On April 27, 2016, TMLG filed suit against The Honest Company on behalf of consumer Aviva Kellman, alleging that the company’s products are deceptively labeled. The complaint states that many of The Honest Company’s personal care, baby care, and household care products are deceptively labeled as “natural,” “all natural,” “naturally derived,” “plant-based,” and/or containing “no harsh chemicals, ever!” when, in fact, these products contain a substantial number and significant amount of synthetic and toxic ingredients.
Most consumers don’t have the necessary scientific knowledge to determine whether their personal care, baby care, and household care products are natural, plant-based, or harsh, so they rely on the company to report accurately what the product is made of. Unfortunately, despite the name, Honest’s products may not be so honest after all. For example, lurking inside the “kid-friendly” and seemingly mom-worthy “plant-based” Laundry Detergent that “softens naturally” and contains “no harsh chemicals (ever)!” is a chemical cocktail of synthetic ingredients. In fact, out of the seven ingredients, more than two-thirds (five) are synthetic, and more than two-thirds are “harsh,” if not downright toxic. One such chemical in the Laundry Detergent is Phenoxyethanol, an ethylene glycol ether that has been shown to cause acute neurotoxic effects. The Laundry Detergent also contains methylisothiazolinone, a compound that was named the Contact Allergen of the Year in 2013 by the American Contact Dermatitis Society.
Plaintiff Kellman seeks class certification on behalf of all persons who purchased falsely labeled Honest Company products. Plaintiff is seeking refunds for purchasers and is asking that The Honest Company be required to inform consumers of the true contents of their products. Read more about the case here.