Aloe Vera Gel Lawsuit Investigation
Last Updated on October 2, 2017
Investigation Complete
Attorneys working with ClassAction.org have finished their investigation into this matter.
Check back for any potential updates and take a look at our open investigations here. The information on this page is for reference only.
At A Glance
- This Alert Affects:
- Anyone who purchased certain aloe-containing products.
- What Products Are Under Investigation?
- Our investigation covers Target, Wal-Mart, CVS, Walgreens, Dollar General, Publix, GNC and Trader Joe's store-brand aloe, as well as Fruit of the Earth, Purell, Banana Boat, Hawaiian Tropic, Nature Republic and Tropic Sun products.
- What's Going On?
- Allegations have surfaced that these products contain little-to-no aloe. Attorneys are trying to determine whether class action lawsuits can be filed.
- Is There Any Proof?
- Independent lab tests, including one performed by ConsumerLab.com, reveal that there is little to no aloe in these products.
- How Can a Lawsuit Help?
- Consumers may be able to get their money back. The companies may also be required to change their advertising practices.
Independent lab testing has shown that certain aloe-containing products have little-to-no aloe in them – and some may even contain propylene glycol, which is a form of anti-freeze.
In light of this information, attorneys working with ClassAction.org are trying to get class action lawsuits started. Here's a list of affected products:
- CVS’s Aftersun Aloe Vera Moisturizing Gel
- CVS’s 100% Pure Aloe Vera Gel
- Fruit of the Earth’s Aloe Vera 100% Gel
- Target’s Up & Up Aloe Vera Gel
- Walgreens Aloe Gel 0.5% Lidocaine Pain Reliever
- Walgreens’ Aloe Vera Body Gel
- Walgreens’ Advanced Hand Sanitizer with Aloe
- Purell’s Advanced Hand Sanitizer Refreshing Aloe
- Dollar General's Body Soothing Aloe Gel
- Tropic Sun's Aloe Vera Gel
- GNC's Aloe Vera Gel
- Trader Joe's Aloe Vera Gel Body Moisturizer
- Walmart’s Equate Cooling Aloe Sunburn Relief Gel
- Walmart’s Equate Soothing Aloe After Sun Gel
- Ocean Potion's Aloe Gel
- Hawaiian Tropic's After Sun Cooling Gel
- Banana Boat's Aloe Gel
- Publix's Relieving After Sun Gel
- Rocky Mountain's Sunburn Relief Gel
- Nature Republic’s Aloe Vera 92% Soothing Gel
Fruit of the Earth, CVS Sued Over Aloe Products
In June 2016, both Fruit of the Earth and CVS were hit with class action lawsuits over the amount of aloe contained in some of their products. The lawsuits were filed just months after consumer watchdog site ConsumerLab.com tested a number of aloe-containing products, including Fruit of the Earth’s Aloe Vera 100% Gel.
The report found that the Fruit of the Earth product was missing “acemannan” – a key aloe compound. According to the International Aloe Science Council, which was established to protect consumers from falsely labeled aloe products, “products that do not contain acemannan are not considered to be true aloe vera.”
Yet, Fruit of the Earth sold its popular product as a 100% aloe vera gel that contains “the most concentrated amount [of] fresh aloe vera leaves on the market.”
ConsumerLab.com (paywall) stated that even if the product had been 90% aloe vera gel, the test would have revealed “at least half a gram of the compound acemannan per 680ml bottle.”
It is believed that Fruit of the Earth is the manufacturer and supplier of CVS-brand aloe products. That’s why this investigation also covers the drug store’s Aftersun Aloe Vera Moisturizing Gel – which used to be sold as 100% Pure Aloe Vera Gel before the company changed the name.
Have Any Other Tests Been Done?
Yes. Attorneys working with our website hired their own independent lab to run tests on products sold by CVS, Walgreens, Target and others.
Like ConsumerLab.com, they found no detectible or discernible levels of acemannan or other ingredients that would indicate the products contain aloe. Furthermore, one test detected propylene glycol, a non-toxic or less-toxic form of antifreeze, in the CVS-brand product. Walgreens also has this ingredient listed on the bottle for its lidocaine pain reliever.
How Is a Lawsuit Going To Help?
A lawsuit, if successful, can do two things:
Reimburse customers for money they spent on the aloe products
Require the aloe manufacturers to change their labeling so that future customers are aware of what exactly is inside the products
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