It Works! Or does it? That’s the inevitable question when you title your product with a name that blunt and provocative.
The company itself proudly calls its product “that crazy wrap thing” (technically the Ultimate Body Applicator and the Fab Wrap); it’s a process that involves affixing the body applicator to an area of your body that you want to tone, tighten, and eliminate wrinkles.
So did I get on board? This explains everything:
All good? Let’s continue…
Target areas might include your neck, butt, arms, or hips. The product surged in popularity starting in 2012, and perhaps surprisingly, has not seen much of a decline since.
This is attested to by search engine data from Google. Interestingly, the product also experiences surges in search engine traffic every spring, in March and April. Perhaps it’s a post-New Year’s resolution slump, after dieting programs have failed? Or maybe it’s tax return spending. In any case, this is valuble information if you want to become a distributor.
Products
While It Works does offer a range of body care products, there’s no denying that its Ultimate Body Applicator is the main focus of attention.
The company makes some pretty aggressive claims, both explicitly and implicitly in its marketing literature. After looking at before and after images and customer testimonials, you’d think that the wrap actually burns away fat and helps you lose weight.
Unfortunately, that’s now how it works. It’s really more of a skin treatment. A quick glance at the ingredients list demonstrates this. Among the most dominant active ingredients are capric triglyceride, gycerine, propylene glycol, and jojoba seed oil.
These are all moisturizers. Sure, they can improve your skin tone and reduce wrinkles, but they’re not going to magically burn fat away.
As with many beauty and cosmetic products, there is very little independent scientific research on the efficacy of the product.
On the plus side, several of the ingredients are known to be effective skin salves. Jojoba oil, for example, has known anti-inflammatory effects. A review article of plant ingredients in cosmetics by Talal Abjurai and Feda Natsheh describes the positive effects of jojoba oil.
It’s known to interface well with the skin, forming a protective and moisturizing barrier without clogging pores or being greasy. It also has well-documented anti-inflammatory effects, as well as anti-bacterial effects.
Additionally, according to Paula’s Choice Skincare, capric triglyceride is a valuable moisturizing and replenishing agent for cosmetic products of all sorts. It’s derived from a mixture of coconut oil and glycerin, and like jojoba oil, it won’t clog pores.
Beyond these core ingredients, there’s a tremendously long list of ingredients included at lower concentrations. Like with many cosmetics, you ultimately have to trust that the product engineers know what they are doing if you want the product to work.
There’s no peer-reviewed research attesting to the efficacy of “that crazy wrap thing,” so it’s definitely a bit of a gamble.
It Works does make products other than its wrap. These include “greens” supplements, which are based on an alkaline/detox diet philosophy.
As with many other green drinks and green supplements, the ingredients include a laundry list of healthy fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices, and extracts.
The efficacy of green supplements is attested to by scientific research; one study by researchers at the University of Sydney at New South Wales found that a six week period of dietary supplementation with a fruit and vegetable concentrate increased blood levels of several vitamins, while lowering levels of a compound related to heart disease risk.
Compensation plan
The startup kit for It Works costs $99. It provides you with a membership, which entitles you to wholesale discounts and provides you with four Ultimate Body Applicator wraps to try out and demonstrate.
The compensation structure is pretty good when it comes to your first downline distributor: ten percent on all sales, which is quite good in the MLM world. To actually be eligible for these commissions, though, you need to move a lot of product.
You need to set up a monthly auto-ship of 80 product volume, and have a total monthly volume of 400 sales. This is, to say the least, not an easy task.
This difficulty is reflected in the company’s income disclosure statement. Of all distributors, about 80% are stuck at the basic “distributor” rank, and make an average of $54 per month.
The next two ranks up, “executive” and “ruby,” account for another 15%, and these two levels average $231 and $497 per month, respectively. Respectable income, but definitely not enough to live on. The earnings don’t really roll in until you crack into the top 1% of distributors.
It should suffice it to say that this won’t be an easy task. Some 20% of all distributors make no money at all.
Recap
The tricky part about making enough money consistently with It Works! is shoring up the lofty expectations. The marketing material, both directed at you and at your customers, leads you to believe it will melt away fat and tremendously tone up your stomach, butt, neck, or hips.
But the reality is that the crazy wrap thing is mostly a moisturizer and skin rejuvinator; it doesn’t have any actual fat burning properties. After the inevitable letdown, will people still want to shell out $60 for a four-pack of wraps?
You might make more inroads with the other products offered by It Works! but it’s hard to make a living off selling things other than the flagship product.
If you think you’ve got a market opportunity and can move a lot of product, you could possibly earn good money if you can get to the level where you are earning commission fees, because they are quite handsome.
However, getting to that point is tough, and this is attested to by the sobering income disclosure statement.
I’m not a hater of It Works! as I’ve shown throughout this review. But if you’re going the MLM route for the money, there are better ways to kill your day job.
You might like our coaching because it shows you the good life without peddling products to your family and friends.
http://bodynutrition.org/it-works-review/
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