CeraVe faces 6 lawsuits over Benzene, cancer causing carcinogen found in acne cream

CeraVe and its parent company, L’Oréal, are facing at least six class-action lawsuits after revealing that certain products contain benzoyl peroxide (BPO) that degrades into benzene, a known human carcinogen.

The legal suit was filed in March 2024 following an independent laboratory report by Valisure alleging that products including “CeraVe Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser” and “La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo” are inherently unstable.

The lawsuit claims that when these BPO-based products are put in high temperatures, such as standard human body temperature or warm bathroom storage conditions, the benzoyl peroxide can break down and form benzene at levels “hundreds of times” above the FDA’s conditional limit of 2 parts per million.

Hawaii resident Jennifer Snow filed the lawsuit in the federal court, alleging that L’Oréal failed to warn consumers prior to conducting comprehensive testing to prevent this contamination.

Nevertheless, L'Oréal continues its opposition to a consolidation motion in a multidistrict litigation, although the case is scheduled for discussion on January 30 in Miami by the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation.

People who have been using this product for a long time should consider checking storage guidelines, consulting a doctor, and checking for any possible FDA recalls.

Which cancer can benzene cause?

Benzene is widely identified as a human carcinogen and is linked to causing blood cancer. It directly damages DNA by disrupting normal cell function in the bone marrow. Additionally, medical and scientific evidence proves that benzene exposure can cause acute myeloid leukaemia, acute lymphocytic leukaemia, and chronic lymphocytic leukaemia.