What is the CeraVe lawsuit about?

The lawsuits allege that benzoyl peroxide, the active acne-fighting ingredient in certain CeraVe and other acne products, can degrade and form benzene, a chemical that the plaintiffs say can build up under certain storage and temperature conditions. The plaintiffs claim consumers would not have bought the products, or would have paid less, had this been disclosed. These are unproven allegations.

CeraVe Benzene Lawsuit: L’Oréal Class Actions Over Acne Products

Q: What is benzoyl peroxide?

Benzoyl peroxide is a common over-the-counter active ingredient used to treat acne. It works by reducing acne-causing bacteria and helping clear pores, and it appears in many acne washes, cleansers, and spot treatments at concentrations such as 2.5%, 4%, 5%, and 10%.

Q: What is benzene?

Benzene is an industrial chemical that government agencies classify as a known human carcinogen at sufficient exposure levels. It is not intentionally added to acne products. The lawsuits allege benzene can form as a degradation byproduct of benzoyl peroxide under certain conditions. This article does not provide medical advice.

By Steve Levine

CeraVe benzene class action lawsuits over L’Oréal benzoyl peroxide acne products

Published: June 7, 2026

▼ Allegations Only · No Settlement Yet

This article describes proposed class action complaints. The statements below are unproven allegations. L’Oréal USA, Inc. has not been found liable, there is no certified class, and nothing to claim at this time. This page is informational, is not legal advice, and is not medical advice.

Status Lawsuits Filed — Allegations Only JPML denied MDL centralization Feb. 7, 2025 · cases proceed separately

Products at Issue Benzoyl peroxide acne products CeraVe and other acne treatments — not every CeraVe product

Can I Claim? No — no settlement or claim form yet

What Is the CeraVe Benzene Lawsuit About?

L’Oréal USA is facing six proposed consumer class action lawsuits over allegations that certain benzoyl peroxide acne products, including CeraVe acne products, may expose consumers to benzene. The lawsuits are still allegations, and no court has ruled that L’Oréal or CeraVe violated the law. As of this writing, there does not appear to be a CeraVe benzene settlement or claim form available.

The cases allege that benzoyl peroxide — the active acne-fighting ingredient in the products at issue — can degrade and form benzene, a chemical that government agencies classify as a known human carcinogen at sufficient exposure levels. The plaintiffs claim that benzene can build up inside these products under certain storage and temperature conditions, and that consumers would not have bought the products, or would have paid less, had this been disclosed. L’Oréal has not been found liable, and these allegations have not been proven in court.

Why Are There Six CeraVe/L’Oréal Benzene Lawsuits?

There are six separate lawsuits because different plaintiffs filed their own proposed class actions against L’Oréal USA in different federal courts. Each complaint makes broadly similar allegations about benzoyl peroxide acne products and benzene, but they were brought by different consumers and assigned to different judges.

Because the cases share common questions, parties asked the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) to consolidate them into a single multidistrict litigation (proposed as MDL No. 3141, In re: L’Oréal USA, Inc. Benzoyl Peroxide Marketing and Sales Practices Litigation). The JPML denied MDL centralization on February 7, 2025, finding that a small number of cases against a single defendant could be coordinated informally without a formal MDL. As a result, the lawsuits continue to move forward separately in their respective courts rather than as one combined proceeding.

Which Lawsuits Are Involved?

The table below lists the proposed class actions commonly grouped together in the L’Oréal benzoyl peroxide litigation. Case numbers and courts can change as cases are transferred, consolidated, or amended; always confirm the current docket through a primary court-record source.

Proposed class actions in the L’Oréal benzoyl peroxide / benzene litigation. Verify current status on CourtListener, Justia, or the JPML order list.
Case (Caption)	Case Number	Court
Snow v. L’Oréal USA, Inc.	1:24-cv-00110	U.S. District Court, S.D.N.Y.
Noakes v. L’Oréal USA, Inc.	1:24-cv-02735	U.S. District Court, S.D.N.Y.
Abednego v. L’Oréal USA, Inc.	1:24-cv-03998	U.S. District Court, S.D.N.Y.
O’Dea v. L’Oréal USA, Inc.	1:24-cv-08352	U.S. District Court, S.D.N.Y.
Grossenbacher v. L’Oréal USA, Inc.	1:25-cv-01497	U.S. District Court, S.D.N.Y.
Painter v. L’Oréal USA, Inc.	1:25-cv-03137	U.S. District Court, S.D.N.Y.

These are consumer class actions — they seek economic remedies (refunds, damages, and related relief) on a class-wide basis, rather than individual personal-injury claims. No class has been certified in any of them, and the proposed class definitions could be narrowed, expanded, or rejected by the courts.

Which CeraVe Products Are Mentioned?

The lawsuits involve benzoyl peroxide acne products, not every CeraVe product. The complaints focus on acne treatments whose active ingredient is benzoyl peroxide, including products such as the CeraVe Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser (sometimes searched as the CeraVe Acne Foaming Cream Wash) and other 4% and 10% benzoyl peroxide acne treatments.

CeraVe also sells a large range of moisturizers, hydrating cleansers, healing ointments, and sunscreens that do not contain benzoyl peroxide. Those products are not the subject of these benzene allegations. In short: the litigation targets the benzoyl peroxide acne line, and the broader claim that "all CeraVe products are unsafe" is not what these lawsuits allege.

What Is Benzoyl Peroxide?

Benzoyl peroxide is one of the most common over-the-counter acne treatments. It works by reducing acne-causing bacteria on the skin and helping to clear clogged pores, and it appears in many acne washes, cleansers, gels, and spot treatments at concentrations such as 2.5%, 4%, 5%, and 10%. It has been used in consumer acne products for decades and is generally available without a prescription.

What Is Benzene?

Benzene is an industrial chemical that government agencies, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer, classify as a known human carcinogen at sufficient exposure levels. Benzene is not intentionally added to acne products. The lawsuits allege that benzene can form as a degradation byproduct of benzoyl peroxide under certain conditions, such as elevated temperatures during storage. Whether, and to what degree, that occurs in real-world consumer use is disputed and has not been resolved by any court. This page does not offer medical advice; questions about personal health should go to a qualified healthcare professional.

What Did the FDA Say About Benzoyl Peroxide Acne Products?

Public attention to benzene in acne products grew after an independent laboratory, Valisure, filed a citizen petition in 2024 reporting that some benzoyl peroxide products could form benzene, especially when exposed to higher temperatures. The FDA subsequently conducted its own testing of benzoyl peroxide acne products.

According to the FDA, its testing found that more than 90% of tested benzoyl peroxide products had undetectable or extremely low benzene levels, and the agency identified only a limited number of specific products that warranted recall. The FDA characterized the issue as limited rather than industry-wide. The plaintiffs in the class actions and L’Oréal dispute the significance of the testing and what it means for the products at issue; those disagreements are part of what the litigation will address.

The CeraVe cases are not the first acne litigation to grow out of this testing. A related case over a competing acne brand has already reached a settlement — see the Differin acne product class action settlement, which offers about $9 per product with no proof required for up to three products. For the wider picture of how benzoyl peroxide and benzene allegations are moving through the courts, our overview of acne products class actions and benzoyl peroxide cancer-risk claims tracks the cases as they develop.

Is There a CeraVe Benzene Settlement or Claim Form?

No. No CeraVe benzene settlement or claim form has been announced as of this writing. The lawsuits are at the pleading stage, no class has been certified, and there is nothing to claim. If a settlement is ever reached and approved by a court, a settlement administrator would be appointed and the only legitimate filing instructions would appear on an official, court-approved settlement website.

Because high-profile consumer cases attract scams, be cautious with any text, email, or website that tells you to "file a CeraVe benzene claim" today, asks for a fee, or requests sensitive financial information. A real claim is free, and there is no claim form for these cases right now. OpenClassActions.com will publish a dedicated settlement page if and when a court-approved resolution opens claims.

CeraVe Benzene Lawsuit FAQs

▼ Is the CeraVe benzene lawsuit real?

Yes. L’Oréal USA faces several proposed consumer class action lawsuits alleging that certain benzoyl peroxide acne products, including CeraVe acne products, may expose consumers to benzene. The lawsuits are allegations only and have not been proven in court.

▼ Why is CeraVe being sued?

The lawsuits allege that benzoyl peroxide, the active ingredient in certain CeraVe acne products, can degrade and form benzene under certain conditions, and that consumers were not told about this. These are unproven allegations against L’Oréal USA, the company behind CeraVe.

▼ Why are there six CeraVe lawsuits?

Different plaintiffs filed separate proposed class actions against L’Oréal USA in different federal courts. The JPML denied MDL centralization on February 7, 2025, so the cases proceed separately rather than as one combined multidistrict litigation.

▼ Which CeraVe products are named?

The lawsuits focus on benzoyl peroxide acne products, such as CeraVe Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser and other 4% and 10% benzoyl peroxide acne treatments — not every CeraVe product. CeraVe’s many non-benzoyl-peroxide moisturizers, cleansers, and sunscreens are not the subject of these benzene allegations.

▼ Is there a CeraVe benzene settlement?

No. No CeraVe benzene settlement or claim form has been announced as of this writing. No class has been certified and there is nothing to claim at this time.

▼ Can I file a CeraVe claim form?

No. There is no claim form for these cases right now. If a settlement is reached and approved, official filing instructions would appear on a court-approved settlement website. Be wary of any site asking you to "file a CeraVe claim" today or requesting a fee.

▼ Does this lawsuit involve all CeraVe products?

No. The lawsuits involve benzoyl peroxide acne products, not every CeraVe product. Many CeraVe moisturizers, cleansers, and sunscreens do not contain benzoyl peroxide and are not part of these benzene allegations.

▼ What is benzoyl peroxide?

Benzoyl peroxide is a common over-the-counter acne treatment that reduces acne-causing bacteria and helps clear pores. It appears in many acne washes, cleansers, and spot treatments at concentrations such as 2.5%, 4%, 5%, and 10%.

▼ What is benzene?

Benzene is an industrial chemical classified by government agencies as a known human carcinogen at sufficient exposure levels. It is not intentionally added to acne products; the lawsuits allege it can form as a degradation byproduct of benzoyl peroxide under certain conditions. This is not medical advice.

▼ Where can I find the court docket?

The cases are public federal court filings. You can look them up by case number on free court-record tools such as CourtListener and Justia, or through the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation order list. Case numbers and courts are listed in the docket table on this page.

Where to Find the Court Dockets

The lawsuits are public records. To verify the current status of any case in the table above, search by case number on a primary court-record source:

• CourtListener — free federal docket search.
• Justia Dockets — free case lookup by number and party.
• U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation — orders, including the Feb. 7, 2025 denial of MDL No. 3141.

Related Benzene & Acne Class Actions

Benzene has driven a wave of consumer class actions across personal-care categories. A few related OpenClassActions.com reports:

• Acne Products Class Actions: Benzoyl Peroxide Cancer-Risk Claims — the broader picture of benzoyl peroxide and benzene litigation, including the products and brands under scrutiny.
• Differin Acne Product Class Action Settlement — about $9 per product, no proof required for up to three products; claim deadline May 19, 2026.
• IGK Dry Shampoo Benzene Class Action Settlement — an $850K benzene settlement over dry shampoo, another product category where benzene was detected.
• Suave / Unilever Benzene Class Action Lawsuit — benzene allegations over aerosol antiperspirant products.