Class action says ‘naturally derived’ claims in Dove Men+Care and Love Beauty & Planet are false

Unilever class action lawsuit overview:

• Who: Plaintiffs Jeffrey Kent, Monica Burrola and Nitaya McGee filed a class action lawsuit against Unilever United States Inc. and Conopco Inc.
• Why: The plaintiffs claim Unilever falsely advertises its Love Beauty & Planet and Dove Men+Care products as containing a high percentage of naturally derived ingredients.
• Where: The class action lawsuit was filed in California federal court.

A new class action lawsuit accuses Unilever of falsely advertising its Love Beauty & Planet and Dove Men+Care products as containing a high percentage of naturally derived ingredients.

Plaintiffs Jeffrey Kent, Monica Burrola and Nitaya McGee filed the class action lawsuit against Unilever United States and Conopco on April 25 in California federal court, alleging violations of state and federal consumer laws.

The class action lawsuit claims that Unilever misleads consumers into believing that its hair and skin care products contain a specific percentage of naturally derived ingredients when, in fact, most of the ingredients are synthetic.

The products in question include shampoos, conditioners, body washes and skin creams sold under the Love Beauty & Planet and Dove Men+Care brands.

Unilever allegedly advertises these products with prominently displayed claims on the packaging, such as “93% Naturally Derived” or “97% Naturally Derived.”

The lawsuit alleges that these claims are false and misleading, as the products are only approximately 80-85% naturally derived, with the majority of ingredients being synthetic and industrially produced.

Unilever’s labeling practices are deceptive, class action alleges

The lawsuit further argues that Unilever’s use of the term “naturally derived” is based on a proprietary standard, ISO 16128, developed by the British Standards Institute.

This standard calculates the percentage of naturally derived ingredients by comparing the mass of atoms in a natural starting material to the total mass in an industrially produced chemical.

The lawsuit claims that this method is not only misleading but also inaccessible to consumers, as the ISO 16128 standard is not publicly available and costs over $400 to obtain.

The plaintiffs argue that Unilever’s labeling practices are deceptive and intended to mislead consumers into believing that the products are safer, better for the environment and more beneficial for their hair and skin than they actually are.

The lawsuit seeks to represent a class of all consumers who purchased the products in California from April 25, 2021, to the present. It alleges violations of the Consumers Legal Remedies Act, false advertising, negligent misrepresentation and unfair, unlawful and deceptive trade practices.

In February, Unilever, Aeropres and Voyant Beauty reached a settlement agreement with a group of consumers who alleged the companies sold dry shampoo aerosol products contaminated with elevated trace levels of benzene.

What do you think of the allegations made in this Unilever class action lawsuit? Let us know in the comments.

The plaintiffs are represented by Seth A. Safier and Anthony J. Patek of Gutride Safier LLP.

The Unilever class action lawsuit is Kent, et al. v. Unilever United States Inc., et al., Case No. 3:25-cv-03660-JCS, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

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