Woman files lawsuit against cosmetics brand EOS over claims its lip balm cause cracked lips

A LIP balm brand has been slammed in a class-action lawsuit for causing lips to crack, bleed and blister. WARNING: Graphic images.

Is this the ‘worst lip balm ever’?

A POPULAR cosmetics company has defended its best selling lip balms, which are endorsed by Kim Kardashian and Britney Spears, after a woman who said the balm caused her lips to bleed and blister filed a class-action lawsuit.

EOS, which stands for Evolution of Smooth, sells lip balms in an egg-like sphere that twists open like a Kinder Surprise.

They are difficult to purchase in Australia but are popular in the US thanks to celebrity endorsements. The lip balms retail for $US3.29 and are sold at major supermarket and chemist chain stores like Walmart and CVS.

Customers have shared images of their cracked and infected lip son the eos Facebook page.

But LA woman Rachel Cronin is leading a class action against the brand and claims her lips felt like “sandpaper” several hours after using her EOS lip balm.

“Within hours, her lips became substantially dry and coarse, what Ms Cronin describes as feeling like ‘sandpaper’, causing her to apply more of the balm on her lip to achieve the results of becoming ‘sensationally smooth’,” the lawsuit states.

“Ms Cronin’s lips did not become smooth and began severely cracking on the edges, causing flaking and bleeding from the cracks.

“By the next day, Ms Cronin’s lips and surrounding skin area had severe blistering and rashes causing her to seek medical care.” Her symptoms lasted 10 days.

Ms Cronin posted a photo of her cracked lips on the EOS Facebook page, prompting other customers to share photos of their dry lips.

“This is week 3 of painful lips ... and mouth,” wrote this woman on the eos Facebook page.

One woman claims the lip balm caused her bottom lip to break out into a hive and eventually turn black, like a scab.

“It’s DISGUSTING and EMBARRASSING,” she wrote on Facebook. “It has been like that for about a week now. I am HIGHLY disappointed with the product and I’m NOT the only one. #WORSTLIPBALMEVER.”

Another wrote: “Will never buy this product again! Our daughter tried them and within 3-4 days her lips swelled up, cracked, and blistered and after the past 3 weeks of trying treat it at home we ended up having to take her to the doctors for help.”

But others have jumped to the brand’s defence.

“Been using your products for YEARS. This lawsuit thing is outrageous. Sometimes you don’t know if you’re allergic to something, I understand that buy filing a lawsuit over it?” one woman wrote.

Dear eos, you might want to look into your new mint flavour as I’m having my lips currently bubble and blister from a reaction. I’ve been a faithful eos user of other flavours, but the mint is an issue,” wrote this woman on the eos page.

Ms Cronin’s lawyer Mark Geragos wrote in the lawsuit that tens of thousands of customers could potentially be affected.

In a statement on its Facebook page, EOS said the lawsuit is “without merit”.

“Our products are safe to use, are made with the highest quality ingredients and they all meet or exceed all safety and quality standards set out by our industry,” the statement said.

“An independent laboratory puts each of our products through a battery of rigorous testing to ensure this is the case.
For these reasons, we firmly believe this lawsuit is without merit, and we will continue to create new and exciting products that delight our customers.”

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