L’Oreal explores options for chemical-related liabilities

L'Oréal, the global cosmetics giant, is facing a potential financial and legal storm over allegations that its hair relaxer products may cause cancer in women. According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, the company has enlisted restructuring advisers Weil Gotshal & Manges and investment bank Ducera Partners to explore options for addressing the mounting US legal liabilities.

As of June 30, there are about 760 pending US lawsuits, up from approximately 620 at the end of 2025, alleging the talc-containing products caused illness. L'Oréal strongly contests these claims, stating it is confident in the safety of its products.

In a bid to mitigate the risks, the company is considering moving tort liabilities into a separate corporate entity, which could be sold to an outside investor. This move, similar to Honeywell's divestiture of asbestos liabilities, would allow L'Oréal to separate its exposure from its core operating businesses. Alternatively, the company is exploring a sale of liabilities akin to the one Honeywell executed last year, where the corporation offloaded specific asbestos liabilities to Delticus, a corporate liability acquisition platform.

The talc litigation has proven to be a significant financial burden for Johnson & Johnson, costing the company billions over a decade. Other companies, such as Avon Products, have also turned to Chapter 11 proceedings to address their debt and talc-related liabilities. In July, Johnson & Johnson announced it would pay an estimated $5.5 billion to resolve tens of thousands of lawsuits alleging its talc products caused ovarian cancer.