TRESemmé Shampoo Lawsuit Filed Over Hair Loss, Adverse Scalp Reactions

Unilever faces a new TRESemme’ shampoo lawsuit, alleging the manufacturer falsely advertises the products as safe, while concealing information that consumers may be exposing themselves to formaldehyde and other ingredients linked to reports of hair loss, scalp reactions and other injuries.

The complaint (PDF) was filed by Holly Schafer in the United States District Court District of New Jersey late last month, indicating she suffered scalp irritation, burns and hair loss from TRESemme’ shampoo products that contained undisclosed levels of  a dangerous ingredient called DMDM hydantoin (DMDM).

The lawsuit implicates all TRESemme’ shampoo products, which Schafer claims contain DMDM hydantoin as a cheap and unnecessarily dangerous preservative.

DMDM hydantoin is a chemical that releases formaldehyde which has been shown to cause cancer and other harmful reactions when applied to the skin including itchiness, red rashes on the skin brittle hair, loss of hair and even dermatitis.

TRESemme’ Shampoo Hair Loss Lawsuit

Schafer claims Unilever TRESemme’ shampoo products are marketed nationwide with false and misleading marketing and labeling claims, specifically touting on the product labeling the TREsemme’ products “deeply nourish”, “gently cleanse” and “repair hair”.  However, the lawsuit claims customers are being exposed to DMDM hydantoin ingredients, which may cause consumers to suffer hair loss, allergic reactions, or skin and scalp irritation.

While formaldehyde-releasers are common in shampoo and conditioner, to prevent microbes from growing in water-based products, the lawsuit claims there are safer alternatives than DMDM hydantoin.

Specifically, the lawsuit states the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified formaldehyde as a human carcinogen, and the National Toxicology Program of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) named formaldehyde as a known and definite carcinogen to humans.

Schafer claims she began using TRESemme’ shampoo products and began to experience hair loss, thinning hair, and scalp irritation during and after washing her hair. By 2021, Schafer claims she began losing abnormal amounts of her hair, with clumps of hair falling out after using TRESemme’ shampoo products, prompting her to stop using the products.

The lawsuit claims Unilever has failed to warn customers or provide adequate warning about the use of DMDM in its products, despite knowing about the side effects of DMDM and how the products have caused hair loss and scalp irritation risks to consumers for more than a decade.

The TRESemme’ shampoo lawsuit presents claims of manufacturing defects, design defects, failure to provide adequate warning and negligence against Unilever, requesting a jury trial to determine the award of both compensatory and punitive damages.

Hair Relaxer Formaldehyde Lawsuits

The lawsuit comes amid growing concerns about risks associated with chemicals in a number of widely used hair care products, following the publication of recent research that found undisclosed endocrine disrupting chemicals in hair relaxer may cause uterine cancer.

In October, researchers published findings in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, which warned about the chemical hair relaxer cancer risks, finding that the rate of uterine cancer was nearly three times greater among women who frequently used hair relaxer chemicals, compared to women who never used the products.

The findings have ignited a series of hair relaxer uterine cancer lawsuits and ovarian cancer lawsuits to be filed by women across the U.S., claiming decades of using hair relaxers with undisclosed chemical ingredients have caused them to develop hormone sensitive cancers.

Given similar questions of fact and law raised in a growing number of complaints filed throughout the federal court system, the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) recently determined that all hair relaxer and perm cancer lawsuits will be centralized before one judge for coordinated discovery and pretrial proceedings in the federal court system. However, if the parties fail to reach settlements to resolve large numbers of lcaims, each case may be remanded back to the U.S. District Court where it was originally filed for a separate trial date in the future.