BBC journalist Ellie Flynn’s undercover investigation into Younique and Nu Skin, aired in her documentary "Secrets of the Multi-Level Millionaires," has cast a harsh light on the companies' UK operations. The report suggests that the primary driver for affiliates is not product sales but an aggressive focus on recruitment.
Flynn's findings indicate that retail sales for both Younique and Nu Skin are minimal. After joining, affiliates quickly discover that the business model prioritizes bringing new members into the company over selling products to the public. A Younique affiliate is heard in a marketing video stating plainly, "recruiting is the answer." The same affiliate adds that "you will not become a six or seven-figure earner if you don’t build a team." Selling alone, the affiliate notes with laughter, "it would kill you."
During her undercover work, Flynn attempted to sell Younique products herself and encountered significant resistance. She had expected to be selling makeup on social media platforms like Facebook. Instead, she found herself pressured to recruit others if she wanted to achieve financial success.
Training events for Nu Skin affiliates also revealed this recruitment-centric approach. Tayla Blue, identified as a Blue Diamond executive, addressed attendees at a UK event. She clarified a common misconception: "a lot of people get confused with this business… because it is a beauty business they think they’ve got to sell products." Blue then stated, "But actually this is a recruitment business. The actual bones behind this business is in recruiting, so that’s actually bringing people into the business. That is where the big money comes from." Another unidentified speaker at a Nu Skin training session reinforced this point, saying, "It’s all about recruiting, okay? Because the recruitment is gonna give you these high incomes." This speaker admitted to doing "a little bit" of selling and expressed a personal dislike for retailing products.
The documentary also touched upon what it described as cult-like behaviors within multi-level marketing (MLM) companies and their distributors. At a Younique UK event, CEO Derek Maxfield was placed in a pantheon of revered figures. Footage showed him being compared to historical and religious icons, including Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, Princess Diana, Abraham Lincoln, and Jesus Christ. The speaker at the event expressed strong admiration for Maxfield, calling him "What a guy! I love him!"
Other themes explored in Flynn's investigation included the disquieting aspects of "mindset training" common in MLM schemes. The documentary also drew parallels between MLM companies and the Mormon church, examined the true nature of products marketed by MLMs, and highlighted the predatory targeting of women, particularly new or expectant mothers, on social media. Flynn's investigation concluded by approaching company representatives.