Burt’s Bees Güd Products Don’t Live Up to ‘Natural’ Label, Class Action Says

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Burt’s Bees Güd products labeled as “natural” are actually packed with synthetic ingredients, according to a new class action lawsuit.

Plaintiff Michael Cesarini says defendant Burt’s Bees and its parent company The Clorox Company should be held accountable for what he describes as “false, misleading, deceptive and unfair” labeling of products sold under the Güd brand.

Although the labeling describes these products as “natural,” Cesarini claims they contain ingredients that no reasonable consumer would consider natural. Defendant Burt’s Bees markets a line of personal care products emphasizing natural ingredients. The company has been owned by defendant The Clorox Co. since 2007.

The Güd line of personal products at issue includes body washes, shampoos, conditioners, body lotions, body mists, body butters, hand creams and hand washes. Cesarini’s complaint lists over three dozen specific Güd products that he believes are deceptively labeled.

Photos of the Güd products’ packaging show the word “Natural” printed across the front of every label. But according to Cesarini, each of the products contain several unnatural and synthetic ingredients.

They include phenoxyethanol, polysorbate 20, xanthan gum, potassium sorbate, zinc oxide, glyceryl stearate, coco-glucoside, and citric acid. Most or all of these ingredients are present in each Güd product at issue, Cesarini says.

Consumers seeking out products with only natural ingredients would not purchase Güd products if they knew they contained these ingredients, Cesarini argues. Yet by using the “Natural” indicator on the front of the label, Burt’s Bees is able to take advantage of consumers’ interest in natural products and charge a premium for Güd products, he claims.

Cesarini says he purchased several Güd products over the past three years in reliance on the “Natural” representation on the front of the label. He allegedly understood this representation to mean the products contained no synthetic ingredients, and for that reason he was willing to pay a higher price for them. He would not have been so willing had he known the “natural” representation was false, he claims.

This Burt’s Bees class action lawsuit is raising claims under California’s Consumer Legal Remedies Act, Unfair Competition Law, and False Advertising Law, plus claims for fraud, breach of warranty, and unjust enrichment. Cesarini also cites guidance by the Federal Trade Commission and the Food & Drug Administration that warns marketers about the potentially deceptive use of the term “natural.”

Cesarini is proposing to represent a Class of all persons in the U.S. who purchased the Güd products at issue. He also proposes a subclass consisting of Class Members in California.

He seeks an injunction barring Burt’s Bees from continuing the practices complained of here and an award of statutory, compensatory, treble, and punitive damages, plus prejudgment interest.

Cesarini’s attorneys are Reuben D. Nathan of Nathan & Associates APC and L. Timothy Fisher, Joel D. Smith, Yeremey O. Krivoshey and Thomas A. Reyda of Bursor & Fisher PA.

The Burt’s Bees Güd Products False Advertising Class Action Lawsuit is Cesarini v. The Clorox Co. and The Burt’s Bees Products Co., Case No. 4:18-cv-00208-KAW, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.