Estée Lauder Talc

Estée Lauder Talc & Asbestos Exposure

Estée Lauder is a major American cosmetics company founded in New York City in 1946 by Estée Lauder and her husband Joseph Lauder. Although it began by selling just four products, the company now owns over 25 major cosmetics brands, including Clinique, Bobbi Brown, MAC, Too Faced, and more. It operates in 150 countries.

Like many cosmetic manufacturers, Estée Lauder historically used talc in many of its products due to the mineral’s moisture-absorbing and smoothing properties. However, a large percentage of talc is at risk of asbestos contamination. 

Companies like Estée Lauder have been aware of these risks for decades, but continued to use asbestos-contaminated talc in their products, despite the known risks to employees, end-users, and consumers.

Estée Lauder has been named in multiple lawsuits surrounding asbestos-contaminated talc products. Although the company has reportedly reformulated or discontinued some of its talc products in response to the dangers they present, it has not announced a date by which talc use will be uniformly discontinued across all product lines.

Dangers of Asbestos-Contaminated Talc Products

Asbestos is a family of six minerals that share similar properties and structures. Although all varieties of asbestos are highly toxic and carcinogenic, some varieties are known to be more dangerous than others. 

Unfortunately, the types of asbestos most commonly found in proximity to talc deposits, tremolite and anthophyllite asbestos, are members of the amphibole asbestos family, which is known to present significantly higher risks than other varieties.

When asbestos particles are inhaled or ingested, they become lodged in body tissues, causing scarring, irritation, and genetic damage that can lead to severe illnesses decades after exposure.

Diseases Caused by Asbestos Exposure:

• Mesothelioma
• Lung cancer
• Ovarian cancer
• Asbestosis
• Pleural thickening
• Pleural plaques
• Pleural effusions
• Other forms of cancer

Financial Compensation From Estée Lauder 

Estée Lauder has never declared bankruptcy and does not have an asbestos trust fund to compensate victims. Family members and individuals who have sustained an asbestos-related injury due to Estée Lauder’s products or activities are still eligible to pursue compensation by filing a lawsuit.

Victims seeking lawsuit compensation from Estée Lauder have two primary options:

• Personal injury lawsuit: Allows living victims of asbestos exposure to seek compensation for their losses.
• Wrongful death lawsuit: Allows the dependents or family members of deceased asbestos exposure victims to recover damages for the loss of their loved one.

Due to the widespread use of asbestos across many industries as well as the complexity of asbestos-related supply chains, many victims are eligible to pursue compensation from multiple negligent manufacturers. 

An experienced asbestos attorney can help you track down all of the companies potentially responsible for your exposure, allowing you to hold them accountable while pursuing maximum compensation.

Your attorney can also help you explore other potential sources of financial recovery, including:

• Benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
• Workers’ compensation
• Treatment grants 

Asbestos Lawsuits Against Estée Lauder 

Like many negligent asbestos product manufacturers, Estée Lauder has a long history of settling claims out of court for undisclosed sums in an effort to better protect their brand reputation and prevent precedent-setting legal victories for victims. 

However, victims have filed successful lawsuits against the brand, with more choosing to do so every day.

Victoria Pawlowski 

When Victoria Pawlowski was diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma, she filed suit against Estée Lauder, Avon, and L’Oreal. Her claim stated that her asbestos exposure came from decades of using talc-based cosmetics. 

Estée Lauder attempted to have the case dismissed on statute of limitations grounds but was rejected, allowing the claim to proceed.

Hannah Fletcher

Hannah Fletcher was a lifelong user of Estée Lauder cosmetic products and powders, particularly their Youth-Dew and Clinique products. When she was diagnosed with mesothelioma, she knew the company needed to be held accountable. 

Although the company attempted to have the case dismissed, the New York Supreme Court allowed the case to proceed. It is still ongoing.

Asbestos-Containing Products Used at Estée Lauder 

Although Estée Lauder did not specifically manufacture asbestos products, many of their popular cosmetics contained asbestos-contaminated talc, severely endangering thousands of users globally. 

Although the multinational company has claimed to have reformulated or discontinued many of its dangerous historical talc products, it has not yet made any specific commitments regarding the full discontinuation of talc. 

Asbestos-contaminated Estée Lauder products:

• Clinique face powder
• Cool Spray Bath Powder
• Youth-Dew Translucent Face Powder
• Youth-Dew Translucent Powder Base
• Other Youth-Dew brand powders

Occupations At-Risk

Estée Lauder products were widely used in salons and sold at department stores and other major retailers. Not only did these contaminated talc products endanger the factory workers who produced them, but they also put many professionals in the cosmetics industry, as well as thousands of consumers, at risk of significant asbestos exposure.

High-risk groups and professions:

• Cosmetics manufacturers
• Cosmetics store personnel
• Cosmetologists
• Factory workers
• Freight workers
• Makeup artists
• Models
• Home users

In addition to those directly impacted through occupational exposure, secondary or “take-home” exposure also presents serious risks to the family members and loved ones of workers who often unknowingly brought the dangerous mineral home on their hair, skin, or clothing.

Get Help Today 

Consumers have the right to know when a product could harm them. Unfortunately, major manufacturers like Estée Lauder denied their customers the opportunity to make informed decisions regarding their asbestos-contaminated talc products. Even now, many companies continue to deny or hide potentially dangerous talc-related activities.

If Estée Lauder’s contaminated talc products have injured you or someone you love, you don’t have to face the consequences alone. Experienced mesothelioma attorneys, like the ones at our partner firm Meirowitz & Wasserberg, are waiting to help guide you through the complexities of asbestos litigation and pursue the maximum compensation you are due.

Their team has decades of combined experience in the asbestos litigation field, a critical necessity when handling the unique challenges of asbestos talc cases. 
Don’t wait to get help. Qualified claimants can receive compensation packages of over $1 million.

Get a free case assessment from one of our partners today and find out how much your case could be worth.

Written & Legally Reviewed By

Daniel Wasserberg, Esq. Attorney and On-Site Legal Advocate

Daniel Wasserberg was a New York metropolitan area “Super Lawyer Rising Star” from 2013 to 2018 (attorneys under age 40), and a Super Lawyer in 2019. In 2017, Daniel was named a “Top 100 Civil Litigator” by the National Trial Lawyers organization. This recognition is rarely awarded to attorneys under the age of 40. Daniel is proud to call himself a Trial Lawyer, and is often asked to speak at gatherings of the nation’s leading attorneys, from both sides of the bar.

Learn More