July 19, 2021 – A class action lawsuit has been filed against Johnson & Johnson alleging that the company’s OGX hair care products are causing significant hair loss.
The products are sold at major national retailers including Target, Ulta, CVS, Walmart and Walgreens. Johnson & Johnson shampoos, conditioners, and some hair oils are among the products named in the lawsuit.
The plaintiff, Larissa Whipple, a woman from Illinois, names the ingredient DMDM hydantoin as a main concern. DMDM hydantoin is a preservative and antimicrobial agent that is sometimes found in hair care products. It is considered a “formaldehyde donor” which means that over time it releases a small amount of formaldehyde to keep the product fresh.
But formaldehyde donors like this one have been linked to allergies, rashes, hair loss, and cancer. The National Toxicology Program of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare announced the following: Formaldehyde is known to be carcinogenic.
The lawsuit states that the company may have violated consumer protection laws by promoting the products with this ingredient to people who want healthy hair.
“Johnson & Johnson has made a number of false claims… that the products ‘deep nourish’, ‘gently cleanse’ and ‘repair the hair’. However, the formula of the products contains an ingredient or a combination of ingredients that have caused hair loss and / or scalp irritation in the plaintiff and thousands of consumers, ”the lawsuit states.
Johnson & Johnson says that all of their ingredients are carefully selected and listed on the product label. The company stated that none of its new products contain DMDM hydantoin and that it has not launched any new hair products containing this ingredient in several years.
J&J is not having a good week. They also recently received a class action lawsuit for their line of OGX shampoo. One ingredient used causes hair loss or scalp irritation … and it’s formaldehyde!
– Akram Abdullah (@AkramAljbor) July 13, 2021
“We carefully select ingredients to ensure the safety and performance of our products,” Johnson & Johnson said in a statement to WebMD. “Some of our existing products contain a small amount of DMDM hydantoin, which is used to prevent mold from building up while showering. Every preservative that is used in our products must go through our strict safety assessment process. “
In August 2012, Johnson & Johnson announced that it would be removing DMDM hydantoin and other similar ingredients from their products by 2015. However, the lawsuit states that this was a “broken promise”.
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