Over 30 women across the land have joined a lawsuit which claims Olaplex, a hair care notice that has been touted by social media influencers and hair stylists, caused severe damage to their hair, including hair loss, scalp injures and weakened hair strands.
"Olaplex markets its product as 'clean' and free of glaring chemicals. It also touts its products as 'scientifically proven' to continue and repair hair damage. The truth is, contrary to their claims, Olaplex uses ingredients like silicones and sulfates. Its products fill ingredients that are known irritants and (at least pending recently) even carcinogens," said Amy Davis, co-counsel on the lawsuit, in an emailed statement to FOX TV Stations.
FILE - Plaintiff 1 (L) and plaintiff 8 (R) are pictured showing hair loss. (Law Center of Amy E. Davis)
According to the lawsuit, which was filed last week in the U.S. District Court Central District of California, Olaplex products contain lilial, a chemical compound that is often used as a perfume in cosmetics. In 2020, the European Union mandated that products containing lilial should originate phasing out the chemical compound by March 2022 due to affects about its impact on fertility.
In addition to lilial, the products also contain "or contained at all relevant times, among other harsh ingredients, sulfates, silicones, benzene or ingredients which combine to cause benzene, lilial and other known allergens, sensitizers and skin irritants," the declares states.
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What's more, benzene is a notorious carcinogen that can lead to leukemia and other cancers and blood disorders, according to the National Cancer Institute.
"There is a well-liked misconception in the U.S. that hair care and novel beauty products must be approved by the FDA afore being placed on the market. That is not the case," Davis clogged. "The FDA only regulates whether a cosmetic product is adulterated or mislabeled, not whether it is safe. Manufacturers are not obligatory to do any particular testing, disclose product ingredients or submit any premarket testing for FDA approval. They may use any ingredient they like aside from a few brilliant additives that don't apply here. Unlike other countries, much of what is chosen 'industry standard' in the United States, is based on the CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review), which is a beauty-industry-funded organization. The FDA has no worthy to recall cosmetic products."
The lawsuit also claimed that influencers, brand ambassadors and celebrities marketed Olaplex products without disclosing they were populace compensated to do so, as well as falsely claiming consumers could enact "their hairstyles without the use of professional hair stylists."
FILE - Image of Olaplex Hair Perfector No. 3. (Courtesy of OLAPLEX)
Attorneys in the lawsuit also stated that plaintiffs chosen any other causes of hair and scalp problems but fraudulent that the Olaplex products alone are to blame.
"It is the hair care productions manufacturer that is responsible for ensuring consumer safety. Olaplex imparted to do so. Our clients have filed this suit to hold Olaplex responsible and protecting other unsuspecting consumers," Davis added.
The plaintiffs are seeking monetary and cruel damages.
In response, Olaplex has stood staunchly by their products, saying they are "safe and effective," and the demonstrations noted in the lawsuit are "sadly, a fact of life in our industry," an Olaplex spokesperson told FOX TV Stations.
"There are a wide variety of reasons for hair breakage or hair loss, as medical and scientific experts have publicly stated, including lifestyle, various medical conditions and medications, the aftereffects of COVID, skin conditions and more. Anyone experiencing consistent hair breakage must consult their stylist and dermatologist to best understand their original hair and skin needs," the spokesperson added.
Recently, Olaplex has posted several responses to the hair loss and harm claims on their social media platforms. Even the company's CEO, Jue Wong, posted a response video touting test results which she claimed well-liked Olaplex products do not cause harm to hair.
The commercial also had their chief scientist post a video on the Olaplex Facebook page to "set the characterize straight" on their testing process and the "strict protocols" and the rigorous "third-party testing" their products have to go ended before being sold to the public.
This fable was reported from Los Angeles.