On Jan. 12, a woman in California filed a class action lawsuit against EOS, claiming that its lip balm causes skin to crack, bleed and blister.
The lawsuit alleges that many consumers, “potentially in excess of hundreds of thousands, who have purchased and used the product … have experienced devastating adverse reactions to the product, consisting of mild to severe rashes, dryness, bleeding, blistering, cracking and loss of pigmentation.”
The plaintiff, Rachel Cronin, further states that some of the symptoms last from a few days to a few months, with some consumers experiencing long-lasting and even permanent effects.
Time reported that Cronin said that her lips felt like “sandpaper,” several hours after using EOS lip balm. After she re-applied the product to soothe her skin, her lips cracked, flaked and bled. The following day, she reported having blisters and rashes around her months, which lasted for 10 days.
The lawsuit indicates that Cronin wants EOS to “be a transparent and responsible corporate citizen” by publicly addressing and curing the health concerns the company has received from customers; warning consumers of possible adverse effects on packaging, websites and marketing materials; and rectifying the situation with consumers who have been injured by the product.
“We firmly believe this lawsuit is without merit,” an EOS official told Time in a statement. “Our products are made with the highest quality ingredients and meet or exceed all safety and quality standards set out by our industry and validated by rigorous testing conducted by an independent lab. The health and well-being of our customers is our top priority, and millions of satisfied customers use our products every day, many of whom take the time to share their experiences with us.”
