Palmolive Class Action Says Pure + Clear Soap Contains Skin Irritants

A class action lawsuit says Palmolive Pure + Clear liquid dish soap contains harsh chemicals, contrary to its advertisements.

The Palmolive class action lawsuit was filed by Amy Livingstone against Colgate-Palmolive Company, the manufacturer of Palmolive Pure + Clear dish soap.

Livingstone says she purchased the Palmolive Pure + Clear product based on its advertisements as being “hypoallergenic” and containing “no unnecessary ingredients.”

The Palmolive class action alleges Livingstone understood these claims to mean that the product was “free from ingredients known to be skin allergens and/or skin irritants, and without any unnecessary ingredients that increased the likelihood of an allergic and/or irritating response.”

Livingstone says these claims made by the company were false and misleading because the products contain methylisothiazolinone (MI), which is an inexpensive and widely available biocidal preservative. Allegedly, it is used to limit microbial growth in water-containing solutions.

The Palmolive dish soap class action goes on to state that MI is recognized as a contact allergen. Allegedly, around 15 years ago, the product began to be used more widely in household and cosmetic applications, as opposed being used in industrial settings.

The Palmolive class action lawsuit states that since MI became more widely used in household and cosmetic uses, there have been more reports of sensitivities and allergic reaction.

Allegedly, experts link MI to an “epidemic” of painful skin conditions “including rashes, blistering, swelling, redness, and hives,” an occurrence that resulted in it being named the “contact allergen of the year” in 2013 by the American Contact Dermatitis Society.

The Palmolive Pure + Clear class action claims that people can be exposed to MI for many years before developing a sensitivity or allergy to it, so many consumers may not know that they are developing a sensitivity to that product.

Livingstone argues that based on this information, Colgate-Palmolive knew or should have known that MI was an allergen and that including it in their dish liquid soap could cause customers to have an allergic reaction.

The Palmolive soap class action further states that the company knew or should have known that including such an allergen in the products is contrary to their advertisements as being hypoallergenic and containing no unnecessary ingredients.

Allegedly, Colgate-Palmolive advertised the Palmolive Pure + Clear products as hypoallergenic and containing no unnecessary ingredients because consumers show a preference towards products that are gentle, as there is a rise in the number of people with allergies to various chemicals.

Livingstone asserts that Colgate-Palmolive attempted to appeal to this preference in advertising their products, even though the representations were false and misleading to consumers.

The Palmolive dish soap class action claims that the plaintiff was injured by Colgate-Palmolive’s actions because had she known that the products contained a common allergen, she would not have purchased it. 

Livingstone is represented by Kim E. Richman of Richman Law Group and by Joshua E. Eggnatz of Eggnatz Pascucci PA.

The Palmolive Pure + Clear Dish Soap Allergen Class Action Lawsuit is Amy Livingstone v. Colgate Palmolive Company, Case No. 1:19-cv-04643-ER, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

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