Shikai Class Action Says Skincare, Haircare Products Aren’t ‘Natural’

Shikai skincare and haircare products are not actually “natural,” according to a newly filed class action lawsuit against the beauty product company.

Shikai sells a variety of skin, hair, and body products, including lotion, shampoo, conditioner, hand cream, foot cream, eye cream, moisturizers, cleansers, scrubs, and more. These products are allegedly marketed as “natural,” but these claims may be false.

Plaintiff Yolanda Turner says Shikai products contain numerous synthetic ingredients, meaning that the products are not natural.

For example, Shikai Borage Therapy Children’s Lotion is labeled as “The Natural Solution,” despite containing numerous synthetic ingredients including glyceryl stearate, glycerin, cetyl alcohol, vitamin e acetate (tocopherol), dimethicone, phenoxyethanol, and ethylhexylglycerin.

Other Shikai products allegedly contain similar synthetic ingredients including: panthenol, sodium benzoate, citric acid, sodium chloride salt, menthol, cetearyl alcohol, decyl glucoside, stearyl alcohol, titanium dioxide, and cocamidopropyl betanine.

According to the Shikai class action, some of these synthetic ingredients are dangerous. For example, phenoxyethanol is allegedly “toxic,” “lethal even in very small doses,” and known to cause damage to the kidneys, nervous system, and the liver. The chemical is reportedly also classified as a suspected carcinogen.

Another chemical, sodium benzoate, is allegedly found in several Shikai products despite having “been shown to cause DNA damage and chromosomal aberrations.”

Other ingredients found in Shikai products are allegedly not as dangerous but are clearly synthetic ingredients, meaning they are made using multiple processing steps in an industrial environment.

Turner argues that most reasonable consumers would not be able to glance at the Shikai product labels and know instantly that it wasn’t natural.

“Consumers lack the meaningful ability to test or independently ascertain or verify whether a product is natural, especially at the point of sale,” the Shikai class action claims. “Consumers would not know the true nature of the ingredients merely by reading the ingredients label.”

Because most consumers lack the knowledge to interpret labeled ingredients before purchasing, they reportedly rely on Shikai’s representations that their products are “natural.”

Turner claims that Shikai knows their customers rely on their “natural” labeling and actively deceives customers into believing that their products are made solely from “natural” ingredients.

“In making the false, misleading, and deceptive representations and omissions described herein, Defendant knew and intended that consumers would pay a premium for Products labeled ‘Natural’ over comparable products not so labeled,” Turner argues in her Shikai labeling class action.

Turner seeks to represent a Class of consumers who purchased Shikai products. She also seeks to represent a subclass of the same consumers from New York. Turner estimates that the proposed Class and subclass may include thousands of consumers.

The Shikai class action lawsuit seeks injunctive relief, monetary damages, treble damages, punitive damages, court costs, and attorneys’ fees.

Turner and the proposed Class are represented by Jason P. Sultzer, Joseph Lipari, and Adam Gonnelli of The Sultzer Law Group PC; and Jeffery Brown of Leeds Brown Law PC.

The Shikai Natural Products Class Action Lawsuit is Turner v. Trans-India Products Inc. d/b/a Shikai Products, Case No. 2:19-cv-03422-JMA-ARL, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

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