Rodan + Fields trades multilevel marketing for a flat 30% affiliate program

SAN FRANCISCO (Direct Sales Aid) — Rodan + Fields, the dermatologist-founded skin care company that was once among the largest multilevel marketers in the United States, now pays its sellers a flat 30% commission on what they personally sell and nothing on the people they recruit, two years after it scrapped the multitiered compensation plan that built the brand.

The change took effect Sept. 1, 2024. In a July 15, 2024, announcement, the San Francisco company said it would “move away from the multi-level direct selling model” and that recruiting, along with the commissions consultants earned on their recruits’ sales, “will no longer be a component” of its business.

Under the affiliate program, which was opened only to consultants already with the company, sellers earn 30% on customer sales and pay $9.99 a year for a personal website and reporting tools, according to the program’s published terms. There are no rank requirements, no team-building bonuses and no income from a downline.

The company said at the time that more than 90% of its consultants would have higher earning potential under the new structure based on their existing sales. It also cut about 100 corporate positions and raised $75 million from existing minority investors to shore up its balance sheet, according to the announcement and reporting by Cosmetics Business and WWD.

“We are confident these changes will enable us to meaningfully expand the lives we can impact and — importantly — allow us to continue to provide our passionate Consultants with a modern and meaningful earning opportunity,” CEO Dimitri Haloulos said in the 2024 statement.

From Stanford residency to a $4 billion valuation

Rodan + Fields was founded by dermatologists Katie Rodan and Kathy Fields, who met during their residency at Stanford University School of Medicine. The pair sold the brand to Estée Lauder in 2003, bought it back in 2007 and relaunched it as a direct-selling company. Private equity firm TPG took a stake in 2018 at a reported $4 billion valuation.

Under the old plan, consultants earned on their own sales and on the sales of the people they recruited, the structure that defines multilevel marketing. The model drew scrutiny as the ranks grew: about 125,000 of the company’s recruits, roughly 44%, recorded no earnings in 2016, according to the income disclosure the company published for that year.

Two years on: 400 Ulta stores, Amazon and 70,000 affiliates

The affiliate program is now one channel among several. On Sept. 8, 2026, Rodan + Fields said it would expand from 150 to 400 Ulta Beauty stores, launch on Amazon Premium Beauty and grow its presence on TikTok Shop, alongside a new loyalty program called R+F Beauty Rewards.

The company said it has about 70,000 brand affiliates worldwide and sold more than 5 million units in the past year. “We’re not replacing our heritage, we’re expanding upon it, alongside the power of our affiliate community,” Haloulos said in the announcement.

Haloulos told the trade publication Glossy in September that affiliate sales in the areas around the first 150 Ulta stores held flat rather than falling. “Many consultants’ businesses actually grew, because there’s credibility saying, ‘Hey, I want to talk to you about a product. It’s also in an Ulta,’” he said.

What it means for sellers

For direct sellers weighing the company, the math is simpler than it was: 30% of what you sell, no downline and no rank to maintain. The trade-off is the ceiling. There is no override income on a team, and the program remains closed to newcomers. Anyone who was not a Rodan + Fields consultant before September 2024 cannot join it today.

Rodan + Fields is profiled on Direct Sales Aid, where its commission is listed at 30%. See the company profile or browse Rodan + Fields consultants by state.

Sources: Rodan + Fields press releases via PR Newswire (July 15, 2024; Sept. 8, 2026); WWD; Cosmetics Business; Direct Selling News; Glossy (Sept. 1, 2026); affiliate program terms as listed by Lasso; Rodan + Fields income disclosure (2016) as cited by Wikipedia.