California woman sues Sephora, says she contracted herpes from lipstick sample
Cydney Henderson
A California woman says she contracted herpes from a lipstick sample at Sephora and is warning makeup fanatics about the danger of test tube cosmetics. She's also suing the makeup giant.
Elena Davoyan says she tested a "common use" sampler at a Los Angeles location back in October 2015 and was diagnosed with oral herpes shortly after, the New York Daily News reported.
She says she never had herpes or cold sores prior to visiting the store.
Davoyan wants $25,000 from Sephora for emotional distress over the "incurable lifelong affliction," in addition to liability, negligence and intentional infliction, according to court documents retrieved by the Daily News.
The lawsuit filed by lawyer Robert Kransey argues the cosmetic store encourages communal lipsticks with various displays and fails to warn customers of the dangers of using them.
Davoyan adds that Sephora does not have adequate practices in place to avoid herpes exposure, in comparison to other stores that offer "lipstick wands or swabs."
"The bottom line is that (there) are numerous simple solutions to prevent the spreading of diseases through lipstick testers, and that is Sephora’s responsibility," the lawsuit reads.
In response, Sephora says customer safety is their first concern.
"The health and safety of our clients is our foremost priority. We take product hygiene very seriously and we are dedicated to following best practices in our stores," the company told the Daily News.
Dr. Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease specialist from Johns Hopkins University, told Live Science that although it is possible for someone to contract herpes from a lipstick, it is not common.
Adalja said it’s more likely that a person already had the virus before coming to the store because it is "such a common and unavoidable infection."
An estimated 67 percent of people under the age of 50 have the herpes simplex virus type 1 worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.
Once exposed, a person has the virus for the rest of their life.
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