Overview
- Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes filed a consumer‑fraud lawsuit against L'Oréal and related brands on Sept. 11, 2026 alleging the companies sold chemical hair relaxers without disclosing links to ovarian and uterine cancer.
- The complaint names specific categories of chemicals and byproducts it says are present or form during use, including phthalates, parabens, ethylene oxide, 1,4‑dioxane, formaldehyde and heavy metals.
- Arizona is asking for penalties, damages and a court order that could require new warnings or stop sales of the products, which would be remedies different from the individual damages sought in the federal multidistrict litigation in Chicago.
- L'Oréal has strongly denied the claims, saying its products undergo rigorous safety reviews and that the lawsuit lacks legal and scientific merit.
- The suit cites a 2022 NIH/NIEHS study that found higher uterine cancer risk among frequent users of relaxers, notes the products were marketed mainly to Black women and children, and could prompt regulatory and legal changes to labeling, sales and company practices if courts agree with the state.