals which go through stringent third-party testing.

They go beyond the normal organic certificate and are tested for over 350 pesticides.

All the products are free from animal testing as well as all gluten-free.

  1. Is Shaklee All Natural?

Shaklee coined the term “Beyond Organic” which basically means they go beyond the Good Manufacturing Processes or GMPs.

Regarding the testing of raw materials.

  1. Are Shaklee Vitamins Plant-Based?

Every capsule comes with 100% plant-based DHA and Omega 3 fatty acids which are sustainably sourced.

  1. Are Shaklee Products Third-Party Tested?

There are over 100k quality tests performed each year to ensure potency and purity.

Much of the test is done in-house with a large portion done through third-party companies.

  1. How Many Countries Is Shaklee In?

There are over 50 patents and patents that are pending throughout the world.

With operations in the US, Mexico, Canada, China, Japan, Malaysia and Taiwan and has over 1 million members worldwide.

  1. Who Is the President Of Shaklee?

Roger Barnett is the current Chairman and CEO of the Shaklee Corporation which was founded in 1956.

5 Shocking Drawbacks of Joining Shaklee You Need to Know

Here are 5 considerations that you need to take on board before deciding one way or the other whether Shaklee is going to be right for you or not:

  1. High Initial Investment

Joining Shaklee requires an initial purchase of a starter kit, which can be a financial burden, especially for those unsure about their ability to recoup the investment through sales.

While the basic Business Starter Kit is $49.95, enhanced kits with more products can be considerably more expensive​.

  1. Multi-Level Marketing Model

Shaklee operates on a multi-level marketing (MLM) model, which often emphasizes recruitment over direct product sales.

This can lead to market saturation and make it difficult for new distributors to build a customer base or recruit new members.

MLM structures have been criticized for creating an environment where a small percentage of participants earn significant income, while many others struggle to make a profit​.

This usually stems from when some of the top network marketers are invited to join and in some cases paid, that because they bring to the table massive teams,

This is to ensure an MLM has longevity because they have to be constantly bringing in new blood to replace people who leave.

  1. Variable Income and Earnings Potential

Income from Shaklee can be highly variable and unpredictable.

Earnings depend heavily on personal sales performance and the ability to recruit and maintain a team of active sellers.

This variability can make it challenging to rely on Shaklee as a stable source of income​.

  1. Time and Effort Required

Building a successful Shaklee business requires significant time, effort, and dedication.

This includes not only selling products but also recruiting, training, and motivating new team members.

For many, the level of effort required may not align with the financial returns they experience, leading to frustration and burnout​.

  1. Criticism and Controversy

MLM companies, including Shaklee, often face public scrutiny and criticism regarding their business practices.

Issues such as aggressive recruitment tactics, misleading income claims, and high dropout rates among distributors can contribute to a negative reputation and potential legal challenges​.

Conclusion

While Shaklee offers the potential for financial rewards and personal growth, these drawbacks highlight the challenges and risks involved.

Prospective members should thoroughly research and consider these factors before joining or decide on an alternative make money opportunity something like affiliate marketing.

Feedback, Comments and Subscribe

We hope that enjoyed this Shaklee products review and that we managed to address most of your concerns..

Remember to do your research thoroughly and check out other Shaklee Reviews to get a better all-around feel before taking the plunge.

Until next time, stay safe

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Author: Mick

Hey Guys and Gals, great to meet you and hope you enjoyed this post. We created this site to help people like you avoid the pitfalls of making money online and hopefully steer you onto the right path. ENJOY!

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