What The Hell Was Magic Dirt?

The pandemic has been a surreal time for all of us. Filled with job losses, canceled events,  toilet paper hoarding, and one of the weirdest MLMs to grace the internet. 

That’s right, amidst a time of widespread panic, yet another predatory MLM company was pedaling their shitty “product” to unsuspecting people. And I put “product” in quotations because, well, it was dirt. Dirt which was advertised to have many health benefits. In turn, it was circulated by many many anti-vax and COVID deniers. 

What a time to be alive. 

Here’s the breakdown of the Magic Dirt controversy; one of the many reasons to NEVER trust an MLM. 

Planting The Seeds

It all began in May of 2021 when we were finally getting into the rhythm of our “new normal.” Of course, health was a huge talking point in the media. It’s no surprise that many alternative medicines were taking social media by storm. It was during this month when people saw a very peculiar brand on the rise. Depictions began circulating with smiling women slathering black mud on their faces, drinking jars of black liquid, and placing their babies’ feet in a tub of black water.

In the captions, they listed the numerous benefits of using this new  “magic dirt.”  And of course, the benefits varied from person to person. You might read one post that credits the dirt with curing her child’s low energy and constipation. Then you might scroll on to read another post claiming that it rejuvenates the skin while calming anxiety. 

One thing these posts had in common is that they contained the hashtag #BOO while providing a shoutout to the company Black Oxygen Organics.

So, what does Black Oxgen Organics have to say about their “magic dirt”? As a brand, they described their product as,

 “the end product and smallest particle of the decomposition of ancient, organic matter.” 

Yeah, it’s purposely vague. In short, Magic Dirt is supposed to be a form of fulvic acid. This is a compound derived from the decayed plants of an Ontario peat bog. Sounds super rejuvenating, right? 

To be fair, fulvic acid is shown to help with allergies, and gastrointestinal function. But as with your average MLM, Black Magic Organics has exaggerated these benefits to the tenth power. They’ve taken these benefits, and used them to sell 4.5 ounces of literal dirt; sealed in a fancy black bag and stamped with a $110 price tag. And if that didn’t feel like a slap in the face already; this stuff didn’t even come with free shipping!

Magic Dirt is claimed to be safe for anyone of any age. This includes your children and your pets. It’s been said to help heart health, brain function, and pretty much every common health problem in the world.

Of course, with it being 2021 and all, it started getting sent around to anti-vax and COVID-sceptical groups. So instead of getting treatment for a deadly virus, people were mixing mud in their smoothies and calling it a day. 

The Immediate Downfall

As Instagrammers and TikTokers promoted this “cure-all” product, an alarming number of women were eager to become direct sellers. For many, this company was their first introduction to the notorious Multi-Level-Marketing schemes. 

That is until the professionals got involved. You see, Magic Dirt was not at all FDA approved. And when health regulators from the U.S. and Canada got wind of its popularity, they investigated. They called for multiple product holds at the border, which in turn gave rise to an army of online skeptics. 

And in typical MLM fashion, Black Oxygen Organics took their money and ran for the hills. Only about six months after its initial success, the company announced that it was officially shutting down. This initiated a very public backlash from online sellers. They grieved the end of miracle supplements, while also petitioning to win back the thousands they invested in direct selling. 

Unfortunately, most victims of these schemes will likely never see their money again.

The fact of the matter is that Black Oxygen Organics and similar companies are based on a scam. Period. That’s what everyone needs to remember, so they can avoid making the same mistakes as so many others. Always be on the looking out for predatory companies.