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EOS Settles Lawsuit Over Rashes and Blisters

By Adele Chapin Updated
Photo: EOS/Facebook

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Some EOS customers are alleging that the brand's little globe-shaped lip balms caused them to break out in blisters and rashes, and there are gnarly photos to back up their claims. TMZ reports that a consumer named Rachael Cronin has filed a class action lawsuit against EOS.

The lawsuit reads:

A substantial number of consumers, upon information and belief in the tens of thousands, and potentially in excess of hundreds of thousands, who have purchased and used the product — spanning all gender, ages, and race — have experienced devastating adverse reactions to the product, consisting of mild to severe rashes, dryness, bleeding, blistering, cracking, and loss of pigmentation, lasting from a few days, to a few months, and some consumers with long-lasting and perhaps permanent symptoms.

EOS is, and has been, on notice of the serious adverse side-effects caused by the use of its product. Consumer complaints have flooded the EOS Facebook page and their email. Consumers, including the Plantiff in this action have written to EOS to share their complaints and adverse health problems arising from the use of the production.

In the lawsuit, Cronin claims her lips felt like "sandpaper" and cracked, flaked, and bled after she applied EOS lip balm. She claims that this all happened within hours of using her EOS balm, and the reaction lasted 10 days.

Cronin states in the lawsuit that "she provided a written complaint to EOS and was contacted by a 'medical health team' stating the product had nothing 'inherently allergenic' but advised Cronin to seek medical attention, which she already had."

She said she shared her story and photos of the blisters on Facebook. "The post set off a frenzy of responses from other individuals who shared the identical experience with EOS," the lawsuit reads.

EOS pushes its product both on social media and in music videos, with the colorful lip balms making cameos in videos from artists like Jennifer Lopez and Miley Cyrus. Stars like Hilary Duff and Christina Aguilera have also been snapped with the brand’s lip balm.

"It's a great product—functionally useful, organic, easy to find in your bag, moisturizing, efficient, two lips in one swipe, no need to use fingers—and it's delightful: great flavors, gorgeous colors, cute shape and great texture and feel," EOS marketing vice president Sherry Jhawar told Racked in 2014.

Update: A press representative for EOS sent Racked this statement:

We firmly believe this lawsuit is without merit. Our products are made with the highest quality ingredients and meet or exceed all safety and quality standards set out by our industry and validated by rigorous testing conducted by an independent lab. The health and well-being of our customers is our top priority and millions of satisfied customers use our products every day, many of whom take the time to share their experiences with us.

Latest update: There's been a swift resolution to the EOS lawsuit. EOS released a statement saying:

We are pleased to announce that the class action lawsuit brought against EOS earlier this month has been resolved. Our products are safe – and this settlement confirms that. Our lip balms are hypoallergenic, dermatologist tested, made with the highest quality ingredients, meet or exceed all safety and quality standards set by our industry and are validated by rigorous safety testing conducted by independent labs. We love our customers and their enjoyment of our products is our top priority. We thank them for their continued support.

Mark Geragos, the lawyer who brought the class action lawsuit, said in a statement:

I am very pleased that we have been able to so quickly and amicably resolve the matter with EOS lip balm products. This is a testament to EOS being responsive to the concerns of their consumers. EOS has demonstrated through data that their lip balms are hypoallergenic, and has provided a mechanism for individual instances to be resolved. EOS makes great products and the company is doing the right thing by adding more information about their lip balm products on packaging so that buyers can make informed choices. We will be applying to the courts to close this case.

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