Honest Company Class Action Says ‘Natural’ Labels Are Misleading

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The Honest Company Inc., co-founded by celebrity Jessica Alba, is facing yet another class action lawsuit over its allegedly deceptive labeling and marketing of products as “natural.”

Plaintiffs Candace Hiddlestone and Julie Hedges claim that Honest has deceptively and misleadingly labeled, advertised and marketed its products as natural even though they contain non-natural ingredients.

The products named in the deceptive labeling class action lawsuit include: Honest Diapers, Honest Hand Soap, Honest Dish Soap, Honest Auto Dishwasher Gel, Honest Multi-Surface Cleaner, Honest Shampoo and Body Wash, Honest Dishwasher Packs, Honest Conditioning Detangler and Honest Bubble Bath.

Hiddlestone and Hedges accuse Honest of capitalizing on consumers’ growing desire for products that are free of synthetic ingredients.

They filed the Honest class action lawsuit on behalf of themselves and other consumers who purchased Honest products with allegedly deceptive “natural” labels.

According to the natural products class action lawsuit, several of Honest’s products that are marketed as “natural” contain synthetic ingredients such as methylisothiazolinone, cocamidopropyl betaine and phenoxyethanol.

“Not only has Defendant admitted that these three ingredients are synthetic, but the Environmental Working Group has rated these chemicals as either ‘High Hazard’ or ‘Moderate Hazard’ chemicals,” Hiddlestone and Hedges argue in the natural products class action lawsuit.

Hiddlestone and Hedges claim that Honest, since at least Sept. 20, 2012, has been engaged in an advertising campaign that falsely claims its products are natural.

According to the Honest natural products class action lawsuit, the company “amplifies its representations” that its products are natural with claims that they are “all-natural,” don’t contain harsh chemicals, and that they are safe, non-toxic and plant-based.

The plaintiffs allege that they were willing to pay more for the Honest products instead of cheaper comparable products that did not purport to be natural because they believed Honest products did not contain harmful synthetic ingredients.

“Defendant’s conduct harms consumers by inducing them to purchase and consume the Honest Products on the false premise that the products are natural and by implicitly promising that the products are manufactured, marketed and sold ‘honestly,’” the Honest class action lawsuit states.

The Honest class action lawsuit asserts violations of California’s Consumer Legal Remedies Act, False Advertising Law and Unfair Competition Law.

The plaintiffs also assert claims for breach of express warranty and money had and received. They are seeking injunctive relief, actual damages, punitive damages, attorneys’ fees and other damages. They have also asked for an order for Honest Co. to engage in a corrective advertising campaign.

The Honest Company is taking a lot of heat for its “natural” labeling. The company was hit with a deceptive labeling class action lawsuit in February. In August, several Honest class action lawsuits were consolidated in multidistrict litigation in California federal court.

Hiddlestone and Hedges are represented by Nicholas A. Carlin and Brian S. Conlon of Phillips Erlewine Given & Carlin LLP; Leonard B. Simon of The Law Offices of Leonard B. Simon; Rebecca A. Peterson and Robert K. Shelquist of Lockridge Grindal Nauen PLLP; Jon W. Borderud of Law Offices of John W. Borderud; Charles J. LaDuca and Michael J. Flannery of Cuneo Gilbert & LaDuca LLP; and J. Barton Goplerud and Brian O. Marty of Hudson Mallaney Shindler & Anderson.

The Honest Company Natural Labeling Class Action Lawsuit is Candace Hiddlestone, et al. v. The Honest Company Inc., Case No 2:16-cv-07054, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

UPDATE: On June 30, 2017, Jessica Alba’s The Honest Co. Inc. agreed to pay $7.35 million to settle four class action lawsuits accusing it of falsely marketing its products as “all natural.”

UPDATE 2: The Honest Company mislabeling class action settlement is now open. Click here to file a claim.

UPDATE 3: On Feb. 26, 2018, Top Class Actions viewers who filed a valid claim for The Honest Company mislabeling class action settlement started receiving checks in the mail worth as much as $210.25.