According to recent news, skin-care brand Rodan + Fields has offered to pay $38 million to settle many class-action lawsuits surrounding its R + F Lash Boost ($155), a lash serum that claims to boost and grow eyelashes in eight weeks.
The lawsuits were a result of users complaining about the product's side effects—adverse reactions like eye irritation, macular edema, iris color change, and ocular inflammation were reported—due to its isopropyl alcohol content. According to Optometry Times, this ingredient is used in glaucoma treatments, which can target the anagen phase of the hair growth cycle for beauty benefits.
The plaintiffs assert that the Lash Boost serum should be more intensely regulated by the FDA and should be marketed as a drug instead of a federally unregulated cosmetic product so that users are aware of the product's potential side effects.
In an article from Cosmetics & Toiletries, the plaintiffs say the inclusion of isopropyl cloprostenate contradicts the brand's marketing, which declares that the product is not a drug but rather contains "only cosmetic ingredients" and is "not associated with any significant side effects." In order to end the lawsuit, the brand has agreed to make Lash Boost label changes to revise instructions, warnings and other information.
The deadline for exclusion and objection is 7/14 and the final approval hearing for the Lash Boost class action settlement is scheduled for 9/14.
