Rodan + Fields Review (2026): What Changed After It Left MLM

If you've spent any time on Facebook in the last ten years, there's a decent chance a friend invited you to try Rodan + Fields. Maybe it was the Redefine regimen. Maybe it was Lash Boost.

This Rodan and Fields review is for 2026, and 2026 is a different story. The company that helped define skincare MLM is no longer an MLM. It switched to an affiliate program in September 2024, and in September 2026 it announced a big push into Ulta Beauty stores and Amazon.

Quick answer: Rodan + Fields is a real, dermatologist-founded skincare company that is still operating in 2026. It stopped running a multi-level compensation plan on September 1, 2024 and now sells through affiliates, its own website, Ulta Beauty and Amazon Premium Beauty. You no longer need to join anything to buy it.

I've been inside 8 network marketing companies since 2004, and I've watched a lot of companies change their model. So I did what I always do: I dug in. We read the company's own site and announcements, its Wikipedia history and the FTC's letter, and pulled its current social media numbers from the public profiles. If you're comparing companies, every company I have reviewed is on one page.

Here's what I found.

What Is Rodan + Fields?

Rodan + Fields is a San Francisco skincare company founded by dermatologists Katie Rodan and Kathy Fields, the two doctors who created Proactiv. They founded the brand in 2000, sold it to Estée Lauder in 2003, bought it back, and relaunched it in 2007 as a multi-level marketing company (Wikipedia).

Detail	Info
Founders	Dr. Katie Rodan and Dr. Kathy Fields (creators of Proactiv)
Founded	2000; sold to Estée Lauder 2003; relaunched as an MLM 2007
Headquarters	San Francisco, California (60 Spear Street, per the company's own site)
CEO	Dimitri Haloulos (named as CEO in the company's September 2026 announcement)
Products	Skincare (including the Redefine anti-aging regimen) and, since 2022, haircare (Volume+ and Smooth+)
Business model in 2026	Affiliate program plus retail (Ulta Beauty, Amazon Premium Beauty, TikTok Shop)
MLM status	Left multi-level marketing on September 1, 2024
Website	rodanandfields.com

The founder story is the real strength here. These are practicing dermatologists with a skincare brand millions of people already knew. That credibility is a big part of why R+F became one of the most recognizable names in direct selling.

Is Rodan + Fields Still an MLM in 2026?

No. Rodan + Fields announced in July 2024 that it would switch from a multi-level direct selling strategy to an affiliate program on September 1, 2024. It cut 100 positions and reorganized into a direct-to-consumer business, and only existing consultants were eligible to join the new affiliate program (Wikipedia).

In plain terms, the multi-level part, being paid on the sales of people you bring in, is what R+F said it was leaving. An affiliate program is a simpler thing: you share the products, and the company pays you on your own customers.

Then the company went further into retail. Here's the timeline:

1. 2007: relaunched as a multi-level marketing company.
2. July 2024: announced the switch to an affiliate program.
3. September 1, 2024: the affiliate program took effect.
4. March 2025: announced a partnership with Ulta Beauty (Direct Selling News).
5. September 8, 2026: announced growth from 150 to 400 Ulta stores, a listing in Amazon Premium Beauty, a bigger TikTok Shop presence and a new R+F Beauty Rewards loyalty program, while "continuing to strengthen its affiliate and direct-to-consumer business" (PR Newswire).

That last point matters if you're an affiliate. The company is now selling the same products in 400 Ulta stores and on Amazon. Your customers can buy them in a store without you. That's great for shoppers, and it's worth thinking hard about if you're counting on R+F income.

For what it's worth, the directory rows for every company I track, including the ones that dropped their MLM model, are in the MLM companies list.

What Did the MLM Years Look Like for Consultants?

The numbers from the MLM era were tough. According to Wikipedia's account of Rodan + Fields' 2016 income disclosure, 90% of members earned under $200 a month and 44% of recruits recorded zero earnings.

I don't share that to knock anyone who joined. A lot of good people signed up because they loved the products and trusted the friend who invited them. But if you're one of them and you're wondering whether it was just you, it wasn't. The disclosure says most people earned very little.

That's also the context for the 2024 change. When a company says it's leaving the multi-level model, the numbers above are part of what it's leaving behind.

The FTC Letter and the Lash Boost Settlement

Two parts of R+F's history come up in almost every search, so here they are, plainly.

The FTC warning letter (April 24, 2020). The FTC sent Rodan & Fields, LLC a warning letter saying participants' social media posts made unlawful claims about substantial income during the COVID-19 downturn, and asked for a response within 48 hours (FTC; CNBC). It was a warning letter, not an enforcement action, and it was about claims sellers made, not a finding about the company's products.

The Lash Boost class action. Wikipedia reports that R+F offered $38 million to resolve a class action over its Lash Boost serum and agreed to change the product's usage instructions and warnings. The trade report it cites is dated April 2022. I haven't read the court docket, so I'm reporting the settlement figure as Wikipedia records it. This review makes no claims about whether Lash Boost works; that's between you and your doctor.

My search found no FTC, SEC or state attorney general enforcement action against the company beyond that letter. That search was not exhaustive.

What R+F's Social Media Shows Right Now

These numbers were read from each profile's public page on September 28, 2026. A company's social activity is one of the quickest honest signals of whether it's growing, coasting or fading.

Platform	Handle	Followers	Posts	Last post
Instagram	@rodanandfields	278K	4,367	September 27, 2026
YouTube	@RodanandFields	48.9K subscribers	430 videos	September 26, 2026
TikTok	@rodanandfields (verified)	35,100	912 videos	not readable
Facebook	rodanandfields	not readable from a public page

The takeaway: this is a large, active brand. It posted on YouTube and Instagram within two days of my check. Whatever you think of the old business model, R+F is not a company quietly winding down.

Rodan + Fields vs Mary Kay

People ask Google this all the time. In 2026 the biggest difference is structural: Rodan + Fields no longer runs a multi-level plan, while Mary Kay is a separate story I covered in my Mary Kay review.

If you're a shopper, R+F is now the easier one to buy without talking to a seller, because it's in Ulta stores and on Amazon. If you're thinking about the business side, compare how each one actually pays you before you compare the products.

The Good: What Rodan + Fields Gets Right

• Real credentials behind the brand. Two dermatologists who built Proactiv founded it, and that's a genuine differentiator in skincare.
• You can buy it without joining. Ulta, Amazon Premium Beauty, TikTok Shop and the company's own site all sell it.
• It changed course instead of pretending. Leaving the multi-level model was a big, public decision. Whatever the reasons, it's more transparent than quietly tweaking a comp plan.
• The brand is alive and posting. 278K Instagram followers and posts within days of my check.

The Concerns: What You Need to Know

• The MLM-era numbers were rough. 90% under $200 a month and 44% at zero, per the 2016 disclosure as Wikipedia reports it.
• Affiliates now compete with retail. With 400 Ulta stores and Amazon, a customer has many ways to buy that don't involve you.
• The regulatory history is real. An FTC warning letter about seller income claims and a $38 million Lash Boost settlement offer are part of the record.
• Only existing consultants could join the affiliate program, according to Wikipedia, so this isn't an open "business opportunity" in the old sense.

Is Rodan + Fields a Pyramid Scheme?

Rodan + Fields sells real skincare to real customers, and my search found no regulator calling it a pyramid scheme. Consumer advocates did criticize its multi-level model as working like one, and the 2016 income disclosure backs up the point that most sellers earned little.

In 2026 the question is mostly historical. Since September 1, 2024 the company says it runs an affiliate program, not a multi-level plan. If you're looking at other skincare companies that still run multi-level plans, Nu Skin and Younique are two I've reviewed.

My Verdict: Is Rodan + Fields Worth It in 2026?

One More Thing...

Here's what the R+F story taught a lot of people: the company can change the rules at any time. The plan you signed up for in 2019 isn't the plan that exists today.

What doesn't change is the skill underneath. If you know how to attract people, build an audience and create content that brings customers to you, you can take that anywhere, no matter what any one company decides.

That's what The Sponsoring System is about. It's a free email series where I break down the digital marketing that actually works for networkers, without the friends-and-family grind. If that sounds useful, you can start it here. It's free, and you can unsubscribe any time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Rodan and Fields still an MLM?

No. Rodan + Fields announced in July 2024 that it would switch from a multi-level direct selling model to an affiliate program on September 1, 2024, and cut 100 positions as it reorganized. In September 2026 the company said it was continuing to strengthen its affiliate business while it expanded into Ulta Beauty stores and Amazon's Premium Beauty store.

Is Rodan and Fields a pyramid scheme?

Rodan + Fields sold real skincare products to real customers, and my search found no FTC, SEC or state attorney general action calling it a pyramid scheme. Critics did say its multi-level model worked like one, and its own 2016 income disclosure showed most sellers earned very little. Since September 2024 it no longer runs a multi-level plan at all.

What happened to Rodan and Fields?

Rodan + Fields left multi-level marketing in 2024 for an affiliate program, then moved into retail. It partnered with Ulta Beauty in 2025, and on September 8, 2026 it announced growth from 150 to 400 Ulta stores, a listing in Amazon Premium Beauty, a bigger TikTok Shop presence and an R+F Beauty Rewards loyalty program.

Which is better, Mary Kay or Rodan and Fields?

They are now different kinds of businesses. Rodan + Fields no longer runs a multi-level plan and sells through its affiliates, its own site, Ulta and Amazon, while Mary Kay is covered in my separate Mary Kay review. If you want to buy skincare without joining anything, R+F is now easier to buy in a store.

Who founded Rodan and Fields?

Dermatologists Katie Rodan and Kathy Fields, the creators of Proactiv, founded Rodan + Fields in 2000. They sold it to Estée Lauder in 2003, bought it back, and relaunched it as a multi-level marketing company in 2007.