Welcome to our column, “Hi, quick question,“Where we investigate seemingly random occurrences in the fashion and beauty industries.
Ever since I started doing my own laundry, I’ve been a tidal girl. It’s what my parents used and what I’ve been told makes my clothes cleaner. But when I became a beauty editor after college, I started to look decidedly edgy be fond of Laundry detergent in the mail for free, the kind they don’t sell at my corner bodega. (The “free” part was especially significant on my junior editor salary.) I was hooked.
The “clean” ingredients promised to be “dermatologically tested,” which is what I decided I needed even though I didn’t suffer from any skin conditions like eczema. I ignored my dad who said he was probably barely cleaning my clothes and became a bit of detergent. after years and Washing machine My favorite detergent for washing my “nicer” items remains, those from Aritzia and Reformation that I’m supposed to hand wash but never do. Tell everyone about the brand Release wrinkle, which I apply to all of my wrinkled clothes instead of using a steamer, as well as a home spray that freshens linens between washes. But this week, my world fell apart.
On Thursday, The Laundress issued a shocking statement Instagram And for him website It states, “This Safety Notice is to inform you to immediately stop using all The Laundress products in your possession. We have identified the possibility of elevated levels of bacteria in some of our products which are safety concerns.”
Um what?!
The statement continued that the company is “not aware of any negative health effects related to this issue” and will “communicate an update on the affected products and how to obtain compensation or replacement as soon as possible.” Comments quickly poured in, with people on Instagram begging for more information on both the health and reimbursement concerns.
“This really requires more information and clarity, batch numbers, detail,” writes influencer Nicolette Mason, who said she’s immunocompromised and uses the brand because of its ingredients.
It is important to note that The Laundress is no longer the small startup company it was in 2004 when it was launched. Founders Gwen Whiting and Lindsey Boyd They sold their company to Unilever in 2019 for a mentioned $100 million. Fans of the brand, which has 136k users on Instagram alone, want more than “beyond obscurity” (according to another comment). Others on Instagram have disputed these criticisms, noting that the brand is doing its due diligence to alert customers as quickly as possible. One customer wrote: “Stop using product as instructed until they provide an update. Don’t tarnish a generally reputable company over one incident.”
Although all products are marked “out of stock” on The Laundress’s website, they are still for sale. Amazon.
On Friday, The Laundress updated its website with more information in an FAQ format. Under the question about “elevated levels of bacteria,” the site states: “Bacteria identified in product testing are called ‘opportunistic’ pathogens, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which occurs naturally in water and soil. At detected levels, these types of bacteria can That bacteria pose a risk of infection.”
Unfortunately, this means that those with “weakened immune systems or external medical devices are at risk of developing serious infections that may require medical treatment.”
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The brand continues to recommend that anyone with a “weakened immune system” rewash their bedding, clothing, surfaces, dishes — anything The Laundress’s dozens of products have touched — with another detergent. I don’t have these concerns but I can imagine this would be very confusing for those who do, especially parents with young children using the Just for Baby line.
Tennessee-based beauty blogger Shelby Wilson In particular. After seeing The Laundress’s safety notice, she shared pictures of the rash on her face, neck, hands, and legs that started appearing last July. She can’t say with certainty that these rashes were caused directly by The Laundress’s products, but she told me via email that her skin “began to deteriorate” after receiving a $200-plus order in July.
“Itching continues,” she says. “Not only do I wash my clothes and my 20-month-old son’s clothes in detergent, but I also use them in his bedding. I’ve never put two or two together because I’ve used their products for so long without a reaction.” Wilson has been a devoted fan of The Laundress for seven years and has “purchased everything from cleaners, house sprays, and cleaning supplies” with no problem — until now.
Wilson suffers from eczema, which is why she bought The Laundress products in the first place. She’s currently using two topical medications prescribed by her dermatologist and hopes to do more testing now that she’s aware of the current safety concerns at The Laundress. “I’ve been reaching out to The Laundress via Instagram DMs just to share pictures of my skin since I placed my application in June,” she says. “I haven’t received a response yet. I know they plan to release details of the batches affected by this contamination, but I will remove my products regardless.”
I reached out to The Laundress representative as well as the brand’s customer service for more information. The rep directed me to the same safety notice and I received an automated email from customer service stating: “If you have been contacting us about the latest safety notice, we will send you an update on the affected products as soon as possible. If you have questions about your health, please contact your physician.”
While she is not mine Personnel Affairs Doctor, I contacted Dr. Sarina El-Maria, MD, dermatologist and co-founder of The Aramor skin care. She has more than 16 years of experience in dermatology and internal medicine. I first asked her to explain what “high levels of bacteria” meant in layman’s terms. “Companies routinely check their products for contaminants, bacteria, and other potential pathogens,” she says. “Elevated levels of bacteria mean that one or more types of bacteria have been identified above a predetermined threshold that is considered safe.”
She recommends throwing away any products that The Laundress ultimately says may contain Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria, even if you’re otherwise healthy. (According to the FAQ, The Laundress currently recommends holding onto bottles as proof of purchase.) “While Pseudomonas is a bacteria that can cause infections of the skin, lungs, or other body tissues, such infections are extremely rare in healthy individuals,” she says. . “However, individuals who are immunocompromised, have poorly controlled diabetes, or have any type of skin wound or skin break, should be aware that they are at increased risk for potential infection.”
Dr. El Maria recommends calling your doctor if you have any signs of infection, such as “skin redness, swelling, pain, fever, etc.”
How did this happen? per d. El Maria, “The pollution may come from a number of potential sources,” so we’ll just have to wait and see. “It appears The Laundress is taking appropriate precautions to screen for this and advise their clients accordingly,” she adds.
Fashionista will continue to update this article with any new developments. In the meantime, I’ll be listening to The Laundress and Dr. Maria’s recommendations and postpone the use of any of the brand’s products. Looks like I’m going to have to go back to being a girl from the Tides after all.
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