L'Oréal explores offloading US chemical liabilities

L'Oréal is exploring options to offload legal liabilities tied to chemical products in the United States, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal on October 5, 2026. The French cosmetics maker is working with law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges and investment bank Ducera Partners to evaluate strategies for managing the litigation exposure.

The company faces an increasing volume of claims in the United States alleging asbestos contamination in its talc products. As of June 30, 2026, L'Oréal had 760 pending talc proceedings, up from 620 proceedings recorded at the end of December 2025.

Talc litigation has placed heavy legal pressure across the consumer goods sector. By comparison, Johnson & Johnson proposed a 5.5 billion dollar settlement in July 2026 to resolve claims after three previous attempts by a subsidiary to resolve the matters through Chapter 11 bankruptcy were dismissed by courts.