Beautycounter Review (2026): What Happened, and Is Counter an MLM Now?

If you were a Beautycounter consultant, or just a loyal customer, 2024 probably felt like the floor fell out. One month the brand was everywhere. The next, it was gone, then back, then gone again.

This Beautycounter review explains what happened, step by step, what the brand is now (it's called Counter), whether Counter is still an MLM, what the products cost, and cheaper alternatives.

Quick answer: Beautycounter, the clean-beauty company Gregg Renfrew founded in 2013, went into administration in April 2024 after The Carlyle Group wrote off its investment. Renfrew bought the brand back out of foreclosure on April 18, 2024, and relaunched it as Counter in June 2025, without the MLM-style compensation plan. Counter now runs an approved Brand Partner program that pays commission on your own link sales.

I've been inside 8 network marketing companies since 2004, and I always start with the company's own words. For this review I read counter.com, its Brand Partner, FAQ and terms pages, Business of Fashion's reporting, Wikipedia, NewBeauty, Cosmetics Business and Truth in Advertising's record, plus its public social media numbers. You can browse every company I've reviewed on one page.

Here's what I found.

What Happened to Beautycounter?

Here's the sequence, from the sources I could read:

1. 2013: Gregg Renfrew founds Beautycounter, a clean-beauty skin care and makeup brand sold largely through consultants (Wikipedia).
2. April 2021: "Beautycounter was acquired by The Carlyle Group in a deal that valued the company at $1 billion" (Wikipedia).
3. Under Carlyle: Cosmetics Business reports that "Beautycounter changed its compensation structure for sales reps … and sales declined."
4. March to April 2024: "In March 2024, Carlyle wrote off its investment in the company and the company went into administration in April 2024" (Wikipedia).
5. April 18, 2024: Business of Fashion reported that Renfrew "bought back the clean beauty line out of foreclosure on April 18," that "Counter Brands LLC, the parent company of Beautycounter, is winding down," and that "Beautycounter will retain the vast majority of its direct sales associates."
6. Later in 2024: a planned May 1 relaunch didn't happen. Business of Fashion's follow-up headline read "Beautycounter Will Not Return Until Late 2024," saying the company would be "on hiatus while it establishes a sustainable path to return as a new company."
7. June 2025: the brand came back as Counter (Business of Fashion reported a week before that it would relaunch June 25), "keeping its clean formulations and giving up its MLM-style compensation model in favor of 'community commerce'" (Business of Fashion). NewBeauty reported a smaller range: about 50 products, compared with Beautycounter's 245.

What I couldn't find is a primary document spelling out what each consultant was owed or paid when the old company wound down, so I'm not going to guess at it.

You can compare Beautycounter's status with other companies in the full MLM company directory.

Is Beautycounter Still in Business?

The brand is, as Counter. When I checked counter.com on October 14, 2026, it carried "© 2026 COUNTER" and a banner reading "OUR LIMITED-EDITION HOLIDAY 2026 GIFT SETS ARE HERE." Its terms say its rewards program in the US is "operated by G2G Ventures, PBC," with a legal address in Santa Monica, California.

I also tried an old-style consultant web address on beautycounter.com. It forwarded to counter.com and returned a "404 Not Found" page, so don't count on an old personal site still working.

Is Counter an MLM Now?

Not the way Beautycounter was. The relaunch dropped the multi-level compensation plan, according to Business of Fashion. What Counter has instead is a Brand Partner program, and here's how its own page describes the pay:

• "Earn 40% commission on sales to first-time customers and 20% on sales to returning customers when they shop through your personal link."
• "Unlock a 5% bonus when you reach $500 in monthly sales, and 10% when you reach $1500 in monthly sales."
• "Receive a one-time $20 product credit bonus for every new brand partner you introduce to our movement when they enroll."

Partners have to be approved: "All applications undergo a review and approval process." And "Partners do not receive a discount for personal orders." Counter's FAQ also mentions "ongoing referral bonuses" for partners. The full program terms sit behind an account login, so I couldn't read them.

From what's public, that's an affiliate-style program: you earn on what people buy through your link, with a small one-time credit for bringing in another partner, not ongoing pay on a team's sales. It's a real change from the old model. When Beautycounter was an MLM, Truth in Advertising reported, joining took "a mandatory $98 enrollment kit (or $50 for a digital kit)" plus "a $50 'Business-Builder' renewal fee that is billed annually." Counter's program page shows no kit or fee.

What Is Counter (Formerly Beautycounter)?

What Counter Sells and What It Costs

Here are prices from counter.com on October 14, 2026:

Counter says the Retinatural+ serum uses "retinol alternatives" including bakuchiol. These are premium prices, which is part of the brand's pitch on clean formulations.

What About the Lawsuit Ads?

If you searched "Beautycounter MLM," you may have seen a law firm's page. It's Tycko & Zavareei LLP, and it's an intake page asking former consultants to "complete the confidential form below." It says its "investigation has found that Beautycounter's consultants may be exploited by the company's multilevel marketing program in violation of state law."

That's a law firm looking for clients. It doesn't name a lawsuit, a court or a case number, and it isn't a finding that anyone did anything wrong. I found no FTC or state attorney general action against Beautycounter or Counter.

What Counter's Social Media Shows Right Now

These numbers were read from each public profile on October 14, 2026.

The Instagram account is the active one. The old Beautycounter YouTube channel hasn't posted since April 2024.

The Good: What Counter Gets Right

• The brand survived. Customers can still buy the line.
• No buy-in to partner. No kit or fee is shown, and pay is on your own link sales.
• A clear commission rate. 40% on a new customer's first order, 20% on repeat orders.
• A focused range. About 50 products instead of 245.

The Concerns: What You Need to Know

• A rough history. A $1 billion valuation in 2021 ended in administration in 2024.
• Unclear consultant outcomes. I found no primary record of what old consultants were owed.
• Partner terms behind a login. The public page doesn't show everything.
• Premium prices. $89 serums and a $98 cream.

Product Alternatives

If you love the Counter look but not the prices, here's what else is out there. These aren't the same formulas, and "clean" standards differ from brand to brand, so read each label.

The Amazon prices are the buy-box prices on each listing when I checked on October 14, 2026, and all four were in stock. Prices change, so check before you buy.

Counter vs Other Beauty Companies

If you're a former consultant looking at what's next, read my Arbonne review, another clean-positioned beauty company, and my Rodan + Fields review, a skin care brand that also left the MLM model. Tupperware is another famous direct-sales brand that hit hard times.

My Verdict: Is Counter Worth It in 2026?

One More Thing...

If you built a Beautycounter business, you lost something real in 2024, and it wasn't your fault. But what you built wasn't only a downline. You learned how to talk about products you believe in and how to earn trust online.

Those skills still work, with Counter's partner link or with anything else. That's what The Sponsoring System teaches: how to share real, useful content so the right people come to you. It's a free email series where I share the digital marketing that actually works for networkers. If you want it, start the free series here.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened to Beautycounter?

In March 2024, The Carlyle Group wrote off its investment and the company went into administration in April 2024. Founder Gregg Renfrew bought the brand back out of foreclosure on April 18, 2024, paused it, and relaunched it as Counter in June 2025.

Is Beautycounter still in business?

The brand is, under a new name. Counter sells the clean-beauty line at counter.com, which carried a 2026 copyright and holiday 2026 gift sets when I checked in October 2026.

Is Counter an MLM?

Not the way Beautycounter was. Business of Fashion reported that Counter gave up "its MLM-style compensation model in favor of 'community commerce.'" Approved Brand Partners earn 40% on a new customer's first order and 20% on repeat orders through their own link, plus a one-time $20 product credit for each new partner they introduce.

Can old Beautycounter consultants join Counter?

Anyone can apply to Counter's Brand Partner program, and "All applications undergo a review and approval process." There's no starter kit or fee shown on its program page.

How much is Counter's Vitamin C serum?

On October 14, 2026, counter.com listed All Bright Vitamin C Serum at $89 for 30 ml (1 fl oz).