Huggies Class Action Says Natural Care Baby Wipes Contain Synthetic Ingredients

The makers of Huggies Natural Care baby wipes have been hit with a class action lawsuit alleging the products are deceptively labeled and advertised as being “gentle,” “natural,” “hypoallergenic,” and made with the “simplest formula for a gentle clean.”

Plaintiff Brittany Sebastian filed the Huggies class action lawsuit last week against defendants Kimberly-Clark Corporation, Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Inc. and Kimberly-Clark Global Sales LLC.

She alleges the so-called “natural” Huggies baby wipes contain synthetic ingredients, including phenoxyethanol.

“The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (‘FDA’) has stated that phenoxyethanol is ‘a preservative that is primarily used in cosmetics and medications’ and that can ‘depress the central nervous system and may cause vomiting and diarrhea’ in infants,” the Huggies natural baby wipes class action lawsuit states.

Sebastian also points to advice from the French Agence Nationale de Securite du Medicament et des Produits de Sante cautioning consumers not to use wipes that contain phenoxyethanol on children younger than three years old due to health concerns related to “reproductive and developmental toxicity.”

Other ingredients allegedly contained in the Huggies Natural Care Baby Wipes include caprylyl glycol, cocamidopropyl betaine and sodium citrate. Sebastian claims that these ingredients may cause skin, lung and eye irritation, and may cause organ damage to individuals who have repeated long-term exposure to the ingredients.

The Huggies class action lawsuit alleges Kimberly-Clark markets the baby wipes as “natural,” “gentle,” and “hypoallergenic” in order to profit from consumers’ growing desire for safer products that are free from harmful ingredients.

Sebastian asserts that reasonable consumers expect that a product labeled as “natural” will be free of synthetic, harmful and/or potentially toxic ingredients. According to the Huggies class action lawsuit, consumers are willing to pay a premium for products that are marketed and labeled as “natural.”

Sebastian says she purchased a package of Huggies Natural Care wipes in 2016, relying on Kimberly-Clark’s representations that the baby wipes were “natural.” She says she would not have purchased the product, or that she would have purchased it on different terms, if she had known the baby wipes actually contained synthetic ingredients that are potentially harmful to babies.

According to the Huggies baby wipes class action lawsuit, Sebastian is open to purchasing the products again in the future as long as they are properly labeled and/or the products are changed so that they only contain natural ingredients.

By filing the Huggies natural baby wipes class action lawsuit, Sebastian seeks to represent a nationwide Class and a California subclass of consumers who, within the relevant statute of limitations period, purchased Huggies Natural Care baby wipes.

She asserts claims for violations of California’s Unfair and Unlawful Business Acts and Practices law, Deceptive Advertising Practices, Consumer Legal Remedies Act, breach of express warranty and unjust enrichment.

The Huggies Natural Care baby wipes class action lawsuit seeks injunctive relief, damages, attorneys’ fees, restitution, disgorgement, and other equitable relief.

Sebastian is represented by Naomi Spector and Christopher D. Moon of KamberLaw LLP.

The Huggies Natural Care Baby Wipes Class Action Lawsuit is Brittany Sebastian v. Kimberly-Clark Corporation, et al., Case No. 3:17-cv-00422-WQH-JMA, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California.