Yesterday, according to report, a new class action lawsuit filed in California federal court accuses Unilever of falsely marketing its Dove Men+Care and Love Beauty & Planet products as containing a high percentage of naturally derived ingredients. Filed on April 25 by plaintiffs Jeffrey Kent, Monica Burrola, and Nitaya McGee, the lawsuit alleges that Unilever and its subsidiary Conopco have misled consumers by prominently labeling their shampoos, conditioners, body washes, and skin creams with claims like “93% Naturally Derived” and “97% Naturally Derived.”
According to the complaint, these percentages are inaccurate, with the actual figure closer to 80–85%, and a significant portion of the ingredients being synthetic and industrially produced. The plaintiffs argue that Unilever’s definition of “naturally derived” relies on the ISO 16128 standard — a proprietary and technical methodology developed by the British Standards Institute. This standard determines natural origin based on the molecular mass of starting materials, a calculation the plaintiffs say is both misleading and inaccessible to the average consumer, given that the standard is not publicly available and costs more than $400 to obtain.
The lawsuit contends that this labeling misleads consumers into thinking the products are safer, more environmentally friendly, and more beneficial for their hair and skin than they truly are. It seeks to represent California consumers who purchased the products between April 25, 2021, and the present, citing violations of state and federal consumer protection laws, including false advertising, negligent misrepresentation, and deceptive trade practices.
