Published March 2026

L'Oréal, Revlon, and the Chemicals They Knew Were Dangerous

The companies named in hair relaxer cancer lawsuits aren't small, obscure manufacturers. They're some of the largest consumer goods companies in the world. L'Oréal is a $40 billion global corporation. Revlon, before its bankruptcy, was a household name in cosmetics. These companies had sophisticated research and development operations, regulatory affairs teams, and decades of scientific literature to draw on. The question is what they did with what they knew.

The Defendants in MDL 3060

Multi-District Litigation 3060 — the consolidated hair relaxer cancer lawsuit in the Northern District of Illinois — names multiple defendants. The major manufacturers include:

• L'Oréal USA: Manufactures and markets Dark & Lovely (Soft Sheen-Carson), a dominant brand in the Black hair care market. Dark & Lovely relaxers have been marketed specifically to Black women and girls for decades.
• Revlon: Made Realistic and other hair relaxer brands before filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2022. Claims against Revlon are being processed through the bankruptcy court.
• Strength of Nature: Makes Motions and other hair relaxer brands. A major player in the professional hair relaxer market.
• Namaste Laboratories: Makes ORS Olive Oil hair relaxer products, widely used in Black communities.
• Several other manufacturers of store-brand and professional relaxer products.

What the Scientific Literature Said — And When

The NIH Sister Study published in October 2022 got the headlines, but the scientific concern about endocrine-disrupting chemicals in personal care products — particularly those marketed to Black women — had been building for years. Studies examining phthalate levels in Black women's bodies found elevated concentrations compared to white women. Researchers specifically identified hair care products used more commonly in Black communities — including relaxers — as a likely source.

These studies were publicly available in peer-reviewed scientific literature that major consumer goods companies are expected to monitor. L'Oréal and Revlon have global research operations. They had toxicologists on staff. They had regulatory affairs departments tracking the scientific literature for product safety information. The argument that they were unaware of the scientific concerns about phthalates and endocrine disruption in the years before 2022 is difficult to sustain given the volume and prominence of that literature.

Phthalates: The Hidden Ingredient

Hair relaxers don't typically list phthalates on their ingredient labels. That's because phthalates often don't appear as a discrete ingredient — they enter the formulation as components of fragrance blends (fragrance formulations are trade secrets in the US and don't require ingredient disclosure) or as processing aids in synthetic ingredients.

Chemical analyses of hair relaxer products have found phthalates including DEHP (di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate), DBP (dibutyl phthalate), and DEP (diethyl phthalate). DEHP is classified as a probable human carcinogen by the EPA and is restricted in cosmetics in the European Union. It's banned in children's products in the US but not in cosmetics. The regulatory gap allowed manufacturers to include it in products applied to scalps — which have significantly higher absorption rates than skin on other parts of the body.

Formaldehyde Releasers

DMDM hydantoin — a preservative found in many hair relaxer formulations — slowly releases formaldehyde as a byproduct of its chemical decomposition. Formaldehyde is classified as a known human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). It's well-established as a cause of certain cancers, and its presence as a breakdown product of DMDM hydantoin has been documented in scientific literature for decades.

L'Oréal has faced separate lawsuits and regulatory actions in other jurisdictions related to formaldehyde-releasing ingredients in their products. The company's regulatory teams were familiar with the formaldehyde issue. Its presence in products specifically marketed to Black women — many of whom have used these products since childhood — is a central allegation in the hair relaxer cancer litigation.

The Marketing Dimension

One of the most damning aspects of the hair relaxer litigation is the marketing angle. These products were specifically developed, marketed, and sold to Black women and girls. Advertising campaigns targeted Black consumers with messaging about beauty, pride, and cultural connection. The companies built substantial business segments around Black hair care.

The allegations in the lawsuits aren't just that the products contained potentially harmful chemicals. They're that companies specifically marketed dangerous products to a community with less regulatory protection than the EU (where some of these chemicals are restricted), less resources to independently investigate product safety, and cultural and social pressures to use these products starting at young ages. That targeting — combined with the failure to warn — is the basis of the civil rights dimensions that some advocates have noted in this litigation.