Fashion & Beauty Travel Real Estate Rambling Reporter Dining Cars
Jessica Alba's The Honest Co. Is Being Sued
10:26 AM PDT 9/4/2015 by Sam Reed
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
The plaintiff claims the company wasn't all that honest with its labels.
Just when they thought they were in the clear following the "ineffective sunscreen" fiasco of 2015, Jessica Alba's The Honest Company is facing another headache.
This time, the headache comes courtesy of Jonathan D. Rubin, who is suing the company at the District Court of Northern California in San Francisco for "deceptively and misleadingly" labeling their products, according to Entertainment Tonight. The plaintiff claims that despite their "natural" labels, many products in the Honest Co.'s repertoire (specifically Honest Diapers, Honest Hand Soap, Honest Dish Soap and Honest Multi-Surface Cleaner) actually contain synthetic ingredients. He goes on to claim that the Honest SPF 30 sunscreen of lore is also ineffective and unsafe.
Read more Eric Buterbaugh Launches Floral Workshop
Rubin is seeking $5 million in damages and is asking that profits generated from the sales of the aforementioned products be used to refund customers. The lawsuit, rather inconveniently for the actress/entrepreneur, comes right before the launch of the company's new 83-piece beauty line.
Alba and The Honest Co. issued the following statement to Pret-a-Reporter regarding the suit:
Seven years ago, when I was pregnant with my first daughter, I was frustrated by the lack of healthy and safe product options for me and my new family. In fact, prior to launching The Honest Company, I began lobbying Congress to require that ingredients used in everyday products are tested for safety prior to entry into the marketplace.
I started The Honest Company to develop safe and effective products not just for my children, but for families everywhere. I am very proud that we have built this company into an industry leader focused on using natural ingredients and developing products that people love.
We believe that consumers deserve to know what's in their products — whether it's diapers for their children, cleaning products for their families or beauty products for themselves. Our formulations are made with integrity and strict standards of safety, and we label each ingredient that goes into every product - not because we have to, but because it's the right thing to do.
The allegations against us are baseless and without merit. We strongly stand behind our products and the responsibility we have to our consumers. We are steadfast in our commitment to transparency and openness.
I know my children, Honor and Haven, are growing up in a safer home because of our products.
2:45 p.m., Friday, Sept. 4: Updated with a statement from Alba and The Honest Co.