Creme of Nature Hair Relaxer Lawsuit | 2026 Latest Updates

Creme of Nature hair relaxer products appear in federal lawsuits that allege hair relaxers caused uterine, ovarian and endometrial cancer. Plaintiffs also allege other injuries.

The cases sit in MDL No. 3060 before Judge Mary M. Rowland in a federal court in Illinois. The court’s short form lists 11 Creme of Nature products. That list is a checklist and makes no finding.

MDL No. 3060 had 12,129 pending actions on September 1, 2026. No settlement or verdict exists, and the first bellwether trial is set for September 7, 2027.

Latest Creme of Nature Hair Relaxer Lawsuit Updates

October 1, 2026: Status Hearing Resolves Filing Issues

At a status hearing, the parties reported resolving issues on duplicate filings, delinquent short forms and compliance with Case Management Order 10-A, per the court docket [1]. Defendants withdrew a motion to strike an expert report without prejudice.

September 24, 2026: Court Sets First Bellwether Trial

Judge Mary M. Rowland set the first bellwether trial for September 7, 2027, and monthly case management conferences in 2027, according to the court docket. As of October 2, 2026, the court has not announced which bellwether case goes first.

September 1, 2026: JPML Reports 12,129 Pending Actions

The JPML‘s statistics report showed 12,129 actions pending in MDL No. 3060 in the Northern District of Illinois [2]. The same report counts 16,561 actions filed in total over the life of the MDL.

August 27, 2026: Court Sets Schedule to Narrow Bellwether Pool

After an August 20 hearing, the court adopted agreed dates, per the court docket. Defendants’ case-specific expert reports were due September 25, 2026.

Plaintiffs’ rebuttal reports are due October 13, 2026. A joint submission on a proposed order reducing the bellwether cases from ten to five is due October 21, 2026.

August 6, 2026: FDA Formaldehyde Rule Reaches Federal Review

FDA‘s proposed rule on formaldehyde in hair smoothing and straightening products reached the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs for executive order review [3].

No proposed or final rule has been published in the Federal Register. It covers heated smoothing products, not lye or no-lye relaxers.

August 3, 2026: Plaintiffs Reply on Class Certification

Plaintiffs filed replies in support of their motion to certify medical-monitoring classes, per the court docket. Defendants had opposed the motion, both as to Revlon and as to all defendants.

Putative class actions are part of the MDL. As of October 2, 2026, the court had not ruled on class certification.

June 17, 2026: Court Dismisses Cases for Missed Deadlines

The court dismissed identified cases for failing to comply with Case Management Order 9, per the court docket. It also dismissed cases of plaintiffs who died before the complaint was filed. Some dismissals are without prejudice.

Plaintiffs in cases dismissed without prejudice may refile in the MDL until December 30, 2026. A later order dismissed with prejudice plaintiffs who missed the June 25, 2026 deadline to serve short forms.

May 5, 2026: Cross Motions Target Causation Experts

The Strength of Nature defendants moved, for all defendants, to exclude plaintiffs’ general causation experts under Federal Rule of Evidence 702. Plaintiffs filed a motion to exclude opinions of defendants’ experts. Neither motion was decided by October 2, 2026.

April 2, 2026: Judge Selects Ten Bellwether Cases

Judge Mary M. Rowland selected 10 cases from MDL No. 3060 as the Bellwether Trial Case pool, per the court docket. On April 22, 2026, she substituted one case in the pool.

January 8, 2026: Court Holds Science Day

Judge Mary M. Rowland held a Science Day in MDL No. 3060, according to the court docket. Plaintiffs’ and defendants’ experts presented the scientific and medical issues at the session.

November 13, 2023: Court Rules on Motion to Dismiss

Judge Mary M. Rowland’s memorandum opinion dismissed the negligent misrepresentation, fraud and fraudulent concealment counts [4]. Negligence, strict liability and warranty claims were allowed to proceed.

The order also dismissed the Dabur defendants and Dermoviva for lack of personal jurisdiction. It decided only the pleadings, and the court assumed the master complaint’s allegations were true for the motion.

August 3, 2023: Short Form Lists Creme of Nature Products

Case Management Order No. 7 adopted the Short Form Complaint [5]. In every directly filed action, the master complaint and the short form together are the operative complaint.

The short form lists 11 Creme of Nature relaxer and kit products under the Revlon defendants as products a plaintiff may select.

May 15, 2023: Plaintiffs File Master Long Form Complaint

Plaintiffs’ Leadership filed the Master Long Form Complaint with a sample Master Short Form Complaint, per Case Management Order No. 7. The complaint pleads fifteen counts, including negligence, strict liability design defect and failure to warn, and breach of warranty.

It also pleads fraud, wrongful death, survival, loss of consortium and punitive damages. The court’s November 13, 2023 ruling later dismissed some of these counts.

February 6, 2023: JPML Creates MDL No. 3060

The JPML’s Transfer Order created MDL No. 3060 in the Northern District of Illinois and assigned it to Judge Mary M. Rowland [6].

The Panel counted 53 involved actions in nineteen districts, and sixteen were already pending in the MDL’s district. Four sets of defendants opposed centralization.

October 17, 2022: NIH Announces Sister Study Analysis

NIH announced a Sister Study analysis of chemical hair straightening products. Women who used them frequently were more than twice as likely to develop uterine cancer [7].

The study followed women ages 35 to 74 and did not find the relationship differed by race. NIH said the adverse effects may be greater for Black women because of higher prevalence of use.

What Are Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals?

According to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are natural or human-made chemicals. They may mimic, block, or interfere with the body’s hormones [8].

NIEHS says these chemicals are in many everyday products, including some cosmetics. The master complaint alleges that EDCs, including phthalates, are in some defendants’ hair relaxers as “fragrance” and “perfumes.”

Who May Be Affected?

People who used Creme of Nature relaxer or kit products named on the court’s short form may be affected. That includes people later diagnosed with uterine, endometrial or ovarian cancer, or another injury the form allows.

Listed products include Relaxer Cream, No Lye Relaxer, No Base Relaxer and Relaxer Kit Argan Oil. The hair relaxer cancer lawsuit page covers other relaxer brands.

Reuters reported in November 2023 that the lawsuits describe Revlon’s Creme of Nature as marketed overwhelmingly to women of color [9].

Revlon told Reuters it does not believe the science supports a link between chemical hair straighteners or relaxers and cancer. That is the company’s position.

Family members may bring wrongful death or survival claims. Whether a person qualifies depends on an individual legal review of the facts.

Reported Injuries or Damages

Plaintiffs allege uterine, ovarian or breast cancer, endometriosis, uterine fibroids or other injuries to the reproductive system, according to the Transfer Order. Our hair relaxer fibroids claims page covers fibroids.

The court’s short form offers boxes for uterine cancer, endometrial cancer and ovarian cancer, plus other injuries. These are allegations, and no court has found that any product caused an injury.

In Chang et al., frequent use of hair straighteners was associated with uterine cancer, with a hazard ratio of 2.55. The paper appeared in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute [10].

The study counted 378 uterine cancer cases among 33,947 participants over 10.9 years on average. Frequent use meant more than 4 times in the previous 12 months, versus never use. The researchers did not collect brand or ingredient information.

In a 2021 analysis, White et al., using Sister Study data, found that frequent use of straighteners or relaxers was associated with ovarian cancer risk, with a hazard ratio of 2.19 [11].

In the Black Women’s Health Study, Wise et al. found an incidence rate ratio of 1.17 for uterine fibroids. That compared ever use of relaxers with never use [12].

Recall and Regulatory Background

No CPSC recall names Creme of Nature relaxer or any relaxer. FDA regulates cosmetics, including hair relaxers. The FDA consumer page says they can hurt skin, hair and eyes if used carelessly [13].

The page asks users to report itchy or raw skin, scabs or hair loss. It also says FDA does monitor the safety of hair dyes and relaxers.

Evidence to Preserve

Records that show which product was used, how often and what followed can matter in a hair relaxer claim. Keep originals where they cannot be lost or damaged, and copy paper records. Save these items:

• Product packaging, boxes and lot or kit details of the Creme of Nature relaxer used
• Photographs of the product and of any scalp burns or hair loss
• Receipts or purchase records, and the name of the salon or stylist who applied it
• A record of when and how often the relaxer was used
• Diagnosis, pathology and treatment records, including any hysterectomy
• Names of family members with a related diagnosis

Filing Deadlines

Filing deadlines come from state law, and they differ with where you live. They also depend on when the exposure, illness or injury and the diagnosis happened.

In some states the clock starts at diagnosis. Strong facts may not save a claim that is filed after its deadline. Talk with a lawyer promptly about the deadline that applies to your situation.

Potential Compensation

Compensation amounts vary by case. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. If a claim succeeds, potential compensation may include medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering.

In wrongful death claims, damages may include losses to the family. The master complaint seeks compensatory and punitive damages, restitution, medical monitoring and equitable relief for the plaintiffs in this federal MDL.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Creme of Nature Relaxer Cause Cancer?

Whether Creme of Nature relaxer causes cancer is not established. NIH estimated that by age 70, 1.64% of women who never used hair straighteners would develop uterine cancer, rising to 4.05% for frequent users. Uterine cancer is relatively rare.

How Much Is the Hair Relaxer Lawsuit Settlement?

The hair relaxer lawsuit settlement amount is not known because no settlement exists. Once the bellwether pool is reduced from ten to five cases, case-specific expert discovery closes December 21, 2026, and summary judgment and case-specific Rule 702 motions are due January 11, 2027.

Can I Include Creme of Nature in a Claim with Other Relaxer Brands?

A claim may include Creme of Nature and other relaxer brands. The court’s short form lists many defendants and their products with check boxes. Each defendant group ends with “Other (please specify),” so one plaintiff’s form can name more than one defendant and product.

Are Other Hair Products Linked to Uterine Cancer?

Other hair products were not associated with uterine cancer in the NIH Sister Study, according to Chang et al. That included dyes and perms. Ever use of straighteners carried a hazard ratio of 1.80.

How Might Hair Relaxer Chemicals Affect the Body?

Hair relaxer chemicals could affect the body through scalp absorption, according to NIH, and burns or lesions from straighteners may add to it. NIH notes chemicals in straighteners, such as parabens, bisphenol A, metals and formaldehyde, could be contributing, a hypothesis.

References

1. https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/66801859/in-re-hair-relaxer-marketing-sales-practices-and-products-liability/?order_by=desc
2. https://www.jpml.uscourts.gov/sites/jpml/files/Pending_MDL_Dockets_By_Actions_Pending-September-1-2026.pdf
3. https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eoDetails?rrid=1496363
4. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-ilnd-1_23-cv-00818/pdf/USCOURTS-ilnd-1_23-cv-00818-0.pdf
5. https://www.ilnd.uscourts.gov/_assets/_documents/_forms/_cmecf/MDL3060/CMO%20No.%207.pdf
6. https://www.jpml.uscourts.gov/sites/jpml/files/MDL-3060-Transfer_Order-1-23.pdf
7. https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/hair-straightening-chemicals-associated-higher-uterine-cancer-risk
8. https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/endocrine
9. https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2023/11/06/746980.htm
10. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9949582/
11. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8561257/
12. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3282879/
13. https://www.fda.gov/consumers/free-publications-women/hair-dye-and-hair-relaxers