A new class action lawsuit filed in California federal court accuses Beiersdorf Inc. of misleading consumers about the natural content of its Nivea skin care products. The suit, brought by five plaintiffs on April 25, claims that the company falsely markets its “Nourish by Nature” and “Naturally Good” product lines as containing a high percentage of natural origin ingredients.
According to the complaint, Nivea’s product labels display claims such as “X% Natural Origin Ingredients” or “X% Naturally Derived Ingredients.” However, the plaintiffs allege that the majority of the products’ ingredients are synthetic and that these marketing claims are deceptive.
Central to the lawsuit is Beiersdorf’s use of the ISO 16128 standard, a proprietary calculation method for determining ingredient origin. The plaintiffs argue that this standard, which allows certain synthetic chemicals to be classified as naturally derived, is not intended for consumer-facing product labeling and is too technical for the average buyer to interpret.
The plaintiffs say they bought the Nivea products under the impression that they were primarily made of natural ingredients, believing them to be safer for their skin and better for the environment. They claim they would not have made the purchase—or would have paid less—had they known the true nature of the ingredients.
The proposed class action seeks to represent all California consumers who purchased the affected Nivea products from April 25, 2021, to the present. The plaintiffs are pursuing damages, class certification, and a jury trial for alleged violations of California’s consumer protection laws.
