A $26.3 million settlement has been given the preliminary green light in a class-action lawsuit by more than 200 women over what they say are damaging hair-care products—meaning around 6 million people may soon be richer for their tress troubles. An LA federal judge gave an initial OK to the settlement for the suit, which claims Wen by Chaz Dean cleansing conditioners caused problems such as scalp irritation and hair damage and loss, reports CBS Los Angeles. Per New York, anyone who bought a bottle of cleansing conditioner will receive $25 (up to a $5 million cap), while those who experienced extreme reaction to the products may be eligible for up to $20,000 for treatment costs and injury damages. "Not only did it not clean my hair, it made it look like I combed it out with a pork chop," one woman posted in a Wen product forum, per a December Daily Beast article on the suit.
The lawsuit, which was filed against celebrity stylist Chaz Dean's company and marketer Guthy-Renker, claims that the sulfate-free hair care products in question barely contain any cleansing ingredients. "It's like using lotion to wash your hair, so instead of removing the product when you rinse it off, it just becomes impacted in your hair follicle," attorney Amy Davis said in a statement last year about the complaint, per the Daily Beast. Wen, however, insists its products are safe and that it only agreed to a settlement to avoid "time consuming and costly" litigation that will keep the company from concentrating on "delivering quality products." Glamour, meanwhile, notes the proliferation of positive online reviews for the products and says to "just be aware that this is a major concern." A US District Court judge will need to offer final approval for the settlement. (More class-action lawsuits stories.)
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