LifeVantage

LifeVantage is a Utah-based supplement company that sells products it claims will help you live a longer, healthier life.

Entrepreneur Darren Jenson founded the brand in 2003, and it shifted from traditional retail to a network marketing system in 2009. Today, the company’s products claim to give you nutrients that affect gene expression. This will purportedly optimize their performance so that our bodies can maintain themselves at their healthiest level.

LifeVantage claims that essential plant extracts within its products work together to tell your body to produce antioxidants that slow down the aging process. The goal is to “reawaken” your genes to do what it takes to regulate your body for better health overall.

But will they work as described, and should you consider selling them yourself? Learn from our analysis here.

Looking at LifeVantage Popular Products

Here’s a quick summary of some of the popular package deals available from LifeVantage:

Protandim Tri-Synergizer: This three-pack includes a 30-day supply of Nrf2, NrF1, and NAD Synergizers to help your body detoxify, support its natural abilities to repair itself, improve energy efficiency, and boost mental focus, among other benefits ($154 or $127.99 monthly).

Ultimate Stack: This kit includes a thirty-day supply of six products designed to optimize your gut health so that you get the maximum nutrient content from your food: Protandim Nrf2, NAD and NF Synergizers, Omega+, ProBio, and PhysIQ ($286.99 or $239.99 monthly).

TrueScience Hair Care System: You’ll receive a month’s worth of TrueScience shampoo, conditioner, and scalp serum ($120.99 or $100.99 monthly).

PhysIQ System: This three-piece kid included whey protein, a prebiotic powder, and the PhysIQ Fat Burn proprietary blend of citrus and green coffee seed extract to rev up your metabolism ($168.99 or $140.99 monthly).

Petandim for Dogs: This daily supplement claims to help dogs fight oxidative stress in order to have healthier joints and a shiny coat ($30.99 or $25.99 monthly).

All distributors also qualify for the monthly price for every order, regardless of whether they sign up for auto-ship.

Shipping is free for all subscribers and distributors, or any orders over $100. You can return any unopened products and marketing materials to the company within 30 days of purchase for a full refund. Further questions should be directed to support@lifevantage.com or (866) 460-7241.

Clinical Evidence for LifeVantage Products

LifeVantage makes bold claims about its products. Will they work as described? Multiple studies look closer at some of the brand’s products. Here are the results from a few of them.

A 2015 study sponsored by the University of Louisville involved 40 participants. It looked to see if taking Protandim had an effect on oxidative damage and helped athletes recover faster from exercise and improve their performance. The study found that those who took the supplement slightly improved their 5k running times compared to a placebo group that experienced no improvement.

Another study from 2016 looked at the effect Protandim had on athletic performance, but it found that the supplement didn’t succeed in improving 5k times, raise antioxidant levels, or affect the quality of life for participants compared to taking a placebo.

Finally, a 2006 study found that Protandim led to a 40% decrease in TBARS (thiobarbituric acid-reacting substances) that are considered a cause of antioxidant damage. However, this study only looked at rodents and didn’t replicate the results with human populations.

Overall, these studies don’t offer robust evidence that Protandim will work. One study saw only slight improvements for athletes, another found no difference compared to a placebo, and the study most focused on anti-aging benefits didn’t even involve people.

More evidence is clearly needed to determine whether these products will work as described—and if they are worth the monthly cost.

What’s It Like to Sell for LifeVantage?

Signing up to be a LifeVantage distributor allows you to make a commission off anything you can sell, and you’ll also receive a 20% discount on all products.

To get started as a LifeVenture distributor, you’ll first need to sign up by indicating who your distributor is (you’ll get one assigned to you when you make your first purchase). Next, you’ll fill out an application expressing your interest.

You’re then required to purchase a Start Kit for $50, plus applicable shipping and taxes. This kit includes product samples, opportunity DVDs, a company decal, and marketing materials to help you introduce others to the product line.

To maintain active status and earn commissions, you’ll need to have a minimum of 100 PV (personal volume) each month. Each product on the site has a listed PV level. For instance, the Protandim Dual Synergizer is worth 80 PV, while the TrueScience Invigorating Shampoo is worth 27.

At least 40 PV must come from personal purchases, and the rest can come from the customers within your network.

According to the LifeVantage Compensation Plan, there are seven main ways that you can earn money.

1. Smart Start Bonus: You’ll earn a commission from any products sold to your personally-enrolled customers (paid out weekly).

2. Launch Bonus: This is money you make when new customers or distributors join your network (paid weekly).

3. Unilevel Commissions: Commissions earned from recurring sales within your network (paid monthly).

4. Generational Matching Bonus: Earn a percentage of your personally-enrolled Distributor’s Unilevel commissions (paid monthly).

5. Elite Bonus Pool: All Distributors who quality for Elite Rank may be paid out of the Elite Bonus Pool, which includes 4% of the company’s total global commissionable sales.

6. Achievement Bonus: Those who achieve the ranks of Master Pro 10, Executive Pro 10, or Presidential Master Pro 10 will receive a one-time bonus of $100,000–$500,000 (paid over 12–24 months).

7. Business Centers: Those who reach Premier PRO 5 can apply for an additional Business Center, which adds an extra level of commission on purchases.

As with most multi-level marketing schemes, many of the ways that you earn money from LifeVantage is by encouraging others to join your network and start selling. It’s a lot more profitable to have a network of other sellers working under you than to sell to customers directly.

The specifics for each part of the compensation plan, including the minimal requirements necessary to qualify, can be found in the company’s official commission plan guidelines.

Is LifeVantage Legit?

A $500,000 bonus sounds impressive, but how much can you realistically expect to earn from LifeVantage? The company’s 2019 annual earnings disclosure sheds some insight.

This report shows that 67.5% of all sellers are at the Distributor tier, or the lowest level available for LifeVenture. Of those who are making money, the average gross monthly commission is just $7. More than 98.5% of all sellers are at the Premier Pro 4 level or below, and their average monthly earnings max out at $1,496.

In other words, less than 1.5% of all LifeVantage sellers are making more than $1,500 per month, and that’s before you factor in any business expenses or personal product purchases. Remember, you need to have at least 100PV per month to maintain distributor status, and all distributors need to make their own monthly purchases.

Some people are coming away with real cash for their time, though, as approximately 0.25% of LifeVenture sellers qualify for levels from Elite Pro 7 to Executive Master Pro 10, where they make on average between $13,402–$132,098 per month they maintain that level. Note that it takes an average of 89 months to reach the Executive status – or around 7.5 years.

These numbers make it clear that LifeVantage’s profits are skewed sharply towards the top. A tiny minority are making millions each year, while more than 2/3 of all sellers average less than $100 before expenses within the same timeframe.

LifeVantage was involved in a nationwide class-action lawsuit in 2018 that alleged the company was operating a pyramid scheme and peddling products with minimal health and nutritional benefits. The case further claims that 94% of LifeVantage distributors lose money and that it makes its money selling “false dreams of wealth” to its supporters.

At publication, this case was still ongoing.

Analysis of Customer Reviews

Almost thirty HighYa readers have left reviews for LifeVantage, both from the buying and selling perspective. These average four stars. There are also 40 reviews from LifeVantage employees (though not distributors) on Glassdoor, averaging 3.5 stars. Here’s a summary of the biggest takeaways.

Compliments:

• Long-term users experienced positive results.
• Many were able to add foods back to their diet they previously avoided due to flareups
• Led to improvements for those with chronic pain or auto-immune disorders

Complaints:

• Some thought their hair and skin issues worsened after using the products
• Too expensive for the benefits
• Unsatisfactory customer service experiences

Notably, we couldn’t track down many reviews from LifeVantage sellers that expressed a negative opinion about the company or its income potential. Most reviews from distributors focused primarily on how much they loved the products and thought they worked.

The Bottom Line: Is It Worth Selling for LifeVantage?

LifeVantage makes bold claims that its products will make you healthier, help you live longer, and even make you rich in the process. Unfortunately, the evidence is limited that it will succeed in all three categories.

Not only does LifeVantage follow the pattern of most MLMs by financially rewarding only a tiny minority, but the clinical studies for the supplement’s effectiveness should inspire tepid enthusiasm at best.

Our view is that it only makes sense to sign up to be a LifeVantage distributor if you love these products and plan to purchase a monthly supply for the foreseeable future. You’ll save 20% per order and might bring in a little extra cash if you can sell some to those around you as well.

Anyone with loftier dreams of making money from selling LifeVantage is likely to be disappointed unless they are willing to put in the hard work necessary to beat the odds and join the 1% of company success stories.