Olive Tree People (OTP), founded by Thomas Lommel under Oliveda International Inc. promotes itself as a pioneer of “Waterless Beauty” and a holistic lifestyle movement.

The brand sells premium skincare, ingestible elixirs, coffee and tea alternatives, and wellness experiences, all centered on hydroxytyrosol, a potent antioxidant extracted from mountain olive trees.

Lommel’s origin story — developing “Olive Tree Therapy” after personal health struggles and rejecting water as a cosmetic filler — anchors the company’s narrative of transformation and longevity.

Yet behind the poetic branding lies a direct selling model with strong multi-level marketing (MLM) characteristics, where consultants are urged to recruit others as “Waterless Beauty Consultants.” Let’s apply a consumer protection lens to OTP’s products, business structure, policies, and reputation, highlighting both the promises and the red flags.

The Olive Tree

Olive Tree People (OTP) positions itself not just as a beauty company, but as “a movement,” encouraging individuals to join as “Waterless Beauty Consultants” and recruit others. Its marketing touts transformational benefits, environmental responsibility, and financial opportunity, blurring the lines between genuine wellness advocacy and profit-motivated recruitment.

Drawing on information from Olive Tree People’s own Website, regulatory documents, self-regulatory council actions, consumer reviews, and published commentary, I’ll deliver a critical lens — a consumer-protection view — on key aspects of the company.

OTP was conceptualized in a treehouse within an olive grove, as recounted by founder and CEO Thomas Lommel. According to Lommel, after personal health struggles that he claims were remedied by olive leaf elixirs, he developed “Olive Tree Therapy” — a Mediterranean take on Ayurveda. His “aha” moment was the realization that 70% of most cosmetics is water, which he believed to be ineffectual filler. Instead, he claims to have pioneered replacing water with olive leaf elixir, a substance he asserts is up to 3, 000 times more concentrated and antioxidant-rich than olive oil itself, purportedly endowing both trees and humans with greater longevity and resilience.

Lommel began his olive-focused ventures by acquiring and conserving ancient olive groves in Europe, and eventually launched Oliveda in 2003, focusing initially on European retail channels. Olive Tree People, the US subsidiary and focal point, was launched formally in March 2023 in Venice Beach, Los Angeles. Lommel’s background, prior to these ventures, was not in cosmetics or MLMs, but as a real estate investor. His personal story, as recounted on the company website and media appearances, is heavily leveraged for brand-building — a hallmark of emotional recruitment and authority establishment typical of MLM narratives.

Corporate Evolution and Milestones:

  • 2003: Oliveda founded in Germany, focused on olive oil production and later, skincare.
  • 2015: Olive Tree People Inc. (OTP) established in the U.S.
  • 2023: Explosive growth in North America, with over a billion-dollar valuation claimed by mid-2025.
  • Expansion Strategy: After two decades retailing in Europe, the company has pivoted to a direct-to-consumer (DTC) MLM Model inspired by US network marketing strategies. This pivot was accompanied by the closure of most retail channels in favour of empowering “Waterless Beauty Consultants.”
  • Scale Claims: As of 2025, OTP declares 60, 000 US-based consultants, aiming for over 120, 000 global by 2026, and states that its US sales grew more than 3,000% in two years.

Throughout its expansion, OTP has leveraged a founder-centric mythology, environmental advocacy (tree conservation and water well projects in Africa), and “movement” language that can inspire a sense of belonging, loyalty, and — at times — cult-like adherence among its followers.

Overview of OTP Products

Olive Tree People offers a vast array of products grouped into several main categories:

  • Face Care: Serums, creams, oils, cleansers, masks, and eye treatments.
  • Body Care: Shower gels, body balms, and serums.
  • Hair Care: Shampoos, conditioners, and scalp oils.
  • Ingestible Products: Elixirs, olive oil, matcha/tea alternatives, and capsules, all promising wellness and beauty from within.
  • Holistic/Meditation: Olive tree sound bath meditations, frequency-based products, and coffee alternatives such as “OliveMush.”
  • Specialty Sets: Bundled starter kits for consumers and new consultants, and deep discounts.
  • Kits for Consultants: Exclusive collections for sampling, demonstrations, and recruiting.

The signature distinction claimed by OTP is its “Waterless Beauty” philosophy — almost all products substitute olive-derived elixirs in place of water, which is positioned as a radical innovation relative to industry norms.

OTP products are generally high-priced. Special edition starter kits can approach or exceed $1,000, intensifying financial commitments for new consultants and raising the specter of inventory loading.

Ingredient Safety: Natural Claims vs. Actual Profiles

OTP emphasizes “all natural,” “bioactive,” and “plant-based” ingredients, with recurring mentions of hydroxytyrosol, olive leaf cell elixir, and Arbequina olive oils as hero molecules. The company asserts that even their fragrances are composed from natural essential oils, further supporting an eco-friendly and “clean” beauty image.

Main ingredient features:

  • Hydroxytyrosol: Touted as a highly potent olive-derived antioxidant. Research supports its efficacy as a free radical scavenger and possible anti-inflammatory ingredient, with very low toxicity in both animal and human studies — even at doses far beyond cosmetic usage.
  • Olea Europaea (Olive) Leaf Extract/Oil: A traditional antioxidant and skin-conditioning agent, widely regarded as safe in topical skincare at normal levels.
  • Additional Botanicals: Includes camu camu (vitamin C source), various plant oils (argan, jojoba, shea butter), extracts (fennel, fig, pomegranate, papaya), and fermented compounds.

Despite the “waterless” and “plant-based” branding, several products include commonly used emulsifiers, preservatives, and texturizing agents, including phenoxyethanol, sodium bonzoate, and benzyl alcohol. These are used industry-wide, but may trigger sensitivities in some.

On the whole, none of OTP’s disclosed ingredients are at the top tier of “harmful,” but several (notably phenoxyethanol, benzyl alcohol, and some essential oils) warrant caution for individuals with allergies or skin conditions. The company avoid parabens, formaldehyde-releasers, and synthetic dyes. Their preservatives profile aligns with regulatory safety standards for cosmetics, and hydroxytyrosol itself is repeatedly confirmed as non-toxic at skincare doses.

Multiple product and founder statements claim or suggest medical-grade benefits — healing, cell regeneration, even protection from environmental harm — sometimes veering into territory that would require FDA approval if the claims were more explicit or linked to disease treatment. Founder Thomas Limmel’s public statement about “healing himself” with olive elixirs are particularly problematic, as they add to testimonials that, if distributed to consultants recruits, intensify legal and ethical risk in the context of dietary supplements and cosmetic marketing.

Multi-Level Marketing or Not?

Olive Tree People markets aggressively as “not an MLM’ but “a movement” or direct selling company. However, a detailed examination of their distributor (“Consultant”) program, compensation plan, and compliance issues reveals all hallmarks of a classic MLM:

  • Multiple levels of recruitment-based compensation
  • Retail commission structure rewarded by both sales and downline building
  • Mandatory personal purchases (autoship) to remain qualified
  • Rank advancement linked to organizational or “leg” growth

These elements are confirmed both by OTP’s publicly posted materials and third-party analysis.

So, how does one become a consultant?

  • Pay a $50 annual membership fee
  • Purchase a Consultant Starter Kit (prices range from around $212 to $1,278 for large sets)
  • Choose an upline mentor and build out a personal web store
  • Access a blend of “business tools,” education, and pseudo-spiritual perks (olive tree sound bath meditations, connection to “frequencies,” community events).

What is included in the starter kits:

  • Bundled with a variety of the company’s best-selling products at a claimed 30-45% discount to retail
  • Larger kits contain 20+ full-size products, sometimes costing over $1,000
  • Marketed as essential for product sampling, hosting events, or personal discovery, reinforcing substantial initial inventory purchases

Rank and Team Structure Details:

  • There are at least 14 affiliate ranks, each requiring increasing amounts of personal volume (PV) and group volume (GV), and progressively more complex downline structures — typical in classic MLMs.
  • Advancement requires not just sales, but orchestrating “legs” or recruits who themselves hit certain sales, autoship, or recruitment benchmarks.
  • Top ranks (e.g. Black Olive Star, President Olive Star) control wide teams and are eligible for leadership bonuses and profit-shares, which virtually always require building a large downline — a classic feature encouraging network expansion over retail.
  • Consultants must maintain minimum monthly PV (often $100+) to stay eligible for commissions and bonuses.

Pyramid and Inventory Loading Risks:

  • Team Growth and Rank-Related Bonuses incentivize aggressive downline construction and large initial orders (inventory loading). This pattern echoes high-profile controversies from other MLMs, wherein participants spend large amounts on product each month with little genuine retail movement, focusing instead on recruitment and “buy-ins.”
  • While retail sales are technically possible, the compensation system primarily rewards recruitment and continuous purchases by participants, a pattern that regulatory agencies have repeatedly flagged as a pyramid scheme risk.
  • Consultant testimonials and marketing materials position starter kits as essential for “serious” business-building, nudging new enrollees toward higher ticket options. This is a classic form of inventory loading, which can trap new recruits into high sunk costs with little realistic opportunity to recoup through actual sales.

Terms of Service and Data Protection

OTP’s Terms of Service and Privacy Policies are typically of mid-sized e-commerce/MLM companies with some notable caveats:

  • Comprehensive Data Collection: Contact details, payment, demographics, usage, device data, social media details, survey responses, and health/ethnicity info (for product feedback) are all collected and can be transferred across borders.
  • California CCPA Compliance: California residents are entitled to opt out of “sale” of data, request erasure, etc., but must verify identity with multiple data points — a barrier for some.
  • Lack of Explicit Do-Not-Track Compliance: Site admits to ignoring do-not-track signals.
  • Third-Party Advertising and Analytics: Data may be shared for cross-site behavioral targeting and web analytics — an industry standard but a source of concern for data-conscious consumers.
  • Ambiguous Recourse for Privacy Violations: While customers can file complaints the company does not guarantee prompt or specific resolution.

One area of particular note: While privacy policy asserts compliance with children’s safety laws, it also states that inadvertently collection of data from those under sixteen will result in deletion only after “becoming aware,” not with proactivity.

More Consumer Protection Concerns

OTP advertises free shipping above certain thresholds and a 365-day satisfaction guarantee for retail customers (60 days for consultants). In practice, consumer reviews and BBB complaints indicate frequent issues:

  • Products arriving damaged or not at all
  • Delivery notifications followed by unexplained returns to sender
  • Backorders, with items frequently marked “out of stock” for extended periods
  • Long delays in order fulfillment, especially during periods of high demand or inventory restocking

While the 365-day return policy (for retail buyers) is generous on paper, many consumers report practical difficulties in obtaining refunds:

  • Required to initiate returns through online accounts, a process that can be confusing or error-prone
  • Fixed handling/shipping fees deducted from refunds
  • Strict requirements for returning bundled sets, with entire kits needing to be complete and in original packaging
  • Delays in processing refunds (7-10 business days post-receipt, with unclear timelines if shipped from Canada vs. the US)
  • Reports of non-responsiveness from customer service when problems arise

OTP reserves broad rights under its terms to refuse or cancel orders, change prices, require more verification, and limit purchases without prior notice. They bill immediately upon order and sometimes delay refunds for out-of-stock or undelivered items. This has led to complaints of unauthorized charges, unexplained order cancellations, and disputed refunds.

Consumer reports on public forums, BBB, and social media frequently highlight:

  • Non-responsive or unhelpful customer support, especially for complicated refund, exchange, or damaged product issues
  • No phone number publicized on main site, requiring all problems to be handled by email or web form
  • Corporate responses that appear copy-pasted, dismissive, or unduly defensive
  • Slow or incomplete resolutions for disputes over promo codes, missing discounts, or communication breakdowns.
  • Damaged packaging on first delivery; no replacement offered, refund process not honored
  • Email sign-up codes for “$10 off” never received, with “after first order” caveats not disclosed upfront.
  • Difficulties getting a timely resolution for mis-shipments, lost packages, or undelivered holiday gifts

Direct Selling Self-Regulatory Council (DSSRC) Cases:

  • Repeated Non-Responsiveness: In late 2024, DSSRC opened an inquiry into numerous unsupported “earnings claims” made by OTP consultants on social media: promises of “side income to full-time income,” “financial freedom,” trips, and “six-figure teams.”
  • Referral to FTC and State Attorney General: OTP initially failed to respond, leading to a Formal Referral to the FTC and California Attorney General. DSSRC emphasized that such income claims violate FTC Section 5 if not substantiated by actual earnings disclosures, and that testimonials of high earners are misleading unless clearly presented as exceptional. Words/phrases such as “financial freedom,” “full-time income,” and “unlimited income” are explicitly prohibited from general-recruitment contexts.
  • Subsequent Partial Compliance: OTP later cooperated, removing/altering most offending posts, but left at least one unauthorized claim up due to failed requests with former consultants and social platforms. DSSRC administratively closed The Case but noted the persistent risks and recommended further monitoring.

Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Exposure:

  • While not (as of the time of this publication) subject to a public FTC enforcement action, OTP’s escalation to regulatory notice represents significant legal risk. MLM companies that fail to substantiate income claims or permit deceptive earnings testimonials have faced lawsuits, fines, and even shutdowns.

OTP’s founder and top consultants often make unsubstantiated health/medical claims. In the US, such claims with respect to disease prevention/treatment are illegal without full FDA drug review. No peer-reviewed clinical studies or FDA approvals support OTP’s marketing around disease mitigation, cell regeneration, or holistic healing — despite aggressive reliance on such themes in public-facing materials.

MLM Red Flags and Cult-Like Behavior

There are several MLM red flags present when looking into OTP as a business and a movement. There are also several signs of cult-like beahviour.

  1. “We’re a movement, not an MLM”
    The strong emphasis on community, “healing the world,” guided meditations, and founder mythology can foster an intense sense of belonging, which in the context of MLM, often leads to insularity and pressure against dissent.
  2. High Upfront and Ongoing Costs
    Consultants are encouraged (and sometimes pressured) to buy large starter kits, host events (often requiring more inventory), and maintain monthly purchases for commissions. This increases the risk of debt and sunk cost fallacies.
  3. Income Claims and Hype
    Consultant social media frequently touts “financial freedom,” “side gig to full-time income,” and “free trips” — claims that have triggered regulatory scrutiny and are widely shown to be unrepresentative, if not outright misleading.
  4. Pseudoscientific and Emotional Claims
    OTP offers “sound bath” meditations tied to tree frequencies, founder testimonies about miraculous self-healing, and “energy” products — language that, while perhaps spiritually meaningful to some, is highly open to manipulation and “faith-selling” tactics.
  5. Lack of Transparency and Policy Enforcement
    Multiple regulatory actions cite OTP’s slow or non-cooperation, lack of timely correction of non-compliant consultant activities, and a persistent pattern of non-responsiveness.

OTP’s pseudo-spiritual branding, mix of wellness and meditation, and idealization of founder narratives create an environment ripe for manipulation and emotional dependency, echoing patterns found in other problematic MLM organizations.

Wellness Wrapped Around a Pyramid

Olive Tree People wraps its recruitment engine in olive leaves and poetic branding, but the core mechanics remain textbook MLM: overpriced products, identity-driven marketing, and a compensation plan that rewards recruitment over retail. The founder’s treehouse origin story and antioxidant elixirs may sound enchanting, but they mask a system where most consultants lose money while chasing transformation and belonging.

From ambiguous health claims to culty community language, OTP exemplifies how modern MLMs rebrand themselves as wellness movements while exploiting consumer trust. If you’re looking for skincare, buy from a transparent brand. If you’re looking for a movement, make sure it’s not one that profits from your hope.

They call it an olive branch. We call it a recruitment vine. Don’t mistaken their olive branch for a lifeline.

By Beth Gibbons (Queen of Karma)

Beth Gibbons, known publicly as Queen of Karma, is a whistleblower and anti-MLM advocate who shares her personal experiences of being manipulated and financially harmed by multi-level marketing schemes. She writes and speaks candidly about the emotional and psychological toll these so-called “business opportunities” take on vulnerable individuals, especially women. Beth positions herself as a survivor-turned-activist, exposing MLMs as commercial cults and highlighting the cult-like tactics used to recruit, control, and silence members.

She has contributed blogs and participated in video interviews under the name Queen of Karma, often blending personal storytelling with direct confrontation of scammy business models. Her work aligns closely with scam awareness efforts, and she’s part of a growing community of voices pushing back against MLM exploitation, gaslighting, and financial abuse.