Vaseline Baby Healing Jelly Falsely Advertised as Hypoallergenic, Class Action Lawsuit Alleges

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A class action lawsuit alleges Unilever has mislabeled Vaseline Baby Healing Jelly as “hypoallergenic” even though the product contains fragrance chemicals known to cause skin irritation.

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The 44-page class action lawsuit contends that the “hypoallergenic” label on Vaseline Baby Jelly is deceptive and leads consumers to believe that they are buying a product that will not cause an allergic reaction.

The case alleges that Vaseline Baby Healing Jelly is not hypoallergenic because it contains fragrance chemicals “in amounts that can reasonably be expected to induce an allergic response” for a significant number of consumers. More specifically, the suit alleges that Vaseline Baby Jelly is just as likely, if not more likely, to cause an allergic reaction in its intended users than similar products.

Per the lawsuit, even Unilever’s own Vaseline Original Healing Jelly is more hypoallergenic than the Baby Healing Jelly because it is made from 100 percent petroleum jelly with no added fragrances. However, the Original Healing Jelly does not claim to be “hypoallergenic,” the filing mentions.

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, fragrance is one of the most common skin irritants, with about 2.5 million Americans having fragrance allergies, the case relays.

Skin allergies can “dramatically affect a person’s confidence and engagement in life,” the lawsuit states. The suit says that consumers with sensitive skin seek and rely on terms like “hypoallergenic” when making purchasing decisions, and the average consumer “lacks the ability to test or independently ascertain the potential for allergic contact dermatitis at the point of sale.” As such, labelling a product as “hypoallergenic” leads reasonable consumers to believe and rely on assertions that it is free of potential allergens, including fragrances, the complaint says.

“Those without allergies seek hypoallergenic products to avoid developing sensitivities; those with allergies seek hypoallergenic products to avoid inflammatory responses from unidentified allergens,” the suit explains.

According to the class action lawsuit, Unilever utilizes additional marketing language to obscure the fact that its Baby Healing Jelly is not truly hypoallergenic, as it claims the product is “gentle on skin,” “a soothing and protective barrier,” and “gentle enough to treat dry skin on baby’s face and body.”

Furthermore, customers are willing to pay a premium for hypoallergenic products, and mislabeling the Baby Healing Jelly allowed Unilever to charge higher prices for a potentially irritating product, the suit argues.

The Vaseline Baby Healing Jelly class action lawsuit seeks to cover all individuals in the United States who purchased Vaseline Baby Healing Jelly for personal or household use over the last four years, except those who purchased the product in California.

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