L’Oreal Can’t Escape Anti-Aging False Advertising MDL

Multidistrict litigation against L’Oreal USA Inc. over its marketing practices continues, despite an effort by the cosmetic company’s legal team to have the consolidated false advertising class action lawsuits dismissed.

The MDL concerns L’Oreal anti-wrinkle creams spread over the following six L’Oreal collections: Absolue, Genefique, High Resolution, Renergie, Visionnaire, and Youth Code. Defendants are L’Oreal USA Inc. and its luxury brands, Lancome Inc. and Lancome Luxury Products, LLC (together “L’Oreal”).

The class action lawsuits against L’Oreal alleges that many of their marketing claims violate the law by making unsupported statements about the benefits of its anti-aging products. For example, the class action lawsuits state that unsupported “scientific” claims were central to marketing campaigns for L’Oreal wrinkle cream products. Plaintiffs assert that the “scientific studies” L’Oreal used in its advertising had various forms of bias, small sample sizes, and were not subject to peer review.

Additionally, the L’Oreal class action lawsuits allege that the marketing campaigns for the wrinkle cream products utilized photo-manipulation to make it appear the products were more effective than they actually were. The class actions claim that these unsupported claims were a factor in the plaintiffs’ decisions to use these anti-aging products, and they were disappointed with the results.

The current motion to dismiss the L’Oreal class action lawsuits was denied by a federal judge on Dec. 9. L’Oreal had filed a motion for dismissal on the grounds that the allegations were vague in relation to the details of the alleged fraud. L’Oreal alleged that the plaintiffs’ charges were not specific enough about how the alleged fraud took place. The court ruled that this was not the case, and that the L’Oreal wrinkle cream MDL could proceed.

However, the good news for the plaintiffs was not unequivocal. Two cases were thrown out. These class action lawsuits alleged that L’Oreal’s actions constituted “unjust enrichment.” This allegation meant that the manufacturers used illegal or unethical means to turn a profit. Per the Court, New Jersey law does not allow for unjust enrichment due to the fact that the plaintiffs did not purchase the products directly through L’Oreal.

The L’Oreal anti-aging false advertising MDL is formally titled In Re: L’Oreal Wrinkle Cream Marketing and Sales Practices Litigation, MDL No. 2415, in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.

If you’ve used L’Oreal products and were unsatisfied with the results, you may be entitled to compensation. You can start to explore your options by visiting the Anti-Aging Skin Care Product Class Action Lawsuit Investigation. Here, you can enter information about your experience for a free legal review by a product liability lawyer.