PRODUCTS

TRESemmé Keratin Hair Smoothing Shampoo and TRESemmé Keratin Smooth Color Shampoo

Status

Filing. There is no settlement yet.

Who is covered

Anyone in the United States who purchased TRESemmé Keratin Hair Smoothing Shampoo or TRESemmé Keratin Smooth Color Shampoo is likely to be represented in this action.

States Affected

All states in the USA.

Action to be taken

When a proposed class action is originally filed, there is usually nothing you need to do to join it. If the case moves forward and settles, anyone affected should then be given an opportunity to claim whatever compensation the court deems just. For additional information about the typical procedures in class actions, go here.

Facts

The following are some of the allegations made in the lawsuit:

The makers of the TRESemmé Keratin Smooth shampoo brand failed to tell consumers that one of the products’ ingredients can cause severe hair loss and scalp discomfort. Unilever United States, Inc. and Conopco, Inc. manufacture the goods, which contain a preservative called DMDM hydantoin, which is known to leach formaldehyde when it comes into contact with water.

Unilever’s use of DMDM hydantoin in the TRESemmé Keratin Smooth products is “an entirely unnecessary risk” because safer and natural alternatives exist because formaldehyde is a “well-known human carcinogen” that can cause cancer and other harmful reactions when absorbed into the skin. The defendants failed to adequately warn consumers about the dangers of using such a strong chemical on their hair, even claiming that the TRESemmé Keratin Smooth products are safe. The defendants continued to conceal the dangers of the Products by failing to recall them in a timely and comprehensive manner, continuing to assert that the Products were safe when used properly, and neglecting to warn consumers about the risks associated with their use.

The usage of formaldehyde donors in cosmetic goods, particularly DMDM hydantoin, has been related to allergies, dermatitis, hair loss, and even cancer. According to the lawsuit, the US Food and Drug Administration considers DMDM hydantoin to be one of the top allergens “that cause the most adverse reactions from the use of cosmetic products,” especially because people can become more susceptible to it over time. Hair brittleness and hair loss are linked to scalp inflammation.

Unilever has been aware of the hazards of DMDM hydantoin for at least a decade, as the chemical and numerous other chemicals have been the subject of previous legal action. According to the case, Unilever’s Suave Keratin Infusion product was recalled in 2012 after complaints of hair loss and scalp irritation.

According to the lawsuit, the corporation settled for $10.2 million in a settlement that was upheld by an appeals court in 2016. Despite the fact that Unilever continued to use DMDM hydantoin as a preservative and even stated publicly that the chemical was safe for use in hair products, the case claims that the company only recently reformulated its TRESemmé Keratin Smooth shampoos to replace DMDM hydantoin with other preservatives. “To this day, Unilever continues to advise consumers that these products are safe to use as prescribed, without disclosing any complaints of hair loss and without offering any warnings regarding the hair loss that may arise from their prolonged use,” according to the complaint. “In fact, despite Unilever’s knowledge and awareness of hundreds, if not thousands, of complaints of significant hair loss and breakage caused by the Products, Unilever continues to claim that the use of DMDM hydantoin is safe and allows them to be sold to this day — without providing consumers with any revised warnings or disclosures.”