Hi.
Sorry, I realise now that I did not elaborate very much.
Nothing really sinister. They operate for profit and with a multi level marketing (pyramid scheme) model.
Alot of people on the bottom of the pyramid invest their money as "distributers" or "wellness advocates". Typically in MLM's these people see little or no return in their investments into the company. The few people at the top of the pyramid make a lot of money.
This reminds me of the cult that I grew up in. We were poor financially already and worse still because the ministers of the cult pressured all its members to tithe weekly. Tithing was performed in a group where every member could see each other's contribution and the pressure to tithe was enormous.
The ministers at the top oc this church (or should I say corporation) were rich while the church members were often poor and struggling.
Another thing with these MLM companies is that they claim to have secret and patented knowledge which is only available to paying members through their club.
They use emotional manipulation to create "group think"... this is like hypnosis where members start to only believe the story they have been told by the group.
There are so many aspects of these groups feel predatory to me.
Many of the things listed in this article sum up what the tactics essential oil MLM's use.
http://kaylafioravanti.com/twelve-signs-cult/