Jessica Alba's Honest Company is being sued for, well, dishonesty. Plaintiffs in a lawsuit are accusing the company of "deceptively and misleadingly" calling its products natural when they actually contain synthetic ingredients, People reported. The class-action suit, led by consumer Jonathan D. Rubin, is demanding an estimated $5 million in damages.
Now, Alba has spoken out. In a written statement provided to Pret-a-Reporter, she's called the allegations "baseless and without merit." She explained:
We believe that consumers deserve to know what’s in their products — whether it’s diapers for their children, cleaning products for their families or beauty products for themselves. Our formulations are made with integrity and strict standards of safety, and we label each ingredient that goes into every product - not because we have to, but because it's the right thing to do.
The allegations against us are baseless and without merit. We strongly stand behind our products and the responsibility we have to our consumers. We are steadfast in our commitment to transparency and openness.
The Honest Company, worth an estimated $1.7 billion, made headlines earlier this year when its famous co-founder was hailed as one of the country's richest self-made businesswomen.
But last month it faced well-publicized complaints over an SPF 30 sunscreen that left consumers burnt and angry. The Honest Company defended the product at the time, but the lawsuit specifically names the sunscreen, calling it "ineffective in preventing unhealthy exposure to harmful UV rays."
Ingredients the suit claims are mislabeled include the synthetic preservatives Methylisothiazolinone and Phenoxyethanol, a synthetic surfactant called Cocamidopropyl Betaine, and the petrochemical-based Sodium Polyacrylate, according to The Wrap.
The Food and Drug Administration, however, does not regulate the term "natural" on cosmetic, cleaning or even food labels.
"I know my children, Honor and Haven, are growing up in a safer home because of our products," Alba said in the statement. Let's hope she's right.
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