Olaplex fights back against lawsuit accusing the buzzy brand of causing hair loss

• Olaplex, facing a new lawsuit over its hair products, said tests show its products are safe.
• The brand, a staple in TikTok hair care routines, posted "third-party" test records on its website.

Olaplex is fighting back against a new lawsuit accusing its products of causing hair and scalp damage, including "bald spots" and blisters.

Immediately after the lawsuit filing last week, the brand added a new section to its website titled "testing results," where it posted records of clinical tests that it said prove its products are "safe and effective" and "do not cause hair loss or hair breakage."

"We have chosen to release these results now in the face of this misinformation because we want to reassure our millions of happy customers that they can continue to use our products with confidence," an Olaplex representative told Insider.

Olaplex said that the "independent third-party laboratory" testing included Human Repeat Insult Patch tests, a form of clinical study often used to gauge allergic reactions to cosmetic products. The company said the tests were conducted on study participants with both normal and sensitive skin, and involved products in its series from Olaplex No. 0 to No. 9.

"When the products pass such a test, it means the product does not cause inflammation or sensitivity," Olaplex wrote on its site. "As such, there is no induced inflammation to the hair follicle, which is the primary cause of hair loss."

The customers who sued Olaplex this month in California federal court alleged that the hair care products contain ingredients like panthenol and sodium benzoate, which they said can cause skin and health problems.

They also alleged that Olaplex's product usage instructions — which in some cases suggest leaving products in the hair for a period of time — can cause skin problems and block hair follicles.

A representative for Olaplex denied the lawsuit's allegations, saying, "We have full confidence and believe in the safety and efficacy of our products, which are thoroughly tested in-house and by independent third-party laboratories."

Olaplex hasn't yet filed a formal response to the allegations in the lawsuit, according to the docket.

The test reports that Olaplex posted were issued by a number of laboratories including BioScreen Testing Services Inc., Consumer Product Testing Company, and Brazil-based Allergisa Pesquisa Dermato Cosmética Ltda.

An attorney for the plaintiffs, Amy Davis, told Insider on Wednesday that testing conditions don't recreate "the real world use of the product."

Some of the test reports posted on the Olaplex site described how a measured quantity of product was applied to the skin, sometimes with filter paper over it, depending on the type of test. Davis said also that such tests would use diluted versions of the product.

"It's like putting a drop of the product in the ocean," Davis said.

A representative for Olaplex said on Wednesday that the HRIPT reports are "industry standard and reflect the use of Olaplex products under real world conditions."

"Any allegation to the contrary is without scientific merit," the representative said.

The company said it posted the results on its website on Feb. 10, the day after customers filed their suit.

"Experiencing hair loss is a difficult and painful experience, and we are sympathetic to anyone in that position, but we remain confident in the overwhelming evidence showing that Olaplex products are safe and effective," the representative said.

Do you work at Olaplex or have information to share? Contact Sindhu Sundar at ssundar@insider.com or on the encrypted messaging app Signal at (984)-377-3887.