Nivea class action alleges ‘natural’ skin care products contain synthetic ingredients

Nivea class action lawsuit overview:

• Who: Five consumers filed a class action lawsuit against Beiersdorf Inc.
• Why: The plaintiffs claim Beiersdorf falsely advertises its Nivea brand “Nourish by Nature” and “Naturally Good” products as containing a specific proportion of natural origin ingredients.
• Where: The Nivea class action lawsuit was filed in California federal court.

Beiersdorf Inc. falsely advertises its Nivea brand “Nourish by Nature” and “Naturally Good” products as containing a specific proportion of natural origin ingredients, a new class action lawsuit alleges.

A group of five plaintiffs filed the class action complaint against Beiersdorf on April 25 in California federal court, alleging violations of state and federal consumer laws.

The plaintiffs allege that Beiersdorf labels its Nivea products as having “X% Natural Origin Ingredients” or “X% Naturally Derived Ingredients,” but these claims are misleading because almost all of the ingredients are synthetic.

The lawsuit claims that Beiersdorf uses a proprietary standard, ISO 16128, to calculate the percentage of natural origin ingredients, which allows the company to mischaracterize synthetic chemicals as naturally derived.

Nivea misused ISO standard to mislead consumers, lawsuit claims

The lawsuit argues that Beiersdorf’s use of the ISO 16128 standard is misleading because the standard is not intended for use in product labeling and is difficult for consumers to understand.

The plaintiffs allege they purchased the Nivea products believing they were made predominantly of natural ingredients, which they considered better for the environment and their skin.

However, they claim they would not have purchased the products, or would have paid less for them, if they had known the truth about the ingredients.

The plaintiffs are looking to represent anyone who purchased the Nivea products in California from April 25, 2021, to the present.

They are suing for violations of California consumer laws and seek certification of the class action, damages, fees, costs and a jury trial.

In April, Amazon was hit with a class action lawsuit alleging it falsely advertised its Amazon Basics paper products as sustainable.

What do you think of the allegations in this Nivea 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 Nivea class action lawsuit is Davis, et al. v. Beiersdorf Inc., Case No. 3:25-cv-03661-TSH, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

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