CeraVe and its parent company, L’Oréal, are defending six consolidated class action lawsuits in the United States over allegations that some of the brand’s benzoyl peroxide acne treatment products can generate unsafe levels of benzene, a chemical recognised as a human carcinogen. The cases, now before the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, remain unresolved in 2026, with plaintiffs accusing the companies of failing to adequately warn consumers about potential risks associated with certain acne formulations.
The litigation stems from claims that benzoyl peroxide, a common active ingredient used to treat acne, may degrade into benzene when exposed to elevated temperatures during storage or regular use. The lawsuits specifically identify CeraVe Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser and Acne Foaming Cream Wash among the products at issue, alleging that testing detected benzene concentrations above the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s recommended conditional limit for drug products. Benzene has long been associated with an increased risk of serious blood cancers, including several forms of leukaemia.
Brandspur Banking News Desk understands that the legal dispute began in March 2024 after independent testing laboratory Valisure published findings claiming benzoyl peroxide-based acne treatments from several manufacturers could form benzene under certain storage conditions. The report triggered multiple lawsuits across different U.S. states, with consumers alleging that manufacturers failed to carry out sufficient stability testing and did not provide adequate safety warnings before marketing the products.
The first complaint was filed by a Hawaii resident in March 2024, before similar lawsuits emerged in Louisiana, Missouri, Illinois and New York. Although plaintiffs initially sought to centralise the litigation in Hawaii, a federal judicial panel declined that request in early 2025. By May that year, all six cases had been transferred to the Southern District of New York, where they have been consolidated for coordinated pre-trial proceedings and remain active as of mid-2026.
Plaintiffs are pursuing claims that include alleged violations of consumer protection laws, negligent misrepresentation, fraud by omission and unjust enrichment. L’Oréal has denied wrongdoing and continues to contest the allegations as the legal process moves forward.
The controversy also prompted regulatory scrutiny in the United States. Following its own review in 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration tested 95 benzoyl peroxide acne treatment products from various manufacturers. The agency reported that more than 90 per cent of the products contained either undetectable or extremely low levels of benzene, with only a small number of products from several companies being voluntarily recalled.
Importantly, CeraVe products were not among those recalled, and U.S. health authorities have not advised consumers to stop using the brand’s wider skincare range. The FDA has instead recommended that benzoyl peroxide products be stored at room temperature and protected from excessive heat to minimise the possibility of benzene formation over time.
For consumers in Nigeria, the legal action is limited to specific benzoyl peroxide acne treatments and does not affect CeraVe’s broader line of ceramide-based cleansers, moisturisers and skincare products that are widely sold through authorised pharmacies and retailers. Popular products such as the brand’s Facial Moisturising Lotion remain available, while the ongoing U.S. litigation has not resulted in a general safety warning covering the entire CeraVe product portfolio.
The outcome of the court proceedings is expected to be closely watched by regulators, manufacturers and consumers alike, as it could influence future testing standards, product labelling requirements and safety expectations for benzoyl peroxide-based skincare products across global markets. Until the courts reach a final decision, the allegations against L’Oréal and CeraVe remain unproven.
