The U.S. state of Arizona has filed a lawsuit against cosmetics company L'Oréal, accusing the company of concealing information about the link between chemical hair straighteners and an increased risk of cancer in women.
As reported by USA Today, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes filed a consumer fraud lawsuit on September 10 against L'Oréal USA, parent company L'Oréal S.A., and the SoftSheen brand. Arizona is the first state to file such a lawsuit specifically regarding the oncological risks from hair straighteners. The state is demanding fines, compensation, and an injunction to compel the company to warn consumers about the risks if sales continue.
According to the state, the company advertised and sold chemical hair relaxers without disclosing that they contain substances capable of causing cancer — specifically, increasing the risk of ovarian and uterine cancer.
Chemical straighteners are strong alkaline products based on hydroxides that restructure disulfide bonds in hair. The lawsuit states that the products contain endocrine disruptors, phthalates, parabens, and other substances recognized as probable or proven carcinogens. They refer to a 2022 study by the National Institutes of Health: women who used such products more than four times a year were twice as likely to develop uterine cancer compared to those who did not use them.
L'Oréal states that its products undergo strict safety checks and that the claims have no legal or scientific basis. According to the company, the 2022 study does not prove a causal link between the use of relaxers and the diseases mentioned by the plaintiffs.
More than 12,000 similar lawsuits have already been filed against L'Oréal, consolidated in a federal court in Chicago. Among the defendants in other cases is also Revlon (which denies any link between its products and cancer). Legal proceedings are ongoing, with trials possibly beginning in 2027.
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