Lip Balm to the Stars Hit With Class-Action Lawsuit

When Rachael Cronin's lips became dry and coarse, she began to apply even more of her gluten-free EOS lip balm "to achieve the results of becoming 'sensationally smooth'" as the packaging promised, only to discover that her lips "began severely cracking on the edges, causing flaking and bleeding from the cracks." The rashes and blistering became so bad she sought medical care a few days later, according to the class-action lawsuit she has subsequently filed against the brand, an acronym for "evolution of smooth." EOS brought the ubiquitous balm to market in 2009 and claims more than 1.3 million followers on Instagram, reports BuzzFeed. According to the suit, which can be read in its entirety on Scribd, Cronin's symptoms lasted 10 days and caused her "severe shock and panic."

Cronin attorney Mark Geragos writes that there could be hundreds of thousands of users affected similarly, and he's not only seeking damages but also asking that the company address his client's concerns. EOS, which is linked to some of the biggest names in the business, including Miley Cyrus and Kim Kardashian, writes in a statement to Time that "this lawsuit is without merit" and adds: "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." Comments on BuzzFeed are largely unsympathetic toward Cronin, questioning why someone with an allergic reaction thinks it's OK to sue because of it. (This woman won a disability payout for WiFi sensitivity.)