Soft Lips and Company Slips: The Lip Oil Industry’s Direct Neglect of Nut Allergies
I, like many other young females, have recently fallen victim to Hailey Bieber’s popular skincare brand, Rhode. After raving reviews and positive social media feedback, I caved, and I purchased her peptide lip treatment, hoping to have the plump, glazed lips featured in the multitude of advertisements. Once I received the package in the mail, I was giddy and extremely eager to try the “dreamy formula” that Rhode claims to provide. Soon, my lips swelled, and I was uncontrollably itchy on the lower portion of my face.
As someone who has had nut allergies her entire life, I knew I checked, and rechecked, and rechecked that ingredient list, scanning for any potential nut oils. There must be something I was missing. Maybe I was developing new allergies? Fortunately, no new allergies here. Instead, what exists is Rhode’s outright neglect for those with nut allergies via the concealing of their tree nut ingredients.
Rhode uses orbignya oleifera seed oil, or a “plant based oil from babussa nuts helps prevent moisture loss” according to their website. No allergy notice was provided on the packaging, nor was this available on their site. Not only was the “nut” oil concealed via a more official, scientific name, but it also took some extensive digging to even encounter the full ingredient list in the first place, as the site first has a “KEY INGREDIENTS” dropdown that only highlights shea butter, peptides, cupaçu, and babassu. So, a prospective customer with nut allergies would have to not only click on key ingredients, but also then actively seek out full ingredients, only to be met with a list of scientific terms that do not directly indicate any potential harm. However, this consumer would once again have to actively click on each individual hyperlinked ingredient and reach “orbignya oleifera seed oil” before they would even discover the true nature of the tree nut oil in this product. By making the ingredients hard to access and hard to comprehend, Bieber is demonstrating direct neglect and clear lack of any reasonable care for those with nut allergies. Packaged in 10ml tubes, these peptide lip treatments are licensed to kill, and I, myself, will ensure to never fund this company or their products ever again.
At first, I was hesitant to compose this article or even write a review, as I thought this was a mistake on my part for not clicking on every single ingredient, thereby not being truly careful enough with my allergies and my makeup products. However, it wasn’t until I opened my phone to TikTok when I realized this Rhode carelessness was not just plaguing me.
I recently came across a viral TikTok from user @gourdlord with the caption “give your customers with allergies a warning, ESPECIALLY nuts bffr @rhode @haileybieber #rhodeskin.” Receiving 3.1 million views, this video expresses how this user broke out in an allergic reaction all over her face after purchasing and testing the Rhode peptide lip treatment. Like me, @gourdlord read the ingredients, and was blissfully unaware that orbignya oleifera seed oil was synonymous with tree nuts before trying the lip product. After hives appeared and itchiness set in, @gourdlord made this video to call out Hailey Beiber and Rhode for not putting any nut allergy warnings, and I could not agree more.
Let me state this clearly. It should not have to take an allergic reaction for a user to realize their lip product contains nuts. It should say “this product contains nuts” clearly on the packaging to avoid any harm to nut allergy users. It should not take three to four clicks to access true ingredients.
I can confidently speak for myself (and honestly also for these other users) when I say that my “dreamy formula” does not conceal harmful and potentially deadly ingredients just to make another sale. This is a shameful marketing tactic that outright omits the expression of allergen details for the economic benefit of a company, and it is embarrassing, unsettling, and vile. In all reality, it is also illogical, as one $16 lip treatment is not worth an entire lawsuit, as suggested by @gourdlord’s comment section, nor does it merit the pain and potential death of naive users.
Although, Rhode is not the only skincare company I have personally discovered to neglect and conceal allergy information on their lip oils. Clarins’ Lip Comfort Oil Hydrating and Plumping Lip Oil is another product that demonstrates extreme disregard for the nut allergy community. Marketed as a “nourishing lip oil enriched with a trio of plant oils” and winning the Allure 2023 Best of Beauty Award, the Clarins lip oil fails to outright state that their product contains nuts. Like Rhode, a potential consumer must click on the “ingredients” dropdown, only to be met with a long list of scientific names that do not inherently seem harmful. Unlike Rhode, Clarins fails to even have the decency to offer hyperlinked ingredients to reveal the true nature of their products. Upon some digging, the ingredient listed as “CORYLUS AVELLANA (HAZEL) SEED OIL” is actually hazelnut oil, and it has the ability to cause allergic reactions in those with tree nut allergies.
Not only is this completely hidden in the ingredient list and behind an incomprehensible name, but it is hidden within the product description as well. If a prospective customer clicks on the “What it is” dropdown on the lip oil’s site, users will be met with appealing aspects of the product, including its applicability to all skin types, its wearability for all occasions, and its beneficial skincare effects. It is only when an individual actively clicks “see more” that they are met with the detail of “Hazelnut oil help to nourish.” It is not in bold, nor does it serve as any sort of warning; it is simply a concealed ingredient that Clarins actively hid behind a “see more” tab to ensure sales even if consumers have tree nut allergies, and it is despicable.
Also, keep in mind that I am discussing prospective customers with nut allergies looking to purchase these products online. Clarins’ lip oil is also sold in stores in Sephora and Ulta, where the hidden dropdown menus and lack of warnings are dwindled down into miniscule letters that fail to provide any acknowledgement of food allergy concerns.
Again, let me state this clearly. It should not have to take an allergic reaction for a user to realize their lip product contains nuts. It should say “this product contains nuts” clearly on the packaging to avoid any harm to nut allergy users. It should not take three to four clicks to access true ingredients, nor should the tree nut be hidden behind its scientific name.
Again, I can confidently speak for myself when I say that my “best of beauty” does not conceal harmful and potentially deadly ingredients just to make another sale. Sorry, Allure, but next time, please also consider the lives that were endangered by clear company disregard for food allergy safety.
Over one year ago, I wrote a piece to begin a conversation of allergy policies within the makeup industry, and, regrettably, I now express that no progress has been made. Rhode and Clarins are only the two examples I have personally interacted with, and, lamentably, I am sure there are more. I beg these companies to stop concealing allergy information, hiding behind multiple clicks or official ingredient names to deceive consumers into believing they are safe. I beg these companies to remember that the lives of over 4 million Americans with tree nut allergies and 6 million Americans with peanut allergies are worth much more than their sales. It is time we stop puckering up and they start fessing up.
