Chris Hardy brought AloeVeritas, a multilevel marketing company focused on aloe vera supplements and personal care, to the United States in late 2017. The Texas-based operation followed an earlier, less successful launch in Germany in 2016, seeking to establish itself in the competitive American MLM market.
Hardy serves as AloeVeritas' founder and CEO. He also holds the CEO position for HW&B Enterprises, an entity that appears to oversee AV Europe GmbH in Germany and Aloe Veritas SE Asia. His corporate biography describes him as an expert in global operations and aloe vera. He spent eight years on the Board of Directors for the International Aloe Vera Science Council (IASC), an organization that sets quality standards for the aloe vera industry. Peers elected him IASC President in 2009, and he was Chairman of the Board from 2011 to 2012. Before founding AloeVeritas, Hardy worked as Vice President of World Manufacturing at Forever Living Products from 2005 to 2013. Forever Living Products also sells aloe vera-based items globally, a significant player in the direct selling sector.
AloeVeritas' entry into the US market quickly drew legal challenge. On October 30, 2017, Nerium International, now known as Neora, filed a lawsuit alleging that AloeVeritas engaged in deceptive marketing practices. Nerium claimed AloeVeritas had minimal brand recognition or sales history in the US. The lawsuit specified that AloeVeritas copied Nerium's product names, packaging, and even clinical study results. AloeVeritas' website allegedly promoted a "New Nerium" and stated its "bestselling day and night creams" were "better than ever!" This campaign suggested AloeVeritas products delivered the same results as Nerium's, according to the complaint. Nerium accused AloeVeritas of attempting to "hijack the science" behind its established products.
AloeVeritas defended the lawsuit into June 2018. The parties confidentially settled the matter between June and early August 2018. Following the settlement, AloeVeritas appears to have removed all direct references to Nerium from its product marketing and materials. The specific terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
The company's product line centers on aloe vera-themed nutritional supplements and personal care items. Hardy's corporate bio asserts his belief in the "incredible health benefits" of pure, natural aloe vera gel from the inner leaf. He claims personal observation of the plant's power and states the company's mission is to make aloe vera's "healing powers accessible to everyone as nature intended." AloeVeritas emphasizes its "gentle processing methods and carefully chosen packaging." The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates health claims for supplements in the United States, requiring substantiation for any therapeutic benefits advertised. Direct selling organizations often rely on distributor testimonials rather than scientific claims to promote product efficacy.
AloeVeritas continues to market its aloe vera products through a network of independent distributors, operating within a regulatory environment that scrutinizes direct selling claims.