Huggies Snug & Dry Diapers Can Cause Skin Rash, Blistering, ‘Chemical Burns,’ Class Action Says

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Huggies Snug & Dry diapers have an undisclosed tendency to cause skin rashes, blistering, peeling and what appear to be chemical burns, a proposed class action claims.

The 33-page suit alleges that although Huggies maker Kimberly-Clark Corporation advertises the Snug & Dry diapers as able to help keep children “dry and comfy” for up to 12 hours and assures that the product is hypoallergenic, the company has nevertheless impeded the ability of buyers to make informed purchasing decisions by failing to disclose the apparent skin rash issue. 

As a result of what the case alleges to be Kimberly-Clark’s “negligent manufacturing, design, and promotion” of Huggies Snug & Dry diapers, a “significant number” of children who’ve worn the diapers have developed a reaction that may manifest as “rashes, blistering, peeling, and what appear to be chemical burns,” the lawsuit claims. According to the suit, the injuries linked to the diapers are serious enough that parents have been forced to seek medical consultation and/or treatment while unaware of exactly what might be causing the rashes. 

“Unfortunately, many parents do not associate their choice of diaper, from a brand like Huggies, to be the source of the injuries to their children,” the complaint says, claiming Kimberly-Clark has known of reports of skin reactions from Huggies Snug & Dry diapers since at least 2014 yet concealed such from consumers. 

Per the lawsuit, the Huggies website over the past seven years has been “flooded” with complaints about the diapers. While Kimberly-Clark’s representatives have initially responded to such complaints by asking customers to provide more information, their responses have “evolved” over the years to end up aiding the company with its apparent concealment of the skin rash problem, according to the case. The consumer complaints detailed in the lawsuit are purportedly “just a small sample size of the total complaints” Kimberly-Clark has received through its website alone, the case says, noting the Huggies maker has also been notified of the situation through reports submitted to retailers, calls to its customer service line, parenting blogs and online reviews.

The Snug & Dry diapers were designed by Kimberly-Clark with its own patented chemical formulation that, layered within the diaper, is intended to absorb excess moisture and prevent irritation and rashes, the suit states. As parents understand it, the diapers are supposed to keep a child’s skin dry and clean and minimize diaper rash, yet the product, according to the complaint, “exacerbates” the problem in certain children, “causing blistering, peeling, and/or chemical burns and harms and disfigures the skin.” 

The filing contends that no reasonable consumer would anticipate that a diaper touted as gentle on skin would cause contact dermatitis or any other adverse skin reaction. 

The lawsuit looks to cover all persons or entities who bought Huggies Snug & Dry diapers in California during the applicable statute of limitations period. 

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