Before making health and wellness claims about products, companies should make sure the claims they are asserting are accurate. Accurate does not mean that customers stand by the product and agree with the claims — the asserted claims must be backed by science. If companies are not careful, they could face a false advertising suit.

Let Gwyneth Paltrow’s health and wellness company, Goop, be a prime example of why companies should be wary about making health and wellness claims about their products without scientific evidence to support their claims.

Goop sold vaginal eggs and claimed that they balance hormones, regulate menstrual cycles and increase bladder controls.

That is until the Santa Clara District Attorney’s Office brought a lawsuit against Goop alleging that Goop’s claims about its vaginal eggs were not supported by competent and reliable science.

Goop claimed there was a disagreement but quickly settled the lawsuit and agreed to pay $145,000 in penalties. Goop is also offering refunds to those consumers who purchased the vaginal eggs and revised the claims it made concerning the vaginal eggs.

If you need help with advertising, Goodell DeVries can help. Contact Jim Astrachan at 410-783-3550 or jastrachan@gdldlaw.com and Kaitlin Corey at 410-783-3526 or kcorey@gdldlaw.com.