Purex Class Action Lawsuit Challenges ‘Natural Elements’ Labeling

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Purex Natural Elements laundry detergents are deceptively marketed to environmentally conscious consumers, according to a class action lawsuit filed last week in New York federal court.

Plaintiff Tony Luib alleges defendant Henkel Consumer Goods Inc. has engaged in a false, deceptive and misleading advertising and marketing campaign directed at encouraging health-conscious and environmentally-conscious consumers to purchase its Purex “Natural Elements” laundry detergent products.

However, the Purex Natural Elements laundry detergent products contain synthetic, artificial, highly processed or other non-natural ingredients, Luib says. He claims he would not have purchased the Purex products, or would not have paid a premium price for the products, if he had known the labeling, advertising and packaging for the laundry detergent products was deceptive.

The products named in the Purex class action lawsuit include Purex Natural Elements Laundry Detergent Linen & Lilies Scent, Purex Natural Elements Laundry Detergent Lilac & White Lavender Scent, Purex Natural Elements Laundry Detergent Tropical Splash Scent, and other Purex products with similar “Natural” labels.

According to the Purex class action lawsuit, consumer demand for natural products has been growing in the United States.

“Perceiving natural products to be safer and more environmentally friendly – consumers purchase them to promote good health, sustain the environment, and to avoid the known and unknown dangers associated with synthetic ingredients,” the Purex Natural Elements class action lawsuit states.

Luib accuses Henkel Consumer Goods of seeking to capitalize on consumers’ desire for natural products by marketing its laundry detergents as containing “Natural Elements” in order to convince consumers that they are free of harsh and synthetic ingredients.

The Purex class action lawsuit points to the product labels and the Purex website, which both suggest the Natural Elements laundry detergents are made with natural plant-based ingredients. However, many of the ingredients contained in the Purex natural laundry detergents are artificial and synthetic, Luib alleges.

Some of the synthetic ingredients that are reportedly included in the Purex Natural Elements laundry detergents include sodium polyacrylate, disodium distryrylbiphenyl disulfonate, lilial, methylisothiazolinone, hexylcinnamaldehyde and benzyl benzoate.

According to the Purex class action lawsuit, these synthetic ingredients are identified on the back of the products’ packaging, but Luib asserts that a reasonable consumer is not expected to “scour the ingredients list on the back of the Products in order to confirm or debunk Defendant’s prominent front-of-the-product claims, representations, and warranties that the Products contain ‘Natural Elements.’”

Luib has filed the Purex class action lawsuit on behalf of himself and other consumers who purchased the Natural Elements products in the United States. He also seeks to represent a New York subclass.

The Purex class action lawsuit seeks injunctive relief, monetary damages, punitive damages, attorneys’ fees and costs, and other relief the court deems proper.

Luib is represented by Michael R. Reese and George V. Granade of Reese LLP, Jason P. Sultzer of The Sultzer Law Group PC, and Melissa Wolchansky and Amy Boyle of Halunen Law.

The Purex Natural Laundry Detergent Class Action Lawsuit is Tony Luib v. Henkel Consumer Goods Inc., Case No. 1:17-cv-03021-BMC, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

UPDATE: On Feb. 5, 2018,  a New York federal judge denied an attempt by Henkel Consumer Goods Inc. to put an end to a class action lawsuit accusing it of misleadingly labeling its Purex “Natural Elements” laundry detergents.

UPDATE 2: On March 11, 2019, a New York federal court gave preliminary approval to a $1.5 million settlement deal that would end claims that the makers of Purex “Natural Elements” misrepresented their laundry detergent via the product’s labeling.

UPDATE 3: April 2019, the Purex Natural Elements laundry detergent class action settlement is now open. Click here to file a claim.

UPDATE 4: October 2019, Top Class Actions viewers started receiving checks worth much lower than the amount previously stated on the settlement website. While disappointing, don’t let that stop you from continuing to file claims for every settlement you qualify for. Check out which class action settlements are still accepting claims in our Open Class Action Settlements section.