Rodan Fields Review
Several months ago, I researched and wrote this very comprehensive piece for Divine Caroline on multi-level/direct sales beauty lines. I tried products from all the big players like Younique, Beautycounter and Young Living as well as some of the newer guys like Perfectly Posh and Tyra Beauty. I also tried out several products from Rodan + Fields but their PR team was so aggressive/rude to the kind, amazing consultant that helped me with that portion of the article that I ended up removing the section from Divine Caroline all together. Per Rodan + Fields, I can’t really say or link who helped me, because they don’t want money or something, but thought you might find it interesting what I thought of the products anyways! And if you are reading this R+F, bloggers aren’t scary. If you make legit products, we want to talk about them and share with others, just as any other person would. If a consultant is smart and resourceful, she’ll utilize new media to market, such as blogger relationships.
Rodan + Fields is a skincare company created by dermatologists, Kathy Fields and Katie Rodan. Dr. Rodan and Dr. Fields also own ProActiv. Rodan and Fields consultants do not carry inventory or host home parties. The consultant I met got started with Rodan and Fields by using the Reverse regimen for melasma after the birth of her first child. It was the only thing that broke up the pigmentation. She believes Rodan and Fields’ success is found in a multi-med approach-the right ingredients in the right formulations in the right order to produce the best results. If one could only try one RF product, the consultant I worked with suggests the AMP MD Roller to diminish fine lines and wrinkles, firm loose skin and erase any acne scarring.
What I Tried
1. SOOTHE Moisture Replenishing Cream My dry skin seemed to love this. It didn’t feel heavy or sticky and hydrated really nicely. It’s priced at $53 which seems high for a product containing relatively simple ingredients like olive and grape seed oil. Dimethicone (silicone) is the second ingredient after water. The high silicone content is what makes it feel superficially smooth and silky, which sometimes feels like a cheap trick to me in skincare. I love it in primers though. This product also utilizes a trademarked technology called COLD FISSION which I have no idea about.
2. REDEFINE Acute Care These targeted wrinkle pads have what they call “cones” on the underside but they felt more like spikes to me. While it takes a few treatments to notice a difference, I didn’t see any change at all the morning after placing them on my forehead expression lines. You should see results in 4 weeks they say. This product is $220 for 10 pads, so $22 each and the 2 ingredients are Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid and peptides. I do love both ingredients, and do really believe hyaluronic acid plumps up wrinkles effectively, but I also think you could take your money and get a bunch of sheets masks with HA for significantly less. Spend the money you save on a nice dinner and bottle of wine. Cheers!
3. ENHANCEMENTS Micro-Dermabrasion Paste My skin was crazy soft after using this just once. Later in the day, after using it, I noticed my makeup looking extra glowy and my skin tone more even. It’s fine enough to not irritate skin but effective. While it didn’t bother me, it contains fragrance and artificial colorants. Most concerning of all to me, the first ingredient is Isoparaffin which is a blend of mineral oils and petroleum. While this ingredient ranks safely on EWG, I would not pay $78 for a product with a cheap thickening agent as the first ingredient.
4. REDEFINE Lip Renewing Serum Though I’m not sure how necessary a lip serum is vs. a good lip balm, my lips did look prettier the next morning after using this. It didn’t taste or feel gross and I like the idea of treating aging in the lips, an area sometimes neglected. $54 buys you some peptides, antioxidants and vitamin E and curiously tomato lipids, which makes me hungry for a caprese panini. Nom nom. I like this but am not sure about long term results and how it really compares to just a great lip balm. On the fence.
5. REDEFINE Night Renewing Serum These little ampules contain retinol so it’s no surprise I enjoyed them. I like the way it’s packaged to keep the ingredients their freshest, plus you just feel cool opening the little jellybeans of serum. It’s $90 for 60 capsules price point may be justifiable due to retinol and tetrapeptides, both proven anti-agers, but found that they only contain .075% retinol. To put things into perspective, the first retinol product I used, Philosophy’s Help Me, contains .5% retinol and is $45. There are some excellent products with far more retinol for far more affordable prices.
REVERSE Line
I know you’ve all likely seen the impressive before and after photos of those who have found success in Rodan + Fields’ REVERSE regimen. Let me give you a few quick thoughts on that one too. Though I’ve not tried that particular line, I can still break down a few ingredients for you. This line especially caters to those with areas of hyperigmentation like sunspots, birth marks and melasma. I am disappointed to see several of the products in this line containing parabens.
I am not surprised these products are effective due to the 2% hydroquinone content. Hydroquinone is an ingredient that works to break up pigment, no doubt, but it’s also on the no list for breastfeeding or pregnant women and has been banned in Europe since 2001. I’ll let you draw your own conclusions on that one.
Final Thoughts
These products are not bad and some might be very effective. I liked using them and may have seen more dramatic results with continued use. My issue is that they seem overpriced, likely because a company is marking up items to enable their consultants to make money and promote their products. If you’ve tried Rodan + Fields and felt that it was worth the price, feel free to comment below!
Thanks for reading!
Vivian Ruth Sawyer
07/20/2016 at 1:15 PMI go to a wonderful day spa that sells only pharmaceutical-strength products, does micro-dermabrasion and needling, by an aesthetician who is very knowledgable. I asked her about R&F because a friend has recently started selling it, and I was astonished at the aggressive, almost rude tactics used by some of her colleagues on her Facebook page. I couldn’t believe that anything really effective would be sold in peoples’ homes, and also that anything really good would employ such a strong-arm sales approach. Sure enough, my aesthetician has a client who comes to her for treatments, and then posts before and after pictures of her own face, saying that R&F caused the result! My aesthetician got tired of the deception, and even commented beneath saying, “I took that picture after a treatment at [name of spa].” The woman blocked her.
I don’t care for such an aggressive sales approach. I am tired to having to wade through so many direct sales pitches on Facebook. And if it’s really pharmaceutial grade, the FDA will not permit it to be sold through home parties.
Save your money for the dermatologist.
Ivy Boyd
07/20/2016 at 3:46 PMThank you for sharing your thoughts on this! Skincare is something so important and nothing to mess around with!
Genie
08/20/2017 at 2:00 PMHi Ivy! I know this is an older article but I recently started using R+F again and came across your blog. I absolutely feel it’s worth the price for the dark spots and scar treatments I’ve used before and have started again recently.
Here’s the thing, I’ve tried so many OTC and prescribed medications and it’s the only thing that has worked for me. I tried the dermatologist and guess what? He prescribed hydroquinone! A 4% instead of the 2% yes, but combined with the other products in the R+F line I felt it worked much better. That could be due to the other improvements with texture and pore size I saw in my skin though. And 1 ounce of the prescribed medication cost me around $70. Light therapy wasn’t recommended for me. He said it was likely I’d scar due to my darker pigmented skin. The regimen also lasted me a bit longer than 2 months the first go round (used the meds for 6 months total). My dark spots did return after a couple of years but that’s between me and the sun since many skin issues can be controlled but not cured.
Then there’s the AMP MD roller. I say WOW. A hard raised and textured scar I’ve been battling for years (caused by the dermatologist’s cyst removal technique) is soft and nearly gone after only 2 weeks and a few treatments. I’d have paid thousands to have that gone so price was not a concern. I can wear a v-neck shirt without too many raised eyebrows now. Definitely a winner in my book.
As for Ms. Sawyers review, I’m sorry that some people have no ethical standards when trying to make a buck. That Consultant was obviously of low moral character. Unfortunately, this can happen in any and all types of service and sales businesses. I definitely do not agree with those kinds of misleading marketers and hopefully one day her lashes will fall out and scare off all of her deceived customers.
There are some people out there that truly are trying to help. As you probably know, many of us are most critical of ourselves while our perceived flaws may not be so apparent to others. That doesn’t matter when self-confidence is a driving factor. The way I see it is that everything now has a cancer and caution warning: bubble bath, plastic bottles, Starbucks!, Disney!, sunscreen, sodas…I could go on for days.
I am a doctor and within the last month decided to join Rodan + Fields as a consultant because I love what it has done for me and several of my friends. One of my passions is educating clients. I see you are a Limelight rep and I have nothing negative to say about your products since I have not used them. They may work wonderfully. I do have a friend that is a rep and she looks good!
I would like to know, since your label claims natural ingredients (btw the FDA has no current guidelines or definition for natural labeled cosmetics) where is the NPA seal of certification ensuring quality? Just curious.
Good luck in your business and blog I truly hope you are successful in your journey.
Ivy Boyd
08/23/2017 at 12:59 AMHi Genie! Thanks for reading my post and for taking the time to comment and share your experience. I’m stoked to hear it’s been working so great for you and that it’s been a valuable investment.
When I wrote this review in June of 2016, I was not working with LimeLight in any capacity nor was it my intention to compare RF to any other line. If you’re curious about LimeLight, I do have several dedicated blog posts about the line and I’m sure your friend is knowledgable too.
I am fully aware that there is no regulation on terms like “all natural” which is why I never use that term. It means nothing. LimeLight’s skincare is cruelty free and leaping bunny certified, paraben free, phthalate free, sulfate free, fragrance and dye free and many, but not all of the skincare ingredients are organic. However, LimeLight itself does not use terms like “all natural” in describing the line as again, it means nothing. As you know, the term gets thrown around pretty liberally though!
Seems RF is showing no signs of slowing down and many of my makeup artistry clients use their Lash Boost and love it. I can tell as their lashes are gorgeousss! I’m sure you’re selling lots of that these days! Thanks again for stopping by!
Joanne McAfee
11/29/2017 at 7:29 PMHave you done a review on Younique skin care?
Tonya Schwartz
04/05/2018 at 10:53 AMI am looking for a comparison of LimeLight, Young Living and Rodman and Fields. I have friends who sell each. I am not interested in the make up just the skin care. I am over 55 and have my make up tattooed. I traditionally used Lancôme but have moved out of the City and would like to support locally. I would love any comparison you could provide.
hurley thurston
11/15/2018 at 3:12 PMHi. I just want to make a small suggestion. Skincare lines can work better for some than others since skin is not al alike. I would check into the money back guarantee number of days that each company has. It would give you the chance to see and feel the products for yourself. You should also look into HOW each company makes product recommendations. Good luck!
Katherine Hentzler
02/25/2019 at 3:18 AMWow it’s obvious that PR rep from R +F really jaded your review!! Even though you loved all the products, you were sure to get your jab in there on each & every one! I’m not so sure I would trust your reviews.
Ivy Boyd
02/25/2019 at 2:13 PMHi Katherine. Thank you for taking the time to read my blog post. I try to be objective, unbiased and point out negatives and positives for every product I try. I had a great experience with the rep who assisted me. I liked some things, I didn’t like others and my main criticism is that the products are overpriced. I support your decision not to read any pf my other reviews as just like skin care, some styles just aren’t for you.