Bloody Users File Class Action Lawsuit Against EOS Lip Balm

The ultra popular EOS Lip Balm, which appeared in many Christmas stockings this holiday season, is facing a new challenge, and this one is in court. A class action suit has been filed, and the plaintiffs are claiming that the popular beauty product caused serious damage to their lips and the skin around their mouths. EOS Lip Balm, which comes in colorful egg shaped cases and fun flavors, appeal to young girls and up, and are sold in shops including Target and chain pharmacies everywhere.

According to TMZ, EOS Lip Balm counts Britney Spears and Kim Kardashian as its brand ambassadors. Users have complained of blistering, bleeding, cracking skin, and a loss of pigmentation.

Rachael Cronin has filed the suit, claiming that her experience was horrible.

“Within hours of applying the balm, her lips felt like sandpaper, so she applied it again. She claims her lips started cracking, flaking and bleeding, creating blisters and rashes which lasted 10 days.”

Power lawyer Mark Geragos has filed this suit, looking for damages, and corrected advertising or formulation.

TMZ : EOS Lip Balm — Customers Say, 'We'll Give You Lip, In Court!!!' https://t.co/Xzislcs68K

— Ava Golightly (@AvaAssistant) January 13, 2016

The issue, according to dermatologists, can be the flavoring in addition to the beeswax base, which is an allergen to many people, according to Zi Zai Dermatology. The condition caused by these products is called Recurrent Lip Rash, or Cheilitis, according to Diana Hermann, an acupuncturist who is also board certified in Chinese medicine.

“The general condition of inflamed lips is called cheilitis and the symptoms can include lip swelling, redness, itchiness, stinging/burning, oozing, crusting, peeling, and/or flaking. Cheilitis can develop in patients with Crohn’s disease, it can develop after chronic sun damage (solar cheilitis) or it can result as an allergic reaction to certain drugs.”

More common is Cheilitis caused by allergic reactions to flavorings like Vanillin and mint (in several flavors of the EOS lip balm), as well as beeswax, which is the base of EOS lip balm.

“Cheilitis can also be caused by allergens or irritants and sometimes it takes a good deal of detective work to figure out what the underlying trigger is. Just so you are aware, there are far too many possible allergens and irritants that cause skin rashes for me to list all of them here. The rest of this post will cover the most common allergens and irritants that cause chronic or recurrent cheilitis and how to avoid them.”

If you have this reaction to EOS lip balm or any other product, the best thing to do is stop using them immediately, and after thoroughly cleaning your lips and skin with mild soap and warm water. Then apply something like Aquafor, which only has the ingredients of petroleum, jelly and water. Contact your doctor if you don’t see improvement, as you might need a steroid ointment.

Cosmetics websites and blogs have included complaints for over a year about EOS lip balms, including Monica Loves Makeup, which commented that the EOS lip balms belong in the trash. Monica loved her EOS, but it was not kind to her skin.

“I’m probably like everyone else because I loved EOS lip balms. However, a couple months ago I started to get VERY chapped lips. Of course, I kept applying EOS because I thought it would make it better. Not only were my lips chapped, but I had a lot of dryness around my mouth as well. I stopped using my EOS balms and used vaseline instead. It took a good month or two to completely heal up.”

Are you a fan of EOS Lip Balm? Have you had any bad reactions?

Editor’s note: the Inquisitr has received a statement from EOS as a response to the lawsuit.

“We firmly believe this lawsuit is without merit. Our products are made with the highest quality ingredients and meet or exceed all safety and quality standards set out by our industry and validated by rigorous testing conducted by an independent lab. The health and well-being of our customers is our top priority and millions of satisfied customers use our products every day, many of whom take the time to share their experiences with us.”

[Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images]