Arizona sues L'Oreal over hair straightener cancer risk, seeks warnings or sales halt

The state's attorney general, Kris Mayes, filed the complaint in state court late on September 10, making Arizona the first state to sue over cancer risks associated with hair straightening products. The lawsuit claims L'Oreal violated state consumer protection law by failing to warn consumers about risks allegedly linked to ovarian and uterine cancer when marketing the products, which are used primarily by African American women. The state seeks fines and damages and is asking the court to order L'Oreal to stop selling the products without warnings about cancer risks.

The lawsuit claims that for decades, in marketing the products to women and children, L'Oreal and related companies "exploited centuries-old social pressures and discriminatory beauty standards affecting African American people, while putting profits ahead of consumer safety." The products are sold under brands including Dark and Lovely and Optimum and are marketed as permanently straightening curly hair. L'Oreal did not immediately respond to a request for comment. L'Oreal has said its products undergo rigorous safety reviews and that it believes the allegations have no legal or scientific basis.

The lawsuits first emerged after a 2022 study published by the U. S. National Institutes of Health. The suits seek compensation for women's pain and economic losses, including medical expenses and the cost of the products. They name L'Oreal, Revlon and other product manufacturers as defendants. Revlon has also denied a link between the products and cancer.

The company faces more than 12,000 similar lawsuits brought by women or their families. The cases have been consolidated in federal court in Chicago as part of a multidistrict litigation procedure to manage claims filed across multiple jurisdictions more efficiently.