Juvia’s Place Eyeshadow Palettes Unsafe for Use Around Eyes Due to Color Additives, Class Action Lawsuit Says

A proposed class action lawsuit alleges certain Juvia’s Place eyeshadow palettes are unsafe to use around the eyes since they contain a litany of synthetic color additives that have not been approved for use in eyeshadows.

The 40-page Juvia’s Place lawsuit says that certain pigments in the nearly 30 eyeshadow palettes at issue, which are sold online and at Ulta locations nationwide, can cause staining, skin irritation, swelling, teary eyes and allergies, among other potential effects. According to the case, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and California regulators have deliberately not approved the color additives—namely certain red and yellow pigments—in the Juvia’s Place cosmetics for use around the eye, rendering them unsafe for that purpose. 

The class action lawsuit accuses Juvia’s Place of marketing its palettes in a manner that leads reasonable consumers to believe the makeup is safe to use, and should be used, as eyeshadow—while failing to adequately disclose that the palettes contain unsafe, unfit, and unapproved color additives for use around the eye area. 

“Had consumers been aware that the Products contained color additives that are unsafe, unfit and unapproved for use in eyeshadows, they would not have purchased the Products or would have paid substantially less for them,” the complaint contends, alleging the Juvia’s Place eyeshadow products are misbranded and adulterated under federal and California law. 

The three plaintiffs, consumers from California and New York, report having experienced itching, swelling, teary eyes, soreness and/or color staining after using Juvia’s Place eyeshadow palettes. Two of the consumers say that the staining around their eyes lasted for several days and would not come off with makeup remover, while the third claims to have experienced itching and swelling on her eyelids after applying the eyeshadow.

According to the filing, the plaintiffs’ experiences echo those of consumers who have expressed concern online about Juvia’s Place eyeshadow palettes following instances of staining, irritation and discomfort.

“Indeed, the risks and harm associated with using these synthetic colors around the eye are well documented,” the filing reads.

Synthetic colors in Juvia’s Place eyeshadows pose a known risk, lawsuit alleges

According to the case, Spectra Color Corporation’s safety data sheets for Red Nos. 6, 7, 21, 27, 28, and 33 state that the synthetic colors cause eye irritation and that if a color gets into the eye, a person should rinse the eye with water for several minutes. Other safety data sheets warn to handle the red colors with care and to “avoid eye and skin contact,” the suit adds.

Similarly, the lawsuit continues, the yellow pigments used by Juvia’s Place in the makeup palettes have also “specifically been shown to be unsafe around the eye,” with Flinn Scientific highlighting that Yellow 6, for instance, is a hazard for “skin and serious eye damage, corrosion, or irritation.” The same is true for Yellow 10, the complaint states. 

Compounding matters is that the skin around the eye is supremely sensitive, with the eyelid skin being the thinnest skin on the human body, the case goes on. 

“For this reason, the red and yellow color additives used by the Defendant in its Products are particularly hazardous to unsuspecting customers applying the Products around the eye area, as directed by the Defendant’s marketing,” the lawsuit summarizes. 

The case emphasizes that the FDA strictly regulates color additives in cosmetics, and federal law prohibits the use of color additives in cosmetics unless they are approved specifically for the intended use. Because the red and yellow pigments at issue in the Juvia’s Place eyeshadows are not specifically permitted for use in the eye area, they are not lawfully authorized for that use and thus may not be used in eye-area cosmetics, the suit says. 

Which Juvia’s Place eyeshadows does the lawsuit say are unsafe? 

According to the case, the following varieties of Juvia’s Place eyeshadow palettes are unsafe for use around the eyes due to the addition of the specified red and yellow color additives: 

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Who’s covered by the eyeshadow palette lawsuit? 

The proposed class action looks to cover all U.S. residents who bought any of the Juvia’s Place products listed on this page within the applicable statute of limitations period. 

I have bought Juvia’s Place eyeshadow palettes. Do I qualify for the lawsuit? 

When a new class action lawsuit is initially filed, there’s typically nothing you need to do to join, sign up for, add your name to, or qualify for the case. Fact is, it’s usually only in the event of a class action lawsuit settlement that the people covered by the case—the class members—would need to act. More often than not, this involves filling out and filing a claim form online or by mail for settlement benefits. 

ClassAction.org will update this page with any developments in the Juvia’s Place lawsuit, so be sure to check back often. 

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