Popular St. Ives apricot scrub faces lawsuit

Miami, USA - April 12, 2014:St Ives fresh skin apricot scrub 6 OZ tub. St Ives brand is owned by St. Ives Laboratories, Inc. (jfmdesign)

An iconic drugstore skin care product is under fire after two women filed lawsuits against St. Ives, claiming the product isn’t recommended by dermatologists as the brand claims.

According to Slate, Kaylee Browning and Sarah Bastile filed the lawsuit against St. Ives parent company Unilever, for more than $5 million in the California Central District Court. They say the company claims the St. Ives Apricot Scrub is “dermatologist tested,” when dermatology research warns that crushed walnut shells, an ingredient in the product, can lead to breakout-causing inflammation and long-term damange.

According to Teen Vogue, experts have debated the benefits of physical exfoliants in recent years, with some preferring gentler chemical peels to potentially irritating face scrubs.

Unilever responded to Teen Vogue’s query with the following statement:

"As a general practice we do not comment on pending litigation. We can say that for over 30 years, consumers have loved and trusted the St. Ives brand to refresh and revitalize their skin. We are proud to be America’s top facial scrub brand and stand by our dermatologist tested formula.”