Unilever Ducks Suit Over Formaldehyde-Related Shampoo Ingredient

Unilever consumers who suffered no adverse reactions from a shampoo failed to show compensable harm, a federal court in Illinois said Wednesday, dismissing a proposed class suit alleging the company deceptively portrayed the product made with a formaldehyde-related preservative as safe.

Emily Castillo and others alleged Unilever U.S. Inc. marketed TRESemmé keratin shampoo as a safe, smoothing hair-care product when it contained DMDM hydantoin, a preservative that releases small amounts of formaldehyde over time.

The consumers didn’t allege they were allergic to the preservative or had adverse reactions themselves, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois said. ...