To view the PDF you will need Acrobat Reader, which may be downloaded from the Adobe site . For an official signed copy, please contact the Antitrust Documents Group . D.C. The consent decree, if approved by the court, would resolve the Department's competitive concerns and the lawsuit. These divestitures will protect competition in this marketplace.
Hair relaxers are beauty products used to straighten naturally curly hair.
According to the complaint, the proposed acquisition would have substantially lessened competition in the sale of women's hair relaxer kits sold through retail channels in the United States. L'Oreal and Carson compete directly in the production, marketing, and sale of hair relaxer kits, and are two of the nation's three largest producers of these products. The proposed consent decree requires L'Oreal and Carson to divest Carson's Gentle Treatment and Ultra Sheen brands and certain related assets. Carson acquired these brands from Johnson Products Co. Inc. in 1998. Soft Sheen sells women's hair relaxer kits through retail channels under the brand names Optimum Care , Alternatives and Frizz Free .