As we’re closing in on 2026, it has already happened countless times when brands and companies use the ingredients they shouldn’t have in their products and it has caused real harm to their users/customers. That’s just a fact of life right now, and that is pretty much what happened in the Grande Lash Lawsuit, where people sued a cosmetic brand by the name Grande Cosmetics for using ingredients in their lashes and brow growth products without even getting approval from the FDA.
Background of Grande Cosmetics and Its Products
For those who know little to nothing about Grande Cosmetics so far, well, just know that it was established in 2008 and grew famous for its lash and brow growth serums. Cosmetic products like GrandeLASH-MD and GrandeBROW were pitched as items that would help naturally enhance lashes and brows.
Just in a matter of few years, they were available through big retailers such as Sephora and Amazon. And from the very get-go, the brand markets their products with expressions like “clinically tested” and “safe for everyday use.” That’s why they grew so much in popularity, and sure enough, users of the products were generally happy for the most part.
How the Lawsuit Started
Well, at this point, you must be wondering like if all was good with them then why this lawsuit is in place, right? Well, the lawsuit was mainly about an ingredient named isopropyl cloprostenate (ICP). And? Just so you know, though, this chemical is almost like those in prescription drugs, which are used for treating glaucoma and for eyelash growth.
In 2011, the FDA sent a warning letter to other companies saying that ICP should not be included in cosmetics because it could behave as a drug and might cause side effects. And that is where the things kinda become messy for Grande Cosmetics because the complaint says that Grande Cosmetics, among other things, incorporated this chemical in its serums but did not warn its consumers properly nor did it ask for FDA approval.
Allegations Made Against Grande Cosmetics
The case brought before the court charged the company with false advertising and misbranding.
So far, the complainants say that this brand knew the risks behind the ingredients they were using in their products, but still, they went on to promote their serums as safe products and even knew that they knew that they were using these ingredients without the approval from the FDA.
And it is not like the customers became aware of this because some reports out there stated the negative side of these products, nah, there were several users who reported negative effects like eye irritation, swelling, redness, blurred vision, and changes in eye color. The debate was simple: any product that alters the way the body works, for instance by stimulating hair growth, can be, in fact, a drug and not a cosmetic from a legal perspective.
Legal Proceedings and Evidence
The case was largely built on the FDA’s previous warnings about ICP. The plaintiffs claimed that Grande Cosmetics, as a party that knowingly used such an ingredient, should have been aware of the possibility of getting in trouble with regulators, but they chose to do nothing about it at all.
The litigation shelved packaging and marketing strategy as almost exclusively directed to achieving beautiful lashes that are longer and thicker without warning clearly of side effects or restrictions. That was additional evidence that the products were claimed to produce changes in biological functions, and that’s a serious thing.
So far, even though this case has come to a settlement, the brand itself hasn’t accepted that it was in the wrong. Yes, there is this $6.25 million in a settlement to clear out the lawsuit in February 2024.
