Arizona: Arizona has sued L’Oréal and its U.S. subsidiary, alleging the cosmetics company failed to adequately warn consumers about potential cancer risks associated with chemical hair relaxer products. The lawsuit, filed by Arizona Attorney General Kristin Mayes, marks the first state-level legal action of its kind against L’Oréal over the alleged risks.
The lawsuit alleges that the products, which have been marketed under brands including Dark & Lovely and Optimum, were sold without sufficient warnings about potential links to ovarian and uterine cancers. Arizona is seeking damages, penalties and an order requiring cancer-risk warnings if the products continue to be sold.
The allegations follow a 2022 U.S. National Institutes of Health study that found women who frequently used chemical hair straighteners or relaxers had more than twice the risk of developing uterine cancer compared with non-users. However, the study identified an association rather than proving that the products caused cancer, and it did not establish that any particular brand or ingredient was responsible.
L’Oréal has strongly denied the allegations, saying its products undergo rigorous safety evaluations and that it remains confident in their safety. The company maintains that existing research does not establish a causal connection between its products and the health conditions alleged in the lawsuits.
The company is already facing thousands of related claims in U.S. courts. L’Oréal reported that, as of June 30, 2026, its U.S. companies were defendants in 11,554 federal consolidated proceedings and more than 1,000 additional state-court actions related to hair relaxers.
