Direct Selling Self-Regulatory Council Recommends Zilis Discontinue Health-Related Product Performance Claims

703.247.9330 / press@bbbnp.org

McLean, VA – December 1, 2022 – The Direct Selling Self-Regulatory Council (DSSRC) of BBB National Programs recommended that certain health-related product performance claims made by Zilis salesforce members be discontinued. 

Zilis is a direct-selling company that sells wellness products including hemp products as well as products for weight management, skincare, joint and muscle support, and overall wellness. 

DSSRC opened this case through its ongoing independent monitoring of truth in advertising and marketing in the direct selling industry. The claims under investigation by DSSRC, shared by Zilis salesforce members on social media, included:

• “Lost weight; Reduce Cravings; Boost your immune system…helps with situational stress”
• “fibromyalgia; menstrual; arthritis; diabetes; chronic pain; nausea; depression; anxiety; autism; epilepsy; OCD; Alzheimer’s”
• “Every day I see at least one post in my news feed about someone dealing with anxiety. Zilis CBD has helped me so much in my daily life with stress and bad, dreary moods” 

Any health-related advertising claim should be substantiated with competent and reliable scientific evidence, and Zilis did not provide such evidence that its products can produce the results outlined in the challenged social media claims.  

The FTC’s standard of competent and reliable scientific evidence has been defined in FTC case law as "tests, analyses, research, studies, or other evidence based on the expertise of professionals in the relevant area, that has been conducted and evaluated in an objective manner by persons qualified to do so, using procedures generally accepted in the profession to yield accurate and reliable results.” 

DSSRC requested that Zilis immediately delete all challenged social media posts. Zilis responded quickly, participating in the self-regulatory process and successfully getting its salesforce member social media posts deleted.

Should DSSRC continue to identify social media posts disseminated by Zillis and/or its salesforce members that include claims such as the health-related claims outlined in this case, it will commence a compliance inquiry.

All BBB National Programs case decision summaries can be found in the case decision library. For the full text of DSSRC decisions, visit the DSSRC Cases and Closures webpage.