Olaplex was launched in 2014 and its products were meant for hairdressers and salons exclusively. Four years after its launch, it became a household name after they were featured in the videos of TikTok and Instagram influencers, which resulted in Olaplex being Sephora’s best-selling hair product.
However, now, their reputation has tanked after numerous controversies and even a lawsuit on their hands.
It all started in March 2022 after Olaplex was forced to remove the No.3 Hair Perfector, one of their best-selling products from stores after Lilial was detected. According to a study done by the European Commission, Lilial is an ingredient that “cannot be considered safe” as it has links to infertility. This caused concern in their existing customer base and some of them have decided to swear off Olaplex products due to fears of infertility issues.
The controversy soon died down until February 2023 when 28 women decided to file a lawsuit against Olaplex in a Californian District Court. They claim Olaplex products, particularly their No.0 to No.9 products, have caused hair damage such as bald spots, scalp irritation, and hair loss. The plaintiffs are now seeking $75,000 in damages. As of March 2023, more than 100 plaintiffs joined in the lawsuit against Olaplex.
Even though products containing Lilial have been globally removed from stores in March 2022, the plaintiffs believe Olaplex is still selling older products containing Liliac and panthenol, chemical compounds that lead to scaling skin and hair loss. Despite the plantitifs’ lawyers believing other factors could cause hair loss, they remained firmly convinced that the products are to blame.
Credit: Olaplex on Instagram
As a response to the lawsuit, JuE Wong, the CEO of Olaplex, posted a video on Twitter and Instagram. She claims the products are safe to use and to prove the brand’s innocence, Olaplex has published test results from third-party laboratories that further prove their products are safe to use, even on sensitive skin. Wong further stated they will be prepared to defend the brand from “baseless accusations” mentioned in the lawsuit.
After the lawsuit had been filed, the Facebook group titled Olaplex Hair Loss doubled the number of members. As of writing, the group has 7.9k members. The posts in the group include those sharing their experience using Olaplex products resulting in their hair getting damaged.