When A+ rating popped under SeneGence upon my search on BBB, my initial guess was, it is far from a scam but surprisingly, I didn’t have to troll for complaints. Consumers are yelling!
Chances are that you’re interested in SeneGence products or business opportunity but wondering whether it’s a scam or not.
First of all, let me congratulate you for doing your due diligence because that’s how to avoid scams to save yourself of any losses.
To be upfront with you, SeneGence is not a scam but if you’re being told by a friend or distributor to purchase their products as a distributor in order to receive huge discounts, beware!
You may not like what you’ll find behind that bait.
In this review, I reveal to you all that you need to know about SeneGence from a perspective of multiple income opportunities explorer so that you can make an informed decision.
Summary: SeneGence is a direct selling company in the skincare and cosmetics industry which uses multilevel marketing/network marketing to roll-out its products. The company has been in operation for over 20 years growing its products to beyond 300.
The company, however, has a lot of complaints about their naturally based claimed products and provides no income disclosure for individuals to assess success rate before joining. So you have to prepare for anything when you decide to partner with them.
My Overall Rating: 4.3 out of 10
Remarks: An opportunity for cosmetic lovers and anyone willing to risk money for the business
What is SeneGence About?
SeneGence is a company in the skincare and cosmetic niches which uses multilevel or network marketing as a mode of direct selling to get its products to the general public. It’s claimed to be an international leader in cosmetics.
SeneGence started business in 1997 by founder Joni Rogers-Kante and in 1999, launched their premiere product named LipSense. Like most MLM companies will sell you on, their business was birthed out of an amazing discovery of natural ingredients and formulations.
What makes it special according to them is that it took the exploration by the founder outside the US and an undisclosed award-winning scientist to carefully curate a formula which enables those natural ingredients to work together.
Today, the company boasts of over 300 products catalogued under SeneDerm anti-ageing system and SenseCosmetics which is offering a generous business opportunity for individuals who want to work as independent distributors with them.
As you’re here, you’re probably looking for an answer to one of these or probably both…
Are SeneGence products safe, effective and worth the money?
Can you make money with SeneGence business opportunity?
Well, to answer your questions…
There isn’t much found on the success rate of the business as SeneGence provides no income disclosure on their site.
For the products, there are several complaints which made me curious to dive deeper into what their products are made of.
So if you want to know why such complaints and different sides presented in most reviews, then you would want to read the subsequent sections thoroughly.
Among these categories of products, their patented product which is tagged as no other in the market is LipSense lipstick. It’s their outspoken product that is claimed to leave a long-lasting colour on your lips for 4-18 hours with just a simple three-coat application.
This is how they put it: “LipSense is the premier product of SeneGence and is unlike any conventional lipstick, stain or colour.”
Is it really special as they put it? Let’s see…..
What Behind The Ingredients……
The key ingredients that SeneGence highlights their benefits are Denatured Alcohol, Paeonia Suffruticosa Root (Tree Peony) Extract, Hypericum Perforatum (St. John’s Wort) Extract, Tilia Cordata (Linden) Flower Extract, Isodonis Japonicus Extract and Mica.
As scientific as the names are, my research shows that most of them have little to no scientific evidence of the benefits they give to the skin. While some are indeed great, others pose side effects that individuals may react differently to.
SeneGence claims to use cosmetic grade denatured alcohol without stating the specifics. A study which assessed the safety of denatured alcohols revealed that some denaturants have not been fully evaluated for cosmetic usage.
While some denatured alcohols are safe and approved, you should at least be aware of what exactly that denatured alcohol is. Some are reported to be harsh to the skin.
One ingredient that caught my attention is the Hypericum Perforatum (St. John’s Wort) Extract. SeneGence says it’s “a natural herb used to elevate mood and treat depressions”. The question that I asked myself is, “what is that got to do with the lips?” Does the lip get depressed?
It’s true as found on WebMD that St. John’s Wort has those benefits and even used to treat superficial wounds, scars and burns.
However, it has been revealed that it can cause serious skin sensitivity to sunlight especially in fair-skinned individuals and diseased skins as concluded in this research.
According to EWG, Isodonis Japonicus Extract scores 1 and the concerns for this ingredient is that there is no PubMed research on its toxicity and also no safety assessment in cosmetics by the industry panel.
The list goes on and on but what one can take from the few I’ve shared is that there are aspects of these ingredients that may not go down well with your skin especially if you have a sensitive one.
Anyway, let’s find out from users if SeneGence products are delivering results as advertised.
Do SeneGence Products Work? Customers’ Review
SeneGence seems to have a number of their products arrayed on Amazon which is pretty good to see whether the ingredient benefits outlined on their website are true or my research findings are disproving some of the claims.
One LipSense product which has 338 reviews, got 71% 5 stars and 8% 1 star with the most recent review shown below;
Similar products by different distributors have also received 1,376 reviews of which 65% are 5 stars and 13% is 1 star. The most recent review can be found below;
SeneGence appears to have overall positive feedback on Amazon but on Sitejabber, it’s a different story.
Out of 54 customer reviews, 38 rated it 1 star while 11 as 5 star which represents an overall dissatisfaction. You can see how customers are yelling at the LipSense in the reviews below;
As food for thought, SeneGence products may work or not work for you depending on your body chemistry. So you might want to cross-check the ingredients well before trying.
At least test it on your hands for the LipSense before applying it to your lips to avoid getting burned.
That’s for the products but If you’re like me, the business opportunity might be the very reason that you’re reading this review.
How Do You Make Money With SeneGence?
There are basically two main ways to make money with SeneGence…..
Selling Products
Unlike Affiliate Marketing where you only promote products you don’t own to earn commissions without necessarily buying it, you have to purchase and resell SeneGence products in order to make money.
This requires sales skills that most who don’t develop that fail to find success. Failure to sell your products every month will lead to a pile of them which forces your hand to sell at a discounted price and may lose money as well.
Multi-Level marketing works on leveraging the effort of team members to make money which is achieved by recruiting people into SeneGence as Distributors.
Most of the money you make comes from this option which works by attracting prospects of likeminded people into the business. You would have to equip yourself with the capability to build a team before you can achieve any success with this option.
SeneGence Compensation Plan
Usually, compensation plans of MLMs are complex and will take you a lifetime in the business to completely digest but SeneGence looks pretty simpler. There are basically two main ways to make money here:
Those discounts are the commissions you make for on-the-spot customer sales or customer direct order from your back office. Commissions earned through your customer direct order are made into your SeneCash.
The commissions vary with the number of products you purchase as shown below:
Suggested Retail, $
Personal Volume (PV)
Distributor Discount, %
1 -199.99
1 – 99.99
20
200 – 599.99
100 – 299.99
30
600 – 1,1499.99
300 – 749.99
40
1,500 or more
750 or more
50
While SeneGence appears to foster selling as recommended by FTC you have to learn how to attract more customers to make a significant amount of money with this option.
Commission Income
This income comes from recruitment of independent distributors into SeneGence business which you will often hear as downlines. It’s what makes you the most money.
It works by a unilevel tree. The people you personally sign up becomes your first level downlines and what they register becomes your second level downlines and so forth as shown below.
Having this system in mind your income options are:
Downline Commissions
SeneGence pays you 10%, 20% and 30% of the total product purchased in a month of your downlines 1, 2 and 3 respectively. However, you should have a personal volume (PV) of 100.
For levels 4 and 5, you make 5% commission on all your downlines’ personal purchases which requires you to have 200 PV. PV is the volume assigned to the products you personally purchase.
Group Sales Commissions
In addition to the downline commissions, you also make commissions on the total volumes generated on every level to the 5th which is referred to as group sales volume (GSV).
For levels 1 through 5 you make GSV commissions of 10%, 6%, 4%, 3% and 2% respectively but you need to have purchased products worth 300PV or more to qualify for them.
For a detailed explanation of the compensation, check the video below;
How Do You Join SeneGence?
If at this point you’re interested in joining SeneGence, you have two options:
1. SeneGence Customer (FREE)
You enjoy no other benefit than being connected to the nearest distributor in your locality to purchase product in-person or through online order. Online order comes with shipping cost.
You purchase products at retail price so if you want a discounted product you need to go for the next option which comes with a cost.
2. SeneGence Independent Distributor ($55 fee + other costs)
The $55 application fee earns you new distributor kits which are mostly information about the product without. If it’s to be shipped, then you’re going to bear the cost and any other related tax.
SeneGence doesn’t state openly on yearly maintenance fee as some company does so it’s an additional cost you have to be on the lookout for. Product purchase upon sign-up is optional but there’s no way of making money without it.
The product packs include:
Lips Pack ($75)
Glamour Demo Pack ($295)
Qualified Distributor Pack ($345)
Significant SeneSeller Pack ($745)
Fast Start Pack ($1,295)
So technically, you need at least $255 (application fee + 100PV) excluding annual maintenance fee to start as an independent distributor who is eligible to earn a downline commission which is quite some money.
If you’re looking for some form of income proof on how independent distributors are faring with the business before you can decide to join, forget it. SeneGence provides no such thing on the website.
An income disclosure statement is a basic requirement for this business type and failing to provide implies two things……….
The success rate is so appalling that it will discourage people from joining
They have no good track on distributors’ performances
It’s a big NO to even consider joining a business without an income disclosure statement. With over 99% recorded failures in MLMs, you’ll be taking a high risk in joining SeneGence.
High Start-Up Cost
As pointed out, you need not less than $255 to start your business as an independent distributor and have the eligibility to make downline commissions.
While there are other lower start-up costs in similar opportunities like MaskCara Beauty and Acti-Labs, you’ll still have to do monthly stocking or auto-shipping of about $300 to qualify for all commissions.
Some people will argue it’s optional but the truth is you need it as a qualification for commission income. That’s the reason you joined as a distributor so it’s a requirement.
Long Chain of Complaints
Over the last 3 years, SeneGence has received 77 complaints and counting of which 57 are related to products and service.
While it’s true that you can’t satisfy every customer or distributor 100% in a human institution, you can’t ignore them either if it’s alarming.
From the BBB complaints catalogue, predominant among them is the product issues and return policy which you can see in the most recent complaint below:
Huge Recruitment Is Your High-Ticket Success
SeneGence does well in compelling distributors to sell more as recommended by FTC but the truth is that to succeed big, you need to recruit more people into the business.
If you want to focus on only selling, fine but you can’t enjoy that dream of financial freedom and other benefits as preached to you. Success in MLM is leveraging the effort of others which is recruitment.
It hasn’t been only ugly truths, SeneGence has other good stuff which I would like to point out the few that stands out to me.
Long Years In Business
SeneGence has been in operation for over 20 years which isn’t a small achievement. Not all companies are able to endure all hardships along the way – most do fold up.
While this gives the company a good image to represent and tells you how stable they’re which boost your confidence level, it can also be bad for you in MLM business.
In MLM opportunities, people who usually join at the early stage get to be on top of the pyramid. However, that’s only when you work the system and have a vibrant team.
The Make Sense Foundation
The founder, Joni Rogers-Kante is not only making money for herself but she is being an extension of the hand to the needy and helpless in the community.
She donates to a non-profit organization with the make sense foundation to help people under abuse, rescue victims of sex trafficking, homeless people and a lot more.
It really warms my heart to see the needy and helpless people given aid which is something I commend the founder for. If I have to find a reason to join SeneGence, it will be this.
Is SeneGence A Scam?
It will be a harsh thing for me to say that SeneGence International is a scam. Although they have a lot to improve on, it isn’t a scam with over 20 years of experience around their belt.
Is SeneGence a pyramid scheme then? That depends on where you’re coming from but I wouldn’t say it is since they have real products to sell for commissions.
It’s indeed a genuine opportunity to make money but your chances of success are very minimal which is the reason why I prefer this method.
My Humble Advice
If you’re someone who is passionate about skincare and cosmetics and sees yourself selling SeneGence products for a long time, then you can give it a try.
One thing I’ve learned from MLM business is that independent distributors are products of the company’s products. So what I’ll suggest to you is that you use the products for at least a month to be convinced of its quality so that you can passionately share with people to drive sales home.
That will be your journey in the selling industry and the truth is that you can’t achieve any financial freedom with this business without recruiting or building a team of distributors.
And you should be prepared to face rejection over and over again without losing enthusiasm. That’s how you toughen yourself to move on. If not then the business is not for you.
What if at this point you’ve realized that SeneGence is not for you? What else can you do to make money online? Read on……
SeneGence Best Business Alternative
If you’re really determined to build a business even at the comfort of your home to support yourself and your family, then I can guide you through an online program to write your own success.
Several people have found successes doing what they’re passionate about with the program and I believe they’re not better than you. The best part is, you can give it a try without committing any financial information of yours.
Final Words – Over To You!
You deserve a pat on the back for following through the review to this point and I hope that whatever confusion or answer you were looking for has been addressed.
If you find this review helpful then you can share it with anyone who is caught between two minds on whether SeneGence is a scam or a legitimate company and I’ll appreciate it so much.
Furthermore, should you consider creating an online business out of your passion, there’s a FREE ultimate guide below that you can sign-up to help you get started.
Until then, feel free to share your experience on SeneGence or ask any questions you have and I’ll be more than glad to reply.
6 thoughts on “Is SeneGence A Scam? Beware of Enticing Sign-Up Deals!”
Hi, it is a great and nice feeling to know that someone will create a great website like this and also create a write up on an article like this. One thing I don’t like about MLM companies and the business in general is that only the first partakers enjoy most of the benefits. And selling a product for a long time can be boring and stressful when u run out clients
I agree with you to some level but that’s not always the case. The underlining thing is those that work the system with the right set of skills attract more clients and SeneGence is no exception. There are situations where first partakers even drop along the line because they don’t find any success. I personally know a few people.
Great post you have up here. Senegence seems quite well like something I would be willing to invest both my money and my time in. This seems quite convincing and very well okay because I can always bank on the fact that I’m working with a legitimate company and outlet. Though it is a network marketing business but if done properly well, could yield good profitable income
Well said, Rodarrick. SeneGence like most of the legitimate network marketing companies offer kind of nice products, however not many find any success. Most even end up incurring more cost unless you’re all up for it and learn the needed skills to thrive in the business. Few that are able to understand these requirements and treat it as such do find some level of success.
One of the keys to succeed in any MLM is having a great product line. After the euphoria and excitement of the early startup years die down and its business as usual, it’s the product quality that will sustain the company. If the products are great and something similar cannot be found elsewhere easily, the potential to be a successful distributor is good even if the company has been around a while. I found this article very balanced, well researched and informative. Thanks for sharing.
Hi, it is a great and nice feeling to know that someone will create a great website like this and also create a write up on an article like this. One thing I don’t like about MLM companies and the business in general is that only the first partakers enjoy most of the benefits. And selling a product for a long time can be boring and stressful when u run out clients
Thanks for stopping by, Benny.
I agree with you to some level but that’s not always the case. The underlining thing is those that work the system with the right set of skills attract more clients and SeneGence is no exception. There are situations where first partakers even drop along the line because they don’t find any success. I personally know a few people.
Great post you have up here. Senegence seems quite well like something I would be willing to invest both my money and my time in. This seems quite convincing and very well okay because I can always bank on the fact that I’m working with a legitimate company and outlet. Though it is a network marketing business but if done properly well, could yield good profitable income
Well said, Rodarrick. SeneGence like most of the legitimate network marketing companies offer kind of nice products, however not many find any success. Most even end up incurring more cost unless you’re all up for it and learn the needed skills to thrive in the business. Few that are able to understand these requirements and treat it as such do find some level of success.
One of the keys to succeed in any MLM is having a great product line. After the euphoria and excitement of the early startup years die down and its business as usual, it’s the product quality that will sustain the company. If the products are great and something similar cannot be found elsewhere easily, the potential to be a successful distributor is good even if the company has been around a while. I found this article very balanced, well researched and informative. Thanks for sharing.
Sandeep
Well said, Sandeep but I don’t think that can be said about SeneGence because similar products can be found online. Thanks for your kind words too.