The Hello Bello lawsuit was a California class action filed in December 2024 alleging that the company’s Premium Baby and Kids Shampoo & Body Wash was falsely marketed as “hypoallergenic” while containing three ingredients recognized as allergens. The case, McGee v. Hello Bello Consumer Wellness LLC, settled in July 2025 on terms that were not made public, and a federal judge dismissed the action without prejudice on August 1, 2025.1CourtListener. Nitaya McGee v. Hello Bello Consumer Wellness LLC
What the Lawsuit Alleged
Plaintiff Nitaya McGee filed the complaint in the Superior Court of California for the County of Riverside. She claimed the “hypoallergenic” label on Hello Bello’s baby shampoo and body wash was misleading because the product contained Coco Glucoside, Lauryl Glucoside, and Cocamidopropyl Betaine, three ingredients the American Contact Dermatitis Society has flagged as allergens.2Top Class Actions. Hello Bello Class Action Lawsuit Says Hypoallergenic Baby Shampoo Contains Hidden Allergens
The complaint leaned on the society’s “Allergen of the Year” list. Cocamidopropyl betaine received the designation in 2004, and alkyl glucosides, the chemical family covering both Coco Glucoside and Lauryl Glucoside, were named Allergen of the Year in 2017.3ResearchGate. American Contact Dermatitis Society Allergens of the Year 2000 to 2020
One nuance matters for reading the claim. The society picks these ingredients each year to draw dermatologists’ attention to substances that are clinically relevant but often under-recognized, not because they are considered broadly dangerous.4MDedge Dermatology News. Eco-Friendly Surfactant Is Allergen of the Year
The Legal Claims and Who It Would Have Covered
McGee brought the case under California’s Consumers Legal Remedies Act, the Unfair Competition Law, and a breach of express warranty theory. She sought damages, restitution, and an injunction against Hello Bello continuing to market the products as hypoallergenic. The proposed class covered all U.S. consumers who purchased the allegedly mislabeled products.2Top Class Actions. Hello Bello Class Action Lawsuit Says Hypoallergenic Baby Shampoo Contains Hidden Allergens
How the Case Was Resolved
The case was removed from state court to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, where it was docketed as Case No. 5:25-cv-00467. On July 31, 2025, the plaintiffs filed a notice of settlement and asked the court to stay the matter. The next day, Judge Fernando L. Aenlle-Rocha dismissed the action without prejudice.1CourtListener. Nitaya McGee v. Hello Bello Consumer Wellness LLC
Financial terms of the settlement were not publicly disclosed.5Truth in Advertising. CATrends: Hypoallergenic Marketing Claims Because the dismissal was without prejudice, no class was certified and no court ruling was issued on the merits of the hypoallergenic claim. Consumers were not notified of a claims process the way they would be in an approved class settlement.
Who Owns Hello Bello Now
One point worth noting for anyone following the case: Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard’s involvement with the brand’s ownership had already changed before the lawsuit was filed. Hello Bello’s parent, Unconditional Love Inc., filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in October 2023, and the business was sold to Hildred Capital Management in December 2023 for $66.8 million under Section 363 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.6Hildred Capital Management. Hello Bello Secures Future Growth With Sale to Hildred Capital Management Publicly available records do not specify what equity or role, if any, Bell and Shepard retained after the sale.
The brand continues to operate under Hildred’s ownership, alongside pediatric health brand Hyland’s Naturals, and still sells diapers, wipes, training pants, and personal care products, including the shampoo and body wash line at issue in the lawsuit.7Hello Bello. Special Discounts