Arbonne International
October 28, 2026
SAN DIEGO, California - October 28, 2026
Arbonne International has been served with a second California Proposition 65 notice in just over two weeks, this one alleging that two more of its protein shakes and two of its greens and wellness drink products expose consumers to lead without the warnings state law requires.
The 60-day notice of violation, dated October 28, 2026, was sent by Environmental Research Center, Inc. (ERC), a San Diego-based nonprofit that brings private enforcement actions under California's Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986. The notice was mailed by certified mail to Arbonne International, LLC at its Irvine, California, and Greenwood, Indiana, addresses and to its registered agents, and was filed with the California Attorney General's Proposition 65 reporting system the same day.
The notice names four products as examples: FeelFit Pea Protein Shake Simply1 Vanilla Flavor, EssentialMeal Meal Replacement Protein Shake Vanilla Flavor, Arbonne GreenSynergy Elixir Citrus Flavor and Arbonne BeWell Superfood Greens Spirulina. ERC alleges that each contains lead. The group says the list "includes, but is not limited to" those items and that it may continue to investigate other products, which could result in further notices.
The filing follows an October 13 notice from the same organization that targeted four other Arbonne shake flavors, alleging lead in FeelFit Simply1 Chocolate, FeelFit Vanilla and EssentialMeal Coffee and both lead and cadmium in EssentialMeal Chocolate. The new notice extends the dispute beyond the shake line to Arbonne's GreenSynergy and BeWell greens products.
Proposition 65 requires businesses to give a clear and reasonable warning before exposing California consumers to chemicals the state lists as causing cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm. California listed lead as a developmental and reproductive toxicant in 1987 and as a carcinogen in 1992. According to the notice, the exposure comes from ingesting the products as directed, and the alleged violations have occurred every day since at least October 28, 2023.
ERC says it intends to file a private enforcement lawsuit in the public interest 60 days after the notice is effectively served, unless a public prosecutor first files and diligently pursues its own action. The group says it would prefer to resolve the matter through an enforceable written agreement under which Arbonne would reformulate the products or add warning labels, pay a civil penalty, and provide compliant warnings to California customers who bought the products in the past three years. A certificate of merit signed by ERC's in-house counsel states that he consulted with experts and believes there is a reasonable and meritorious case for a private action.
A Proposition 65 notice is an allegation, not a finding of wrongdoing, and no lawsuit had been filed as of the notice date. The notice does not announce a recall or claim that the products are unsafe at the levels found. It alleges only that required warnings are missing. Under the statute, civil penalties can reach $2,500 per violation per day.
Arbonne, headquartered in Irvine, California, sells plant-based skin care, cosmetics and nutrition products, including its FeelFit, EssentialMeal, GreenSynergy and BeWell lines, through a network of independent consultants.