The WEN hair loss lawsuit ended in a settlement of more than $26 million, approved by a federal judge in Los Angeles in August 2017. Guthy-Renker LLC and Chaz Dean Inc., the companies behind WEN Cleansing Conditioner, resolved claims that their products caused hair loss, breakage, and scalp irritation. They admitted no wrongdoing and called the deal a business decision to end the litigation.1Top Class Actions. $26M WEN Cleansing Conditioner Class Action Settlement Proposed Payments to class members went out in early 2018, and the case is closed.
What Consumers Reported
Complaints about WEN Cleansing Conditioner reached the FDA as early as 2011. By July 2016, when the agency announced a formal investigation, it had received 127 direct consumer reports. Guthy-Renker had received roughly 21,000 more directly, the largest complaint volume ever tied to any cosmetic hair-cleansing product.2Environmental Working Group. FDA Investigating Hair Care Products Linked to Balding, Can’t Stop Sales
The reported injuries clustered around hair loss, bald spots, breakage, thinning, scalp rashes, itching, and irritation.3First Coast News. Popular Hair Product Line WEN Sued for Allegedly Making Women Go Bald Cosmetics companies aren’t required to share adverse event reports with the FDA, and the agency said Guthy-Renker had withheld nine of at least thirteen safety studies it commissioned on its own products. The FDA also acknowledged it lacked authority to compel disclosure of those studies or force a recall.2Environmental Working Group. FDA Investigating Hair Care Products Linked to Balding, Can’t Stop Sales
What the Lawsuit Alleged
The lead case, Amy Friedman v. Guthy-Renker LLC, was filed in 2014 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California and assigned to Judge Otis D. Wright II.4Justia. Friedman v. Guthy-Renker LLC, Order Granting Final Approval Plaintiffs alleged the Cleansing Conditioner contained one or more ingredients acting as a “depilatory and caustic agent” that damaged hair strands or follicles.5Gilman and Bedigian. More Than 21,000 Complaints Made Against WEN Hair Care, FDA Investigates The specific ingredient was never publicly identified.
The claims rested on negligence, strict product liability, breach of warranty, and state consumer protection laws. Plaintiffs argued the defendants knew about the complaints but kept selling the products without warnings, while marketing them as “gentle enough to use every day.”6Truth in Advertising. WEN Cleansing Conditioners
How the Settlement Paid Out
The settlement class covered anyone who bought any of more than twenty WEN products for personal or home use between November 1, 2007, and September 19, 2016. That included the Cleansing Conditioner along with treatment oils, styling crèmes, mousses, and men’s products.7Top Class Actions. WEN Hair Care Products Class Action Settlement
Recovery was split into two tiers. Tier 1 paid a flat $25 to class members who claimed personal injury or false statements about the products, with no proof of purchase required but a sworn declaration. Tier 2 paid up to $20,000 for documented adverse reactions such as hair loss, scalp irritation, or emotional distress, supported by before-and-after photos, medical records, or written statements from a stylist or doctor. The claims deadline was April 28, 2017; the opt-out and objection deadline was February 10, 2017.7Top Class Actions. WEN Hair Care Products Class Action Settlement
Judge Wright granted final approval on August 21, 2017, calling the deal fair, reasonable, and adequate. Twelve objections were filed and all were overruled. The Court struck the proposed $5 million cap on Tier 1 claims, removing any ceiling on the amount paid to lower-tier claimants. Class counsel received $5.5 million in fees and costs.4Justia. Friedman v. Guthy-Renker LLC, Order Granting Final Approval
An appeal followed in September 2017 but was dismissed by December 29 of that year. Tier 1 checks began going out January 16, 2018, and Tier 2 payments were distributed by March 9, 2018.7Top Class Actions. WEN Hair Care Products Class Action Settlement The claim window has long since closed; new claims are no longer accepted.
What Science Has Said Since
The settlement resolved the legal claims but not the underlying scientific question. The FDA contracted Columbia University’s Medical Center Department of Dermatology to study the potential connection, and the report was delivered in 2023. Researchers tested WEN Sweet Almond Mint Cleansing Conditioner on mice and found that treated mice showed “abnormal hair growth cycles” over a prolonged period. The study looked at five ingredients: rosemary extract, calendula extract, methylchloroisothiazolinone, methylisothiazolinone, and polysorbate 60.8U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA Studies Possible Connection Between Hair Loss and Certain Hair Cleansing Products
Despite the mouse findings, the FDA said it remained “unable to draw a firm connection between the use of certain hair cleansing products and ingredients, and alopecia” in humans. The agency said it continues to assess adverse event reports.8U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA Studies Possible Connection Between Hair Loss and Certain Hair Cleansing Products
Is WEN Still Sold?
Yes. WEN was never pulled from the market, and no reformulation or labeling change has been publicly reported. The brand continues to sell cleansing conditioners, styling products, skin care items, and lines including WEN Kids, WEN Men, and WEN Pets through chazdean.com and salon locations in Los Angeles and New York.9Chaz Dean. Chaz Dean Official Website
Chaz Dean has maintained throughout that there is no scientific evidence the products cause hair loss. The company ran a six-week human safety study after the lawsuit and said the results were comparable to a nationally recognized competitor, with no increased occurrence of hair loss.10NewBeauty. WEN Lawsuit Safety The brand advises customers to cleanse twice, splitting the recommended amount of product in half, and to rinse thoroughly.