The Honest Company, an all-natural home and body care company owned by actress Jessica Alba, has settled a dispute over the presence of a particular chemical in its products.
Honest Co. has touted its “toxin-free” formulations since it was launched in 2011. But last year, some customers began to complain after independent lab tests showed the presence of sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) in some of its laundry and cleaning products. The company had vowed to avoid using SLS because of worries the common surfactant could be a skin irritant. In its place, Honest Co. said it had switched to sodium coconut sulfate (SCS).
The problem with that approach, however, is that SCS contains a number of compounds, including SLS.
Consumer litigation brought against Honest Co. targeted its labeling of certain products as being free from SLS. According to a report in Reuters, Honest Co. has settled the litigation for $1.55 million has agreed to reformulate its products without SLS. The company denied any wrongdoing.
