Jessica Alba pays out $1.55 million over 'dishonest' advertising of her cleaning product range

Jessica Alba’s The Honest Company has paid out $1.55 million in a class action lawsuit after a court ruled that its ingredients labels were misleading.

According to the complaint, the company’s laundry detergent, dish soap and surface cleaner claimed to be free from the irritant Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS), which can cause rashes.

However, the products do use Sodium Coco Sulfate (SCS), which a court agreed is actually a component of SLS, and therefore its use rendered the ingredients label misleading.

The ruling will allow customers to be refunded for their products to the tune of $1.5 for every dollar spent.

The Honest Company has denied the allegations in the lawsuit, and said that it has offered the payout to avoid further court costs.

“We vigorously deny any and all allegations alleged in the lawsuit – specifically that any of our cleaning products contain SLS,” read a statement given to the Daily Mail.

“However, given the fact that continued litigation could be protracted and expensive, we have settled this lawsuit to limit further costs and distraction to our business. We stand behind the safety and effectiveness of our products and the responsibility we have to our consumers, and are gratified by the loyalty of both our customers and retail partners.

“As a modern brand, we are always focused on progress and innovation and remain committed to making purposeful changes to update and improve our products. We are constantly listening to our customers, hearing their needs and desires, and making continual product upgrades for aesthetics and overall product experience.”

As part of the suit, The Honest Company will reformulate the products so that SCS is removed, and has been told to cease marketing products containing the substance as being SLS-free.

It’s not the first time that the company, co-founded by Alba in 2011, has run into trouble for its labelling and products.

Customers complained of suffering skin burns after using its 30 SPF sunblock product in 2015.

And then in 2016, it was reported that the company was being sued over its ‘organic’ baby formula, which it was claimed to contain synthetic substances which are banned from use in organic products according to US federal law.

However, the suit was later dismissed by the superior court in Los Angeles.

The company was valued at $1.7 billion in 2015, but announced last year that it would be shedding 80 jobs in the first part of 2017.

The 36-year-old actress has dialled back her acting career in recent years, appearing in only the low budget horror ‘The Veil’ and Jason Statham-fronted action sequel ‘Mechanic: Resurrection’ last year.

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