Arizona Is Taking L'Oreal to Court

Arizona is taking on one of the biggest names in beauty over what it says women were never told about their hair products. Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes filed suit Friday against L'Oréal USA and its SoftSheen-Carson unit, accusing them of hiding cancer risks tied to chemical hair relaxers sold under brands including Dark and Lovely, Optimum, and Mizani, Courthouse News reports. The products, which are mainly used by Black women, promise to permanently straighten hair, reports Reuters. The complaint says the companies failed to disclose studies linking long-term relaxer use to higher rates of uterine and ovarian cancer.

The lawsuit says that in its marketing promoting "Eurocentric beauty standards" to women and children for decades, the companies "exploited centuries of social pressures and discriminatory beauty standards affecting people of African descent, all while prioritizing profit over consumer safety." The Arizona lawsuit, which alleges that state consumer protection laws have been violated, seeks restitution and clearer warnings.

L'Oréal disputes the claims, saying existing research doesn't prove the products cause cancer and that its formulations undergo rigorous safety review and comply with regulations. The company is also facing 12,000 similar lawsuits that have been consolidated in a Chicago federal court, Reuters reports.