L’Oréal Class Action Says Keratindose Products Don’t Really Contain Keratin

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Two plaintiffs are challenging the label on L’Oréal Keratindose products, alleging the hair care items don’t actually contain keratin at all.

Plaintiffs Brandi Price and Christine Chadwick say that defendants L’Oréal USA Inc. and Matrix Essentials LLC have been deceiving consumers with false advertising.

Products in the defendants’ Matrix Biolage Keratindose line are falsely held out to consumers as “keratin treatments” that repair damaged hair, the plaintiffs say.

Despite copious references on the products’ labeling to the restorative potential of keratin, products in the L’Oréal Keratindose line do not actually contain keratin, according to Price and Chadwick.

Their L’Oréal Keratindose class action lawsuit specifically names Matrix Biolage Keratindose Pro-Keratin + Silk Shampoo, Pro-Keratin + Silk Conditioner, and Pro-Keratin Renewal Spray as the products at issue.

Keratin is a protein that occurs naturally in human hair, skin and nails. By associating the products at issue with this natural component of hair, the defendants give consumers the impression that these products can actually repair hair that has been damaged, the plaintiffs say.

They cite representations from L’Oréal’s labeling and marketing that endorse Keratindose products for use on “overprocessed” hair. The advertising says that Keratindose products can prevent damage and can reinforce weak or fragile hair.

But in fact, according to the plaintiffs, L’Oréal Keratindose products don’t contain any keratin. Therefore they can’t provide the promised benefits, the plaintiffs say.

Price says she bought L’Oreal Keratindose Pro-Keratin Hair Renewal Spray at a New York Walmart sometime in late 2014. She says she chose to buy that particular product partly in reliance on the defendants’ representations, which led her to believe it contained keratin and was capable of providing the benefits promised.

After using these products, Price says her hair became brittle and dry. She also reports noticing hair loss after using these L’Oréal Keratindose products.

Chadwick describes a similar experience with her purchase of L’Oréal Keratindose shampoo and conditioner. She says she made several purchases of those products at various stores in California throughout 2016. She reports her hair was degraded after using these products.

Both plaintiffs say they never would have purchased these L’Oréal Keratindose products if they had known the products did not contain keratin.

Price and Chadwick seek to represent a plaintiff Class consisting of all persons in the U.S. and its territories who purchased Matrix Biolage Keratindose Pro-Keratin + Silk Shampoo, Conditioner, and/or Pro-Keratin Renewal Spray between Jan. 26, 2013 and the present.

They are asking the court to compel the defendants from continuing to engage in the allegedly unlawful and unfair business practices at issue. They also seek an award of damages, restitution and disgorgement of profits, court costs and attorneys’ fees, all with pre- and post-judgment interest.

The plaintiffs are represented by attorneys Jason T. Brown and Patrick S. Almonrode of JTB Law Group LLC, Rachel Soffin and Jonathan B. Cohen of Morgan & Morgan Complex Litigation Group, Nick Suciu III of Barbat Mansour & Suciu PLLC, Jason Thompson, Lance Young and Rod Johnston of Sommers Schwartz PC, and Greg Coleman.

The L’Oréal Keratindose Class Action Lawsuit is Brandi Price, et al. v. L’Oréal USA Inc., et al., Case No. 1:17-cv-00614, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

UPDATE: On Oct. 5, 2017, a New York federal judge refused to completely dismiss claims in a class action lawsuit alleging that L’Oréal and Matrix falsely advertised a line of hair products as containing keratin.

UPDATE 2: March 2019, a website has been set up to inform Class Members about their rights under the Matrix Biolage class action lawsuit.