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Arbonne Greens Balance review

Arbonne Greens Balance Review

I first heard about Arbonne when a friend of mine gave me a tub of Arbonne Greens balance to try. She used to promote it to her friends and family when living in Australia.

I know that a lot of people (especially in the US) are fans of the brand Arbonne and – for these customers – the brand seems to tick a lot of boxes. They can even promote it to make some money on the side.

With the stiff competition amongst Greens products on the market, I wanted to look into Arbonne's brand and see if this supplement sets itself apart from the crowd.

Arbonne is a long-established company with a polished marketing approach, they appear to have the credentials to be making and selling a winning greens supplement.

So I’d like to take a closer look at some Arbonne super greens formulations, such as the Arbonne Greens Balance and Arbonne Detox.

Arbonne Greens Verdict

The average rating of this product is calculated based on the evaluation of the following factors:

Coupons: None available

Rating:

2.0

  • Ingredients / Dosages:1.0
  • Ingredient Safety:4.0
  • Value for the Price:1.0
  • Brand Transparency:1.0
  • Taste:2.5

Arbonne Greens sample

What is Arbonne Greens Balance?

‘The power to transform your life and the lives of others’ is a fairly appealing prospect and I can already see how people become loyal to this powerful brand. I won’t go into the full story as I’m only partially interested in the history behind the brand rather than the entire movement, but suffice to say I’m not 100% in agreement with the business model.

I go into a little more detail below, and I’m reluctant to distract from the main subject here (which is, following my greens powder research, intended to be a Greens Balance product review), but to make another point which I also find difficult to stomach – the range of products available through Arbonne is HUGE.

From ‘Mind health’, to ‘Energy Fizz sticks’, Fiber boost, and protein products, one could get truly lost in the virtual aisles of Arbonne products available on their website. They sell individual vitamin and mineral supplements, fitness and lifestyle products, rehydration blends, and products aimed at post-workout refueling.

There’s a supplement or product here for literally any situation, anybody and anywhere.

Background on Arbonne

The family story on their website spans generations. There’s even a family snap on the opening page to reiterate this. Way back in 1965 we learn that the founder, Petter Mork – a Norwegian – was already forming his ideas for what Arbonne would become.

This is just one of the powerful and compelling aspects of the company. People love heritage.

Their vision initially was all-around skincare, and this is one of their main product streams, however, they soon branched into diet and nutrition products. This area, as we are fast discovering, is a hot sell to people concerned with improving their nutrient intake, and fast. Arbonne products promise a lot in this area, and there is a vast range of products available.

Arbonne supplements

My main issue, in summary, is that the company is now based on a peer-selling (MLM – multi-level-marketing model) which I really don’t agree with. Their ‘healthy living inside and out’ program promotes to their customers the opportunity to become independent lifestyle consultants.

From a company perspective, with a little outlay, they get loyal customers and influencers in one. But I’ve done some research around this and am discovering that the scheme (often, and perhaps unfairly, in this case, labeled as pyramid-selling) ultimately benefits the company rather than the consultants.

As I said above, there has been plenty of research into companies that use this model to sell products, and I don’t want to revisit this research, but I instantly don’t want to like the products if they are coming from this stable.

For more information on why people have extreme views on multi-level and networking marketing, check out this article
Othe greens brands I have reviewed:

Arbonne Greens Balance Ingredients

The Arbonne Essentials Greens Balance blend is part of the Arbonne Essentials range. The tub says it is ‘Featuring a Greens Balance with fruit and vegetable concentrates’. It is also upfront about being a dietary supplement.

Vegan, soy-free, gluten-free, and all-natural. The ‘Arbonne Advantage’ is to use ‘Plant-powered, nutrient-rich products that are cleaner for better results, following a strict ingredient policy that is always gluten-free, vegan, and without GMO ingredients’.

Arbonne greens balance supplement facts

Well, this is all well and good but I can’t see how this stands out from the crowd. I’d rather they just told me how much of what is inside!

A scoop is 7.34g. The listing breaks the ingredients down into the following:

Arbonne proprietary blend of greens (3800mg)

Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis), Alfalfa Grass (Medicago sativa), Barley Grass (Hordeum vulgare), Wheat Grass (Triticum aestivum), Chlorella (Chlorella vulgaris), Spinach (Spinacia oleracea), Kale (Brassica oleracea acephala), Artichoke (Cynara scolymus), Broccoli (Brassica oleracea), Parsley (Petroselinum crispum).

The remainder of the blend is made up of ‘Arbonne proprietary blend of yellows.. reds.. blues and Omega-3 seed blend’. These are largely concentrated fruit and veggie powders mentioned on the front of the tin.

So, once again, I have come across a company that is producing a super greens powder but that is not being transparent with customers about the amounts of each ingredient being used.

Let me just take Spirulina as an example of why I would like to see more ingredient information included in the packaging. Sources agree that roughly 1-8g daily of Spirulina can be beneficial to health, however, so little is being included in a 3800mg proprietary blend (which makes up a tiny percentage of a 7g serving).

Yes, spirulina is nutrient-dense, but why use so little?

If the same is true of each of the ingredients in the greens blend alone then how tiny percentage of these powerful greens ingredients are actually present in this product?

I would really like to see companies producing more transparent ingredients lists, or perhaps even using more of the tangibly potent ingredients within their blends.

How Does Arbonne Greens Balance Taste?

I’m going to have to rely on reviews to answer this, but I actually found it quite difficult to find reviews of this product from the usual places. The Amazon store I visited didn’t have reviews of the exact product I’ve been looking at from Arbonne’s own website and I even did a little search on their own site for ‘Greens taste’ but with no results available.

I actually had to google Arbonne Greens taste in order to find a review. How strange.

One reviewer stated that it ‘added a bit of an earthy undertone [to my usual chocolate protein shake]’. Not unusual, greens tend to be a little earthy in their flavor.

I may be mistaken but I couldn’t see individual product reviews available on the product pages of the Arbonne site. This again seems to be a little lacking in honesty as I know that many companies find it beneficial to be open and transparent about customer feedback.

…greens powder blends and comes down to personal taste as to whether you will enjoy this flavor.

So, it remains to be seen whether a broad spectrum of customers find the taste to be agreeable or not.

The ingredients list does include cane sugar and stevia, so I assume that some of the vegetable flavors are potentially masked by this sweetness. This is common in greens powder blends and comes down to personal taste as to whether you will enjoy this flavor.

Side Effects

As with most nutritional and dietary supplements you have to be careful that you’re not allergic to any ingredients.

Similarly, it’s up to you to be aware that the first few times you consume greens powders you may suffer a small amount of digestional discomfort due to the content.

…to be aware that the first few times you consume greens powders you may suffer a small amount of digestional discomfort.

The Arbonne Greens Balance is clear that it is ‘Made in a facility that processes wheat, Crustacean shellfish, fish, soybeans, milk, and tree nuts’. It’s helpful to have this little reminder of just why you need to always check what goes into your food and drink, and also the environment in which it is being produced.

Does Arbonne Greens Balance Actually Work?

Again I can look at reviews to take a balanced view of the effectiveness of these powders.

My instinct is that due to the proprietary blends it would be hard to say how and why the blend would or could be as effective as others available on the market, but one reviewer claims;

I will NOT be giving up my Greens balance … I am feeling a lot healthier this year and my energy levels are fantastic, my immune system is awesome, my hormones are balanced, and my rheumatoid arthritis is not only under control, but I wake up to no pain or stiffness at all. Let's just say that what I'm doing is working really well.

The few reviewers that I have found tend to also have participated in the Arbonne Detox, a program that supplies bottled formulations for 7-days worth of detoxifying.

This is interesting, so I’ve taken a short look at this product too.

The Arbonne Detox is marketed as a parcel of products, named ‘30 days to healthy living’.

There’s a 20-page guide available on the website which guides you through the various products and daily behaviors. There are testimonials on the site that suggest how effective the detox is. Of course, it is the intention that you buy into the whole package by also buying products from the skincare range to enhance your healthy ‘outside’.

Arbonne Greens Balance Customer Reviews

Arbonne Green Balance reviews are, as I stated above, fairly hard to come by.

By contrast, one only needs to do a little searching around to find a plethora of complaints about Arbonne themselves as a business and their products.

This is to be expected with a huge multinational corporation, especially one that relies so heavily on brand loyalty and peer-influencing, and much of the complaining is around this aspect, rather than the specific products I am reviewing.

Money Back Guarantee / Returns Policy

Arbonne has a complicated system whereby you must obtain a return merchandise authorization number (through calling their customer support phone number), and I have no idea what happens next.

Not particularly transparent.

Where to Buy Arbonne Greens Balance?

Other than finding your own Arbonne Independent Consultant (or becoming one yourself!) you can find their products available on their official site and at Amazon.

Is It Worth the Price?

The tub of Arbonne Essentials Green balance retails on their own site (30 servings) for $52 USD. I am not 100% clear how large the tub is, but if you multiply the per-scoop serving size by 30 (daily servings) it works out as 220g.

This is a very expensive product whichever way you cut it.

Arbonne Greens Balance bottle

The Bottom Line

So, rather than hark on about how much I dislike MLM selling and businesses based on this model, I’ll bring it back to the product. I just don’t think it’s for me, and here’s why:

Arbonne have used a proprietary blend, meaning I don’t know how much I’m getting of each ingredient. With this product being a part of their ‘Essentials’ range I really wanted it to be a potent blend of effective ingredients, but sadly it doesn’t appear to be the case.

With ingredients coming in such a small serving size I believe the product is definitely overpriced for what you’re getting. The tub is only 30 days’ supply and retails at $52 US. Too much money for me, for a product which cannot be considered to be ‘best of breed’.

Finally, you can tell I am not a fan of Arbonne Greens, for the reasons stated above. My search for the ideal greens powder blend continues or does it?

Adam Author

About the LifeHacker Guy

Hi, I'm Adam the founder of the LifeHacker Guy.

I have a First Class Honours degree in Sports Science from Brighton University, specialising in exercise physiology and nutrition. In my youth I was a competitive Triathlete and long-distance runner placing top 10 in most triathlon races I completed.

Since suffering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, I moved into web development, after a couple of years I then moved onto developing a number of online businesses. I've recently taken a sabbatical and I'm now looking to make big changes in my life, hopefully this may resonate with you - join me in my journey!

23 comments

  1. I’m not quite sure how you can review a product you’ve never actually tried. Obviously you can’t speak on it’s results to your health or energy levels if you never used it. As for the return policy I find that half the time I return a product purchased online I need to phone in for a return authorization code so I find that common.

    1. Hi Theodora,
      When you have tried 40+ different greens and reds brands you have a fairly good idea about these supplements. Also, by knowing what the individual ingredients can do, when provided in the right dosage, you can have a good idea on the chances of a product working. Like most brands I have reviewed the ingredients are in a proprietary blend making this very difficult to do. That said, when you have a relatively small serving size (7 grams) and so many ingredients absolutely are some, if not many, ingredients going to be under-dosed.
      If you’re a fan of the company/brand/taste and it works for you, then carry on taking it.
      Adam

  2. Whenever I see the phrase “proprietary blend” I read “run for the hills…” it’s a no brainer, they are hiding low dose ingredients and over charging. well done for highlighting. The comments above are just angry pyramid scheme suckers….

  3. Did anyone ever say how many servings of fruits/vegetables are in this product? I use it. Like the taste when mixed with apple juice. But is it one serving of just a made up blend of 37 powders?

  4. Wow. Arbonne definitely has a legion of vocal supporters (aka marketers?).. it is unfortunate that comments are so defensive rather than being transparent about formulations. I appreciate independent reviews in selecting products. I also need to know what is in anything I put in or on my body.

    1. Yes, I have seen this many times with MLM products because of the business model there is indeed a legion of “ambassadors” who are promoting the product to their social network. The focus goes away from the product itself, for example, the ingredients, towards earning a side-income that could (big emphasis on could) become your new job where you can work the hours you choose and make lots of money 😉
      Adam

  5. You said the Arbonne product is very expensive at $52 but isn’t yours $80 roughly for the same 30 days??

    1. Hi Mary,
      Thank you for taking the time to comment.
      In terms of cost and looking just at the formula/serving size, you can see that Greens Balance is 7.34grams in contrast to 12 grams for Supergreen tonik.
      This makes my formula in simple terms 40% larger.
      Then if we look at the greens blend in isolation, with Arbonne this is 3.8 grams, which is 50% smaller than the 7.5 grams within my formula.
      Lastly, taking advantage of the multiple saver tub bundle brings significant savings making each tub around $60.
      For a formula 40% bigger, transparent ingredients, 365-day money-back guarantee, in my opinion, it’s difficult to disagree which one offers better value.
      Adam

  6. Thanks for the review of this Arbonne product. I was trying to find more information on it as well, but like you, I found there is not details available to consumers. I find the lack of disclosure to be a big issue, regardless of the years of research, teams of doctors, testing, advisory boards, etc. etc. etc. I’m glad they have consumers that are willing to stand behind their products without full transparency (a lot of their other products have “blends” as well), but I am not willing to spend my money with them because of it.

    I see your product you’re recommending – do you have one at a lower price range you think is worth the money?

  7. Arbonne employs a team of doctors and scientists and puts each of their products through testing and more testing for the highest standards of safety and efficacy. I love Arbonne and have been a loyal customer for 10 years before becoming a consultant last year. Ingredients are always listed with the largest amounts to smallest amounts so the greens balance has spirulina listed as it’s second largest ingredient. For the multivitamin blend, if you would like to know the amounts there is always a “meet the product sheet” that can easily be found for each product, within just a few seconds.

    https://embed.widencdn.net/pdf/plus/arbonne/p3dw7vmtx5/2064_CA_AE_MultivitaminMineralBoost.pdf

    Arbonne has truly pioneered the development of pure, safe and beneficial products and celebrated their 40th anniversary this year. The expansion beyond skincare was not done “soon”. Their research prior to product development is extensive. Direct sales/social marketing isn’t for everyone, as it benefits those who are dedicated to working in sales and marketing, and doesn’t pay by the hour. It is commission based, and unlike sales positions at retail locations, the potential for earning through direct sales is limitless. In a small oil town, I have the option of working at 7-11, working as a day home provider, or working in direct sales. MLM gives opportunities to people who wouldn’t otherwise have any. I have faced some truly bizarre discrimination by being turned down for jobs I can easily do, just because of my gender. Direct sales does not discriminate like that. But even if a consultant didn’t sell to anyone outside of themselves, the products are transformative and effective, each doing as they claim they will. Arbonne is actually very transparent about all aspects of business and their 45 day money back guarantee is as easy as a phone call. As someone who used to be involved with pampered chef and gold canyon candles in direct sales, I have to say that I love direct sales, and Arbonne has been truly life changing for me as a consultant because the company culture is so healthy. Even after I die, my children will continue to be paid commissions from my downline. Direct sales cuts out the middle men, and gives equal opportunity to all who are employed as consultants. The ones who make no money are the ones who don’t treat it as a business and don’t put in the efforts to reach out. The mind health, the fizz sticks, the skincare, the makeup, the toothpaste, the fit chews… I wouldn’t want to give up any of these products, each made with ingredients that demonstrates the intelligence of our company. My health, my skin, my energy and my wellbeing are all better than I would hope for and I say this sincerely! I only wish I had started 10 years ago. My 9 year old daughter and 11 yr old son can’t wait until they can sell Arbonne themselves. I’m a single mom and my kids have witnessed the frustrations of me having various employers. “Arbonne is the BEST!!!” they both claim on a nearly daily basis. They say this because they are using the products themselves and the quality is noticeably higher than premium products found in local retail stores. I used to miss their Christmas concerts when I was threatened to be fired if I booked a night off of serving at my local restaurant. As a single mom I can now keep the highest quality food on our table and be there for every event. Arbonne is also B certified and continuing to thrive as a business and help individuals thrive as Arbonne is dedicated to people and our planet, dedicated to good practice and sustainability to a degree that I have never seen before. It is fine if you would like to promote an alternative product, but please to not underestimate the GOOD that is done by Arbonne in the mean time! 🙂

    1. Hi Jillian,
      Thank you so much for taking the time to write such an in-depth comment on my review.
      My review looks at the information available to the consumer before and after buying the product. Some of the information in the review was provided from a previous Arbonne consultant who is very familiar with the company and products. So, with this in mind I do believe I have a more than reasonable amount of information with which to review Arbonne.
      I find with most supplements, especially many of the popular greens powders, that ingredients are not fully disclosed and are wrapped in proprietary blends.
      I make the very straight forward conclusion that without sufficient ingredient amounts in the product (irrespective of the quality to be honest) then it cannot have the same outcome as those quoted in clinical research.
      It would be great to have the ingredient breakdown of the Arbonne Proprietary Blend of Greens, this would confirm either way. Do you have access to the ingredient breakdown?
      At the end of the day, if you consume very little greens and you take a product like Arbonne Green Balance then it’s most likely better than nothing.
      With the range of products available I just personally believe there are better options.
      I understand where you’re coming from and why you have written the information you have. That you fully support and feel one of the Arbonne Team is great, I am not here to knock that. I do truly wish you all the best with working with them.
      Adam

  8. So let me get this straight. You diss a product made by Arbonne, which is manufactured to the utmost highest standards for purity and safeness, just so that you can promote a product you have ‘designed’?

    ARBONNE has 40 years of research and expertise. The Arbonne Scientific Advisory Board consists of leading professionals in science, medicine, health, wellness and nutrition, including experts from the Mayo Clinic (as well as many others – too many to list here).

    Where are your credentials?

    1. Hi BW,
      Thank you for taking the time to comment.
      I am not having a pop at Arbonne but it’s very straight forward to see by looking at the product the lack of transparency with the ingredient list. This then naturally leads to questioning the ingredient amounts due to the size of the proprietary blend of greens.
      The science is out there and you can find it online with websites such as Heathline and Examine, to name a few.
      From researching the ingredients in more detail and not taking marketing and the label as fact you can understand how much of an ingredient you need to work.
      All ingredients as with drugs require a minimum effective dosage to work as outlined in trials.
      I am not a medical doctor, I have a First Class Honours degree in Sport Science, where I focused on nutrition and exercise physiology. The point is you don’t need years of medical training to be able to compare the efficacy of supplements.
      I developed my product with Nutritionalists in a US based manufacturer and took 8-months to complete. This involved many hours each week researching current brands, collecting information on popular ingredients, comparing minimum dosages to studies, taste testing and 3rd party testing.
      I hope this answers your question.
      Adam

      1. 8 months vs. 40 years of research…. Meh. I’ll take Arbonne’s expertise over your’s any day of the week.

        With every batch produced at Arbonne, the product and its ingredients are tested at the onset and completion of production. If there is any discernible level of impurity or quality concern, the batch is pulled from production.

        1. Hi,
          That is fine. If you’re a fan of Arbonne and take it, or sell it if your an ambassador (?), then please continue to do so. Everyone is entitled to their opinion.
          I would like to highlight you may have missed some of what I am saying in my review though.
          Every decent supplement should be tested for purity and safety (I do that too).
          The question I have is do you know how much of EACH ingredient is inside? The answer is no, because its concealed in a proprietary blend.
          We know that an ingredients effectiveness is dose dependent, it’s why every medicine has clear instruction on the dosage – even your paracetamol tablets do!
          If your Dr said you needed penicillin and to clear the problem you needed 4 x 500mg tablets but only gave you 4 x 125 mg tablets you’d be very annoyed.
          So irrespective of whether someone has 1 month or 10 years of “expertise” this is something you cannot dispute.
          I worked with a team of nutritionalists with my US based manufacturer, so there were a few more people with expertise with my supplement.
          As I highlighted above, I have a 1st class degree and not felt that I needed to go further academically because in the manufacturing process there are several people with Phds in Nutrition Physiology and Chemistry and numerous people with masters degrees. I rely on their expertise and stopped counting years experience.
          My aim starting out was to put together a supplement that I would take daily. One that I knew exactly what’s inside and would address the health concerns that I, and as it turns out many others do too.
          Adam

          1. Respectfully stated! 40 years of experience doesn’t equate to ethical practices and so I think its imperative to have comparisons and actually Arbonne should welcome it as should their ambassadors!

            What if if was proved that the blend provided by Aronne was just generic and the blend brought out by the life hacker was healthier! What be you view then? Keep an open mind!

  9. So at first you say you were given a tub of it. Then you said you don’t know how big it is.

    Which is it?

    All well and good but you then go to promote another one. So your opinion isn’t valuable

    1. Hi Melissa,

      I was given a tub and its me holding the tub in all the images above. I go above and beyond many supplement review sites and actually purchase (or get given) most of the products in my reviews. I can legitimately compare products on a like for like basis with mine and am completely transparent this is my product. I then leave it to my readers to decide what product would suit them, or neither. I am giving consumers an informed choice based on my experience with the product and the reasons for why I created mine.
      I am interested to know more about your experience with Arbonne, have you tried it or are you a promoter?
      Adam

  10. Everyone says its a different one, but the basic is the same. Whether it’s Arbonne or any other. But the ways of managing people and quality product or services make the difference.
    I have sure been to many MLM business but Yes I have seen some real quality and growth on Arbonne

  11. Hi Adam I like your review but I found that you spoke more about the company and the business model than the actual product which is a bit disappointing. Next time have a chat with the friend who provide you with the tube and ask for more details about the product I’m sure he/she can give it to you. Also use the product and see if you have any benefits from it so you can authentically say why you like or not about the product instead of just mentioned why you don’t like MLM. If you are wondering I’m an Arbonne consultant who use the products and I’m very honest about what I like and what I don’t like of Arbonne products and I know your friend could give you more details and answer lots of the questions you have about the product thereis a lot of transparency fro my point of view. I want people to be truly educated about the products and the business model so hope this helps!
    Patricia

    1. Hi Patricia,

      Thank you for your feedback, I really appreciate you taking the time to comment here.

      I do have a bottle of Arbonne greens balance and so have tried it (these are genuine pictures of me holding the bottle) – I will check my review and update where I need too.

      One of the big issues for me about the product is not knowing the full ingredient breakdown of each ingredient in the blend. So, we don’t know how much Spirulina, Kale or any of these ingredients. Do you have this information? If so, would be great to get this.

      My friend who passed me the bottle doesn’t promote the product now.

      Adam

  12. Maybe you should try it then you will never look back . I’ve never been healthier on these products . And there is thousands and thousands of testimony’s on pages on Facebook and other social media platforms

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