More than two dozen Olaplex users have sued the company over allegations that its luxury haircare products are falsely advertised as safe for those with dry and/or damaged hair. The 61-page lawsuit says that although Olaplex touts the products “over and over” in advertisements as “scientifically proven,” free from harsh chemicals and “safe for all hair,” the items are, in fact, “none of these things.” As the suit tells it, Los Angeles-based Olaplex and co-defendant Cosway Co.’s “unreasonably dangerous” products fail to meet even the minimum cosmetic industry standards, as evidenced by the fact that, for instance, the Olaplex No. 3 Hair Perfector once contained lilial, a known sensitizer and allergen linked to infertility. According to the lawsuit, many other purportedly safe Olaplex products contain panthenol and other ingredients well known in the beauty industry to be allergens and irritants that can cause allergic contact dermatitis, hair loss and scalp injuries. The case, which was not filed as a class action (more on this below), accuses Olaplex and Cosway of attempting to conceal the dangers of their products, leading many users to believe that their hair loss and scalp issues “could be symptoms of a dire health condition.” Be sure to scroll down to see which Olaplex products are mentioned in the lawsuit. In addition, Olaplex’s marketing – which includes the use of celebrity photos – is misleading given that “many of these celebrities do not regularly use the Products,” much less sponsor or endorse them in any way, the filing claims. Further, much of the defendants’ press coverage amounts to “no more than a purchased ad” or paid mentions in blogs and by influencers on social media, the suit, filed on February 9 in California, relays. Further still, many of the before-and-after photos on Olaplex’s website that show how “the average person can attain celebrity hair” feature paid models who “do not regularly use the Products” as recommended by the defendants and whose hair, unbeknownst to consumers, has been styled by professionals, the case claims. Despite “thousands” of complaints, Olaplex conceals dangers of haircare products, suit claims According to the case, Olaplex has affirmatively tried to hide the dangers of the products from the public, prohibiting many users from discovering that their injuries were caused by the company’s “wrongful conduct.” “It never occurred to Plaintiffs and other users that the Products—touted by Defendants as safe for all hair, free of a laundry list of harsh chemicals and are [sic] scientifically formulated and proven to repair dry and damaged hair—could actually be hurting their hair and scalp, not helping,” the lawsuit summarizes. “To the contrary, many believed their situation would have been worse but for the Products.” The case claims Olaplex has made matters worse by failing to disclose and, in fact, actively concealing the sheer number of complaints it has received of hair loss, scalp issues and other injuries from customers and the FDA. Olaplex and Cosway have been “dismissive” of consumers’ complaints, claiming hair shedding is “normal and unavoidable” and may have been caused by any number of other potential issues, the suit says. Had the companies been transparent as far as the volume of complaints they received, consumers could have identified the source of their hair loss and scalp issues much sooner – and some could have avoided injury altogether, the lawsuit contends. Despite the foregoing, Olaplex products remain on store shelves, the complaint shares. Olaplex and Cosway have instead implemented “what is essentially a voluntary and entirely self-serving partial recall,” merely allowing customers to return Olaplex products with “no questions asked” for a full refund, regardless of the date of original purchase or amount of product left in the bottle, the case relays. “Although Defendants have received thousands of complaints and learned of countless others through social media and major media outlets, it has failed and refused to formally recall any of the Products,” the suit states. “Nor have Defendants issued any new warnings or otherwise disclosed the defects and dangers associated with the Products.” As the case tells it, the defendants’ seemingly half-hearted recall amounts to an attempt to “appease injured consumers and sweep under the rug the dangers presented by the Products.” Olaplex ingredients include allergens, could allow for benzene exposure Per the case, many of the Olaplex products at issue contain sodium benzoate and ascorbic and/or citric acid – chemicals that, when combined, create the known carcinogen benzene. The filing stresses that benzene is “so dangerous that the beauty industry has stopped using the ingredient” and voluntarily pulled hair care products containing the substance from stores. The suit adds that the Olaplex products also contain non-water-soluble substances that can cause users to develop “clogged, inflamed, impacted and infected hair follicles.” This condition, known as seborrheic dermatitis, is characterized by “red, itchy, inflamed, blistered, flaking or scaling skin” and hair loss, the suit says. According to the lawsuit, each variety of Olaplex products contains “known skin irritants and sensitizers,” which can cause allergic contact dermatitis and, consequently, “extreme diffuse hair loss.” In more serious cases, exposure to the allergens in Olaplex items can trigger an auto-immune response, such as alopecia areata, the suit adds. The case also contends that Olaplex products include an excessive amount of “plasticizing agents” such as glycol, the overuse of which can weaken and damage hair. With regard to the Olaplex products’ one-time inclusion of lilial, a synthetic scent ingredient, the lawsuit says the European Union Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety in 2020 demanded that the ingredient be phased out of hair and beauty products by March 2022. According to EWG.org, lilial has been identified as having endocrine-disrupting properties, meaning it can interfere with natural hormone functions and may pose a risk to fertility and fetal development. A review of an archived version of Sephora’s website shows that the beauty retailer required Olaplex to remove lilial from its products in 2020 or early 2021, the case says. According to its own public statements, however, Olaplex did not remove lilial from products sold elsewhere in the U.S. and European Union until February 2022 and, at any rate, should have pulled the items entirely from stores, the lawsuit says. Olaplex should have recalled the dangerous Products, requiring that retailers and distributors either (1) return these Products, or (2) destroy them and provide proof of destruction. Instead, we understand Olaplex continues to sell and allows retailers and distributors to continue to sell the runoff inventory it knows contains a dangerous ingredient.” Lastly, the complaint contends that the instructions for using Olaplex products exacerbate the injuries experienced by consumers, who are directed or encouraged to leave the products in their hair for “long periods of time or indefinitely.” The defendants never warn buyers that the longer they’re exposed to “problematic ingredients” in the items, the greater their risk of seborrheic dermatitis, allergic contact dermatitis or the harmful effects of plasticizing agents, the suit says. Which Olaplex products are mentioned in the lawsuit? The Olaplex products mentioned in the lawsuit include Olaplex No. 0, Olaplex No. 1, Olaplex No. 2, Olaplex No. 3, Olaplex No. 4, Olaplex No. 5, Olaplex No. 6, Olaplex No. 7, Olaplex No. 8 and Olaplex No. 9. According to the case, each plaintiff has experienced “serious injury” as a result of using Olaplex products. Some have lost hair—“in some cases more than half and leaving bald spots in others,” the suit says—while others have been left with hair that’s “dry, brittle, frizzy and dull.” “The hair has split and broken, causing it to look unkept and as if it were cut with a weedwhacker,” the case describes, noting that the products have also changed the texture of the plaintiffs’ hair while causing scalp injuries such as “extreme itchiness, rash, yeast infection, bacterial infection, open sores, burning and overall sensitivity,” as well as psychological harm. Is this lawsuit a class action? No, the lawsuit detailed on this page is not a class action, a type of lawsuit filed by one or more individuals on behalf of a larger group who allegedly suffered a similar – but relatively small – injury, usually financial in nature. The 28 plaintiffs who filed the case are instead pursuing damages for their “personal injuries, primarily to their hair and scalp” and want the court to order Olaplex to stop its “unfair, false and deceptive advertising and marketing.” This doesn’t rule out, however, the possibility of a class action being filed over Olaplex products in the future to compensate those who purchased the products and may have been misled by the defendants’ claims. If you want more information on how to start a class action lawsuit, head on over to this page. Spate’s 2022 Trends Report includes data on U.S. consumer search trends in professional services, lipstick, and seasonal products.
A commonality across the entire makeup category is the increased search volume for mature skin. Spate suggests brands take note and develop products suitable for all consumer groups. Hair Dusting & Beauty Services There are 2.7K average monthly searches in the United States for hair dusting—a hair trimming technique that involves cutting off damaged split ends to maintain healthy hair strands and promote growth. The trend has low search volume compared to other hair services but is trending in the right direction, growing 27.5% since last year. Spate reports that hair services are experiencing the highest search growth in the hair category, with a 12% increase since last year. This growth is consistent in other segments, with makeup services increasing 18.6%, skin care services growing by 4.2% and nail services increasing 33.2% since last year. Hair Loss There are 4.5K average monthly searches for hair loss conditioners, a low search volume compared to other conditioner products but also a 54% growth since last year with no market leader. Postpartum hair loss search rates are experiencing the highest growth among hair concerns, with a 14.8% increase since last year. Hair care products like scalp serum and hair loss cream have increased 34.5% and 21%, respectively. Thigh Cream There are 1.6K average monthly searches for thigh cream, a low volume relative to other leg care searches, but also a 59.3% growth since last year. There is medium market competition and Clarins is currently the market leader. Related searches include cellulite, chafing, how to use, what is and review. Spate’s report indicates that thigh cream is a top growing bath and body trend during warmer seasons. Spate suggests that brands consider adding SPF benefits to their thigh creams. There are 27.5K average monthly searches for cream blush, a high search volume compared to other blush products and the largest increase in the blush category. The trend has grown 20% since last year and currently has high market competition with six market leaders: Maybelline, Milk Makeup, Charlotte Tilbury, Elf Cosmetics, Stila and Beautycounter. Plum Lipstick There are 4.8K average monthly searches for plum lipstick, a growth of 549% since last year, but still a low volume compared to other lipstick product searches. Brands being searched alongside the trend are Clinique, Mac, Bobbi Brown and Nyx. Spate suggests that plum is the new red in lipstick as consumers look for a bold and moody vibe to fit the cold winter. The color has universal appeal, as evident in its related searches for skin, dark skin, pale skin and olive skin. Lipstick had a resurgence in 2021 that continues to show growth, with lipstick palette and metallic lipstick searches increasing 196.6% and 230%, respectively. Lip plumping gloss (132.7% increase) and lip pencils (79%) are other trending lip products. Gua Sha Stone There are 99.1K average monthly searches for gua sha stone, an increase of 47.7% since last year and a high search volume compared to other accessories and devices in the face product category. There is low competition with two brand leaders—Lanshin and Sephora. The gua sha stone is a tool for massaging face or body to improve circulation and skin health. The technique is derived from traditional Chinese medicine. The most common related search term was “how to use” (301% increase), presenting an opportunity for brands to provide education and tutorials on the skin care tool. Jade is the traditional stone used for the tool, but rose quartz is a popular alternative. Crystal products are currently the largest increase in natural beauty-related ingredients, with a 63.5% increase since last year, per the report. Human hair can be a tool for measuring the toxicity of a city, according to London-based architects Deborah Lopez and Hadin Charbel, who have also created a textile made from hair. Through their research studio, Pareid, Lopez and Charbel have been analysing hair samples as a way of mapping the levels of pollution across different areas of Bangkok. Samples containing larger quantities of heavy metals indicate higher levels of environmental toxicity. Pareid has analysed the toxicity of hundreds of hair samples "Pollution is becoming a gigantic environmental problem," Lopez told Dezeen. "We were interested in the capacity of the human body to become a sensor to this, to reflect and record the environment where you live, where you breathe, and where you eat and drink." The research began with an installation at Bangkok Design Week in 2019, which functioned as a test station The project, called Follicle, started out as an investigation into the potential of hair as an architectural material. Research suggests that around 6.5 million kilos of waste human hair is produced in the UK alone every year, so Lopez and Charbel felt this material could be an untapped resource for sustainable construction. However, after learning about the presence of heavy metals in hair, the pair realised they could also use the substance as a research tool in cities with dangerously high levels of pollution. The installation was a space where people could cut off a small amount of hair and submit it for analysis They set up their first test station in Bangkok, a city that hit the headlines in early 2019 after high levels of smog forced all of its 437 schools to close. The architects created an installation at Bangkok Design Week 2019, inviting visitors to voluntarily cut off a small amount of their hair and submit it for analysis, along with details about their day-to-day environment. As the hair toxicity is affected by lifestyle choices – smoking and dying your hair both led to increased metal content, for instance – visitors were asked to also provide some anonymous information about themselves. Participants were anonymous but were asked to provide some details about themselves and their day-to-day environment Although there was some reluctance, Lopez and Charbel were surprised by how many people were willing to donate their hair. They ended up with hundreds of samples. The toxicology analysis suffered long delays, as a result of the Covid-19 crisis unfolding at that time, but when they finally received the results they were able to see significant links between certain types of environment and certain metals. For example, people who lived near major highways were found to have a notably higher volume of arsenic in their hair. "From that moment we were able to link these two stories together, hair toxicity and pollution in the context of Bangkok," said Charbel. Pareid has used the finding to create a "toxi-cartography" of Bangkok The architects have been using the information gathered to produce a "toxi-cartography", an interactive 3D map of the city that charts the varying toxicity across different areas. This is available to view on a dedicated website. The pair are currently presenting their research within the Spanish Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale. Lopez and Charbel have also developed a hair textile, as a separate part of the project Going forward, Lopez and Charbel hope to be able to set up test stations in more cities, so that they can start to build up a wider understanding of the links between urban conditions and hair toxicity. At the same time, the architects are also continuing to explore ways that waste hair can be used in building construction. They have used a felting machine to create a hair textile, which has featured in both the Bangkok and Venice installations. Lopez suggests that this felt could be used as an insulating material, or as some kind of acoustic panelling. An object designed to encapsulate the research is currently on show at the Venice Architecture Biennale The main obstacle to overcome is the stigma surrounding the cleanliness of hair, Lopez said. "We find it interesting that we feel comfortable with the hair of non-humans, with animal fur, but we feel so disgusted by our own hair," she stated. "We want to find a way to use this material to create something that people feel attracted to." Human hair has been used in a number of recent design projects, including designer Céline Arnould's ceramic vessels cast from the hair of her friends and family and a collection of bricks made from hair and manure. from dezeen Project credits:
Architects: Pareid Architects (Deborah Lopez and Hadin Charbel) Collaborators: Konlawat Meklalit, Noppa-on Plidtookpai, Pitisuda Sukumalchantra, Phatsorn Mutanone. Support: Matter of Trust, Embajada de España en Bangkok, Bangkok Design Week 2019 and TCDC Photography and images Pareid & Visut Innadda Hair analysis: Mery Malandrino, Alberto Salomone, Marco Vincenti (Department of Chemistry - University of Turin, Italy) Website design: Pareid Architects (Déborah Lopez and Hadin Charbel) Website development & Data Visualization: Sherif Tarabishy Sound design: Donnie Brosh READ YOUR LABELS: DMDM hydantoin is listed by the FDA as one of the preservatives found to cause the most allergic reactions from the use of cosmetic products. It works as an antimicrobial agent and preservative in cosmetics and personal care products. It's also a “formaldehyde donor.” That means it releases a small amount of formaldehyde over time to help keep products fresh and free from contaminants. The FDA requires certain products to contain an ingredient declaration, but some ingredients may not be specifically identified and instead listed as “fragrance” or “perfume.” Here are several class action lawsuits against personal care companies using DMDM Hydantoin.
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