J&J Aveeno Stress Relief Settlement Reached

On Wednesday, Johnson & Johnson reached a settlement deal, ending claims that the company’s Aveeno lotions and body wash that allegedly relieve stress don’t actually work.

Details about the amount or requirements of the settlement deal are not yet available, but the settlement deal was filed in New York federal court, and a hearing was held on July 15.

The Aveeno stress relief products false advertising class action lawsuit was filed by Yajaira Sullivan. She claimed that Johnson & Johnson had knowingly made false claims about their product.

Allegedly, the company markets the stress relief products by claiming that “clinical studies” show that the products have a calming effect. However, Sullivan argues that no such studies exist. The Aveeno Stress Relief Moisturizing Lotion and Body Wash class action lawsuit says that Johnson & Johnson allegedly claims that their products contain lavendar and lyang lyang, which the company claims reduces stress.

To counter Johnson & Johnson’s claims that research does show that the Aveeno lotions and body wash are calming, Sullivan sited multiple studies that reportedly suggest that scents used in aromatherapy because of their allegedly calming effects, including lavender and ylang ylang, do not actually relieve stress or have a calming effect.

The Aveeno class action lawsuit says, “every sound and reliable study has demonstrated that aromatherapy with lavender, chamomile, and ylang ylang are no better than a placebo at providing stress relief.”

According to Sullivan, the studies that do suggest that lavender has a calming effect have flaws that throw their results into question. She says that the studies that Johnson & Johnson allude to in its marketing do not actually apply to Johnson & Johnson’s products.

In her Aveeno class action, Sullivan also says that the Aveeno products do not actually contain pure essential oils, but an “amalgam of ingredients.”

Sullivan argues that she and other customers were financially injured by Johnson & Johnson because, had they known that the Aveeno products did not work as advertised, they would not have purchased them or would not have paid as much as they did for them.

She seeks damages for herself and all other similarly affected Johnson & Johnson consumers located around the country.

Johnson & Johnson reportedly fought back against Sullivan’s Aveeno false advertising class action lawsuit, saying that she had not shown that the actually purchased the product. The company further attempted to discredit Sullivan’s claims by saying that, though Sullivan had cited studies she said countered Johnson & Johnson’s advertisements, she had not cited any studies that had actually tested the Aveeno products in question.

The company also tried to say that Sullivan could not seek injunctive relief, because she said that she would buy the products again, despite their advertisement. Johnson & Johnson also pointed out that Sullivan had not outlined when she had discovered that the products contained alleged misrepresentations.

Yajaira Sullivan is represented by Joseph Lipari of The Sultzer Law Group PC.

The Johnson & Johnson Aveeno Calming Lotions and Body Wash Class Action Lawsuit is Sullivan v. Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies Inc., Case No. 1:19-cv-02803, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

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