FDA Information for Consumers About WEN by Chaz Dean Cleansing Conditioners

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FDA previously announced that it is conducting an investigation of adverse event reports for WEN by Chaz Dean Cleansing Conditioner products, including reports of hair loss, hair breakage, balding, itching and rash. FDA has received and continues to receive reports of adverse events, as the investigation is still ongoing. In the course of its investigations, the FDA is looking at all sources of information, in order to better understand the consumer reports of adverse events. There are many potential causes of hair loss, including, for example, certain illnesses, medications, hormonal changes, rapid weight loss or gain, anemia, and high-stress life events, and these factors are being taken into account as the FDA continues to investigate these reports. If you experience hair loss, you should contact your healthcare provider. As with any cosmetic product, if you experience an adverse event that you think may be related to use of WEN by Chaz Dean Cleansing Conditioner, you should also cease using the product and report the event to the FDA.

<< Statement on FDA Investigation of WEN by Chaz Dean Cleansing Conditioners

The FDA is informing consumers about reports of reactions reported to be associated with WEN by Chaz Dean Cleansing Conditioners. The following information describes what the FDA knows about these products, what we’ve done, what we can do, and what consumers can do if they have a reaction.

What kinds of reactions have people reported to the FDA?

People have primarily reported hair loss, hair breakage, balding, itching, and rash.

How many reports has the FDA received?

Up to November 15, 2016, the FDA has received 1,386 reports from consumers. When the FDA inspected the manufacturing and distribution facilities for these products, we learned that consumers had reported reactions in more than 21,000 complaints submitted to Chaz Dean, Inc. and Guthy Renker LLC, the companies that market and manufacture the products. The law does not require cosmetic companies to share their safety information, including consumer complaints, with the FDA, nor does the law require mandatory reporting of adverse events to the FDA.

Have these reports named specific varieties?

The reports all mention use of WEN by Chaz Dean Cleansing Conditioners, although some also mention using them along with other WEN products.

The product line includes several varieties of cleansing conditioners. Guthy Renker stated that since 2011, at least 66 percent of all reports specifically about hair loss have named the Sweet Almond Mint variety. The following varieties were named most often in reported reactions:

Sweet Almond Mint- 5,689 complaints
Lavender- 2,537 complaints
Pomegranate – 1,542 complaints

Does the FDA know what caused the reactions?

No. We don’t have enough information to determine the cause of these reported reactions. As stated above, the law does not require cosmetic companies to share their safety data or consumer complaints with the FDA. The complaints that have come directly to the FDA have not provided enough information to determine why some consumers experienced reactions when they used these products.

What is the FDA doing about these reports?

On January 17, 2014, the FDA sent separate letters to owners and officials at Chaz Dean and Guthy Renker LLC. In the letter, the FDA asked for the following information:

Data on reports of hair loss and breakage
Manufacturing locations
What the firm had done to find out what caused hair loss and other reported problems
Quality control procedures for evaluating product ingredients
Any formulation changes that may relate to the reports.

The companies responded in writing on February 18, 2014. The responses they provided did not address the association between WEN by Chaz Dean Cleansing Conditioners and hair loss.

Since receiving the companies’ responses, we have conducted inspections of the manufacturing and distribution sites of WEN by Chaz Dean Cleansing Conditioners, and have had further discussions with the companies about safety data for their products, as well as what steps they have taken to address the complaints they have received. The FDA is in communication with the companies as part of an ongoing investigation.

What should consumers do if they have a reaction?

While the FDA continues this investigation, we are asking physicians and other health care providers to advise their patients about these reports and to contact the FDA if they have patients who have experienced such problems. Additionally we encourage consumers to be cautious if using WEN by Chaz Dean Cleansing Conditioner products, especially if they notice problems such as hair loss, balding, itching, rash or other reactions. If you have a reaction, stop using the product and contact your health care provider. Then, please tell the FDA about the incident.

You can report a reaction online or by phone:

Contact the FDA’s MedWatch reporting system, either online or by phone at 1-800-FDA-1088.
Contact your nearest FDA district office consumer complaint coordinator.

When you report your problem to the FDA, please provide as much detail as possible about the specific product you used and your reaction. The more we learn about WEN products and the reported problems, the better we can determine the cause and if the FDA can take action under the laws we enforce.

What kind of action can the FDA take?

The FDA can take action against cosmetics on the market that don’t comply with the law, including cosmetics that are adulterated or misbranded. In some cases we can work with the Department of Justice to seize a product, in order to keep it off the market. While we can’t order a recall of a cosmetic, we can request one and work with companies to make sure their recalls are effective.

However, even with what we know so far about this product, including the adverse events, we are unable to determine that the product does not comply with the law. To learn more, see FDA Authority Over Cosmetics.