EOS Lip Balm Faces Class-Action Lawsuit Over Claims It Causes Bleeding, Blisters
EOS lip balm. (Photo: Flickr/chedderfish)
Kim, Britney, teens, and beauty junkies may all be enamored by the ball-shaped balms known as EOS that line checkout registers across the country, but one woman is decidedly not a fan — and is filing a class-action lawsuit against the brand with claims that the lip salve gave her a serious skin reaction.
The plaintiff, Rachael Cronin, said that she bought an EOS balm from Target, applied it, and felt her lips become even drier, according to TMZ. After continuing to swipe the lip balm on, she experienced blistering and cracked and bleeding lips that she says took 10 days to completely clear.
Cronin then posted raw-looking pictures on Facebook, TMZ reports, of her inflamed and sandpapery rash. Comments began pouring in from others who claimed to have had similar reactions. Soon, news spread rapidly on social media.
Tens of thousands of consumers have had “devastating adverse reactions to the product, consisting of mild to severe rashes, dryness, bleeding, blistering, cracking and loss of pigmentation,” claims the lawsuit, also accusing EOS of knowing of the problems but not doing anything to address them.
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Yahoo Health reached out to EOS for comment. The company provided the following statement:
We firmly believe this lawsuit is without merit. 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.
Internet complaints about the lip balm aren’t new. Earlier this year, a photo purporting to show an EOS lip pod with black mold growing inside the balm went viral, even prompting urban legend investigator Snopes to look into it and confirm the allegations as true. The site says online complaints of mold date back to as early as 2013.
Big beauty brands have been taking a hit lately. Just last month, WEN Hair Care by Chaz Dean was sued by 200 women in 40 states with the claim that the shampoos and conditioners intended to hydrate hair actually makes it fall out. Similarly to the EOS situation, online complaints poured in about WEN, and a lawsuit formed.
Do these lawsuits have merit? Courts will decide that soon - but for now, we can advise this: if you have a reaction to a beauty product, stop using it immediately.
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