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Update:
- A New York federal judge ruled Unilever must face claims it violated New York General Business Law by labeling a line of its Dove brand body wash as “microbiome gentle.”
- Plaintiff Aliyah Anderson claims the Dove body wash is not “microbiome gentle” but, rather, deceptively labeled by Unilever.
- Unilever had asked that the class action claims be dismissed, arguing that the labeling on the Dove product was not misleading.
- U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Karas trimmed a number of other claims from the class action lawsuit, including unjust enrichment and fraud, among other things, but allowed the deceptive labeling claim to proceed.
- The complaint was first filed in April 2021 and amended in September.
(April 12, 2021)
A Dove body wash marketed as being “microbiome gentle” and containing “skin-natural nourishers” in fact contains multiple ingredients that trigger skin reactions, a new lawsuit alleges.
In a class action lawsuit filed Saturday in New York federal court, Plaintiff Aliyah Anderson alleges that Dove manufacturer Unilever violated multiple state and federal laws through the marketing of its Dove Deep Moisture Bodywash.
Anderson says the company touts the product’s benefits for the skin microbiome, encouraging people to buy it in order to “start your year with a healthy microbiome.”
“However, the product is not ‘microbiome gentle’ because it contains numerous ingredients which trigger negative skin reactions,” the lawsuit says.
The main ingredient of the body wash, after water, is cocamidopropyl betaine (CAPB), the lawsuit states, which is restricted in cosmetics and is unsafe when it is not thoroughly rinsed off the skin, according to the environmental nonprofit Environmental Working Group. The class action claims CAPB is a common trigger for skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, rosacea and contact dermatitis, as well as eye irritation.
Unilever also markets the product as containing “skin-natural nourishers,” which makes consumers think the product is natural, even though it contains synthetic ingredients, the lawsuit says.
The lawsuit includes an image of the product ingredients, highlighting seven ingredients it alleges are not natural, and are instead made through chemical reactions.
New York resident Aliyah Anderson claims she bought Dove Deep Moisture Bodywash on one or more occasions in 2020, at least once from a Costco.
Anderson wanted to buy a product with the qualities advertised on the label of the body wash, so was willing to pay a premium for it — no less than $5.99 for a 22 OZ bottle. However, she says she would not have paid as much if Unilever had not made “false and misleading statements and omissions” on its packaging.
The lawsuit cites consumers’ growing desire to buy natural cosmetics, with more people — especially millennials — becoming concerned about synthetic ingredients in cosmetics.
“[Unilever] misrepresented the products through affirmative statements, half-truths, and omissions,” the lawsuit says. “[It] sold more of the product and at a higher price than it would have in absence of this misconduct, resulting in additional profits at the expense of consumers.”
Anderson is suing under New York General Business Law consumer protection statutes, as well as for breach of warranty, fraud and unjust enrichment.
She’s looking to represent a Class of New York residents who bought the body wash and is seeking certification of the Class, an injunction forcing Unilever to correct its alleged illegal practices, damages, costs, fees and a jury trial.
British-Dutch consumer goods company Unilever is a well-known global brand that produces many of the household items we are all familiar with, such as Dove, Lipton and Ben & Jerry’s.
Over the years the multinational corporation has found itself facing consumer backlash and criticism regarding the operations of the company and the quality of the products, which have led to a range of class action lawsuits being filed.
Right now, Unilever is facing multiple lawsuits over allegations that its TRESemmé keratin shampoo and conditioner causes scalp irritation and hair loss. For the latest news on Unilever class action lawsuits, click here.
Have you bought Dove body wash? Let us know what you think of this lawsuit in the comments!
Anderson is represented by Spencer Sheehan of Sheehan & Associates, P.C.
The Unilever Body Wash Class Action Lawsuit is Aliyah Anderson et al, v. Unilever United States, Case No. 7:21-cv-03117, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.
Read About More Class Action Lawsuits & Class Action Settlements:
1,809 thoughts onDove class action over ‘gentle’ body wash claims to proceed
Every time I use the Body wash it causes severe irritation, rashes and itching….i did not know what was causing it at first so i tested it and sure enough that was the culprit. The deodorant started doing the same thing…..now i have severe dark blotches on my under arms that I’m trying to get rid of.I called Dove and they asked if i wanted coupons???? At first i said yes then thought what other product would i buy from them because every one I use my skin reacts. So i said No, i have sever burning and itching and scaring on my under arms and legs. I advised i want to put in a claim instead and they said alright we have your information. We do not know when you will get a reply but we have your information. That was 7 months ago. I will be calling back. I recently tried another deodorant because I wanted an Aluminum Free product and they had a Vanilla Lavender deodorant that was allegedly Aluminum Free and as I applied it I IMMEDIATELY had burning and itching sensations on my underarms….Please add me to the Law Suit.
I use the sensitive skin bar soap on my female region. Lately it has been irritating me there.
I have this exact same thing. My husband and i both have started itching the last couple of months. We are finally connecting it to the soap! Something had to have changed bc we’ve used it for years
I just switched to Dove body wash about 2 weeks ago and have this nasty neck rash that won’t go away. This is the only thing I changed and now I’m researching why if I have never had eczema issues or problems with my last Body wash and now it makes sense!
Please add me to this lawsuit.
Please add me because I’ve been using Dove products for multiple years and did not know this. I was diagnosed with eczema as an adult by my family doctor some years ago! I’ve never had eczema before in my life.
I just stayed in an Airbnb in Chicago this week and I had forgotten my regular Dial body wash so I used what they had provided, Dove Body Wash. I used it the first day (Wednesday) in the shower, and shaved my underarms. Woke up the next day and both my underarms were red & swollen with horrible huge blisters!!! I didn’t use it again but it is now Sunday, I’m back home today and they still look horrible and painful. I am using some betamethasone valerate ointment today hoping it clears up quickly or I guess I’ll have to go to the doctors…ugh
Please add me. I used dove body wash back in 2016 and 2017. I experienced frequent infected hair follicles and occasional skin abcesses that developed infections. I even had to have an abcess surgically removed in an outpatient Dr. Office in December of 2016. Then had to take antibiotics for about 1 month. It wasn’t until a few
months later when I stopped using dove body wash that I stopped developing infections and the folliculitis (a type of dermatitis affecting hair follicles on skin), subsided for the most part.
Please add me
I have been using Dove soap and Dove body wash for 50yrs and just happened, I have itching on my shoulders and my hips. I’m trying to understand what’s going on with this problem.
I used the original Dove bar soap and I got flu like symptoms from the chemicals. When I changed back to my old soap, all the symptoms went away.