Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes has sued beauty giant L'Oréal and its subsidiary, Softsheen, accusing them of selling chemical hair relaxers without warning customers that the products may have contained cancer-causing chemicals, according to AZFamily.
Mayes says the products were marketed largely to Black women, and in some instances to children, without warning buyers that they may have contained cancer-causing chemicals.
Here's what to know
The lawsuit centers on claims that consumers were not told the hair relaxers may have contained carcinogenic chemicals, including substances linked to ovarian and uterine cancer.
Mayes indicated that her office filed the consumer fraud case against L'Oréal and its subsidiary, Softsheen.
According to the complaint, marketing for the relaxers focused mainly on Black women, with some products promoted for children as well.
In announcing the case, Mayes cited studies suggesting that women who use chemical hair relaxers face increased risks of uterine and ovarian cancer, along with other hormone-related cancers such as thyroid and pancreatic cancer.
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More background
The lawsuit alleged the products may include harmful ingredients, some of which are regarded as known or probable carcinogens when used on the scalp as intended.
Hair relaxers are highly alkaline products that straighten hair by altering its natural bonds.
The company disputed the claims.
L'Oréal claimed the study cited in the lawsuit called for more research and did not find a causal connection between using the products and the alleged conditions.
The company is "confident in the safety of SoftSheen-Carson's products" and believes the lawsuit has "neither legal nor scientific merit," a L'Oréal USA spokesperson commented.
What's being done?
The most immediate action is the state's lawsuit.
Arizona is seeking accountability for how the products were marketed and sold, and for whether the companies failed to provide customers with health information before they made a purchase.
According to the Attorney General's Office, anyone who believes they may have been affected can file a complaint at www.azag.gov/consumer.
Anyone who wants a complaint form mailed can contact the Attorney General's Office in Phoenix at (602) 542-5763, in Tucson at (520) 628-6648, or outside the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas at (800) 352-8431.
Mayes framed the lawsuit as a warning about what can happen when profit comes before transparency.
"L'Oréal knew or should have known about the dangers associated with these toxic hair straightening products," Mayes said in a statement.
"Yet, instead of warning their consumers, they put profits over the safety of women and children. That is unacceptable, and we will hold them accountable for it."
Where can I learn more?
The Arizona case centers on whether consumers got the information they needed before buying a widely used beauty product.
The articles below explore similar concerns about marketing, labeling, and misleading claims — from beauty aisles and big-box shelves to policy fights in the US and Europe.
• Beauty shoppers are increasingly confronting greenwashing in clean beauty as various marketing claims appear to lack evidence.
• At Target, shoppers are learning to spot greenwashing in everyday products hidden behind vague labels.
• Across major brands, experts say companies fool consumers through greenwashing with packaging that sounds responsible.
• In the US and EU, regulators are weighing what may be done soon to curb greenwashing.
• Inditex, Zara's parent company, faced backlash after a concerning operational change complicated its climate messaging.
Cases like these can chip away at consumer trust when branding gets ahead of clear disclosure. That broader pattern helps explain why lawsuits over product warnings and marketing practices strike such a nerve.
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