Melaleuca

Melaleuca opened its doors in Idaho Falls, Idaho, on September 1, 1985. Founder Frank VanderSloot started with seven employees and eight products, and the company takes its name from Melaleuca alternifolia, the Australian tea tree. Tea tree oil is still in the catalog four decades later. VanderSloot wrote the mission statement before opening day, and it still leads the company's story page: to enhance the lives of those we touch by helping people reach their goals.

How it grew

Melaleuca grew by word of mouth. It reached $2 billion in annual sales for the first time in December 2017, 32 years after opening. By June 2022 it employed more than 4,600 people, and more than two million households were shopping with it each month. That month VanderSloot became executive chairman of the board and promoted Jerry Felton, who had led Melaleuca's international business for ten years, to chief executive officer.

There are two people in a cockpit, the pilot and the navigator. The navigator charts the destination and course and files the flight plan. And the pilot flies the plane. In this case, Jerry is the pilot and I am the navigator.

Frank VanderSloot, founder and executive chairman, Melaleuca — East Idaho News, June 2022

What it sells

The store lists more than 400 products. Supplements include the Vitality multivitamin line and Peak Performance nutrition packs. The EcoSense range covers cleaning and laundry, led by MelaPower 9x concentrated detergent and Tough & Tender cleaner. Personal care runs from Renew dry-skin lotion to dental, hair and baby care. Beauty means Sei Bella skincare and color cosmetics, and the food aisle has Fiberwise drinks and bars, protein, snacks and Riverbend Ranch steaks. The company says 99% of its products are made in the USA and 1% in Canada, and it describes its formulas as using safer, naturally derived ingredients.

Melaleuca's 2026 country selector lists 20 markets, from the United States and Canada to Mexico, the UK, Germany, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Australia and New Zealand. In 2025 USA Today named it one of America's Most Trusted Brands, and Forbes has listed it among America's Best Mid-size Employers. You will find Marketing Executives in most U.S. towns in the Melaleuca consultant directory.

Melaleuca has no starter kit and no inventory to buy. You join as a Member through the person who referred you, and the core of the deal is a monthly commitment. Members agree to buy a minimum number of Product Points each month, the company's internal point value for each product. In return they shop at member prices, which the company puts at 30% to 50% off regular prices, and they are covered by a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Members can cancel at any time.

New Members are enrolled in a program the company calls Learn to Earn. In 2026 the site advertised $100 to $120 in free products over the first five months, free shipping on orders of 44 or more Product Points in that period, and discounted new-member savings packs. Melaleuca does not post its membership fee or the exact monthly minimum on its public pages, so ask the Marketing Executive who refers you for the current figures before you enroll. Any member who refers customers can start earning, and the same membership is the starting point for building a business.

Melaleuca pays commissions on what the customers you refer buy each month, not on anything you sell yourself. You never handle product or money; Melaleuca ships to your customers and pays you on their reorders. Commissions extend down through several generations of referrals, so you also earn when people you refer go on to refer others. The company's own 2023 statistics say that serious business building starts with eight customers, the level it calls Director.

Statuses and what they paid

Melaleuca's 2023 Annual Income Statistics for the U.S. and Canada split its more than one million customers into three groups. 82% are only customers and earn nothing. 8% are Product Advocates, who have referred one to seven customers and averaged $110 to $519 for the year. 10% build a business. Of those, 89.6% sat at Director 1 or 2 and averaged $2,131 a year. Higher statuses run from Director 3 through Director 9, then Senior Director (averaging $66,072), Executive Director ($180,497), National Director ($301,035) and Corporate–Presidential Director ($1,142,703), which together made up about 3.6% of business builders.

These are gross figures before expenses. The company says it should not be necessary to spend any significant amount to build a business, and it tells Marketing Executives not to quit their jobs until their Melaleuca income far surpasses their regular income. For exact percentages and qualification rules, check the company's current compensation plan with the person who refers you, or browse other health and eco-friendly companies to compare.

PROS

• No kit, no stock, no parties. Melaleuca ships directly to your customers and pays you on their reorders.
• Everyday products. Vitamins, laundry soap, cleaners and lotion get used up and reordered every month.
• A long track record. Melaleuca has been in business since 1985 and passed $2 billion in annual sales in 2017.
• Unusually detailed income statistics, including how long each status took to reach and how many customers it took.
• Mostly made in the USA, with a 100% satisfaction guarantee and member pricing the company puts at 30% to 50% off.

CONS

• Low typical earnings. In 2023, 89.6% of business builders averaged $2,131 a year, and most members earn nothing.
• A monthly purchase commitment. Members agree to a minimum Product Points order every month, which some people find hard to keep up.
• Fees and minimums are not posted publicly, so you have to rely on the person recruiting you for the details.
• Past regulatory attention. In June 2020 the FTC sent Melaleuca a warning letter about earnings claims made during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Closed shopping. Products are sold only to members, so you cannot point a friend to a store or a one-time purchase.