On March 11, 2025, the FDA said it was alerting the public and industry to the results of new agency testing of 95 acne products containing benzoyl peroxide for possible benzene contamination. The agency said limited voluntary recalls were being initiated after its testing found some products contained benzene at levels of concern.

A class action complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana alleges that certain CeraVe acne products containing benzoyl peroxide can degrade into benzene and that L'Oréal failed to warn consumers. The complaint identifies CeraVe Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser and CeraVe Acne Foaming Cream Wash as products at issue.

Reuters reported that Valisure had petitioned the FDA over benzene in acne products and that the issue centered on products containing benzoyl peroxide, including consumer brands later named in lawsuits. The report provides independent contemporaneous coverage of the scientific and regulatory allegation that triggered litigation.

Valisure, an independent testing laboratory, has identified high levels of benzene in acne skin care products that contain benzoyl peroxide. Benzoyl peroxide products by the following brands may contain high levels of benzene: CeraVe, Clearasil, Clinique by Estee Lauder, Equate by Walmart, Harris, La Roche-Posay, PanOxyl, Proactiv, Sandra Lee MD (SLMD), Target Up & Up, Walgreens. Valisure tested 66 benzoyl peroxide acne creams, gels, lotions, and other products for the presence of benzene. Many were found to have unsafe amounts of the carcinogen.

On March 6, 2024, Valisure, a pioneer in independent quality assurance for pharmaceuticals, issued a press release, detailing its extensive testing and attaching a petition, which showed that benzene, a known human carcinogen, can form at high levels in the Benzoyl Peroxide Products. These face washes and creams were found to have benzene levels 800 times higher than the maximum amount allowed in regulated pharmaceuticals. In addition, over a dozen class action lawsuits have been filed in the United States alleging that benzoyl peroxide, when combined with other ingredients and then packaged, sold, and stored under typical environmental conditions, it can break down into benzene, a known carcinogen.

A second Reuters report said the FDA found elevated benzene levels in some acne products and that the agency said benzoyl peroxide products can break down into benzene under certain conditions. This supports the broader allegation underlying the CeraVe lawsuits.

Global cosmetics brand L'Oréal recently came under scrutiny after some of their products tested positive for benzene, a known carcinogen. The products that contained the cancer-causing chemical fall under L'Oréal’s skincare line, CeraVe. In June 2026, rumors surfaced on social media platforms such as Instagram and X, that several class action lawsuits have been filed against CeraVe for exposing consumers to known carcinogens. According to fact-checker website Snopes, there are six ongoing class action lawsuits against L'Oréal. This happened after an independent laboratory founded by former Yale students, Valisure, found high levels of benzene in some of L’Oréal’s benzoyl peroxide-containing products in 2024. Some of the products in question include CeraVe’s Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser and Acne Foaming Cream Wash.

CeraVe is currently facing legal action over the presence of benzene, a known carcinogen, in their products. Reports indicate that the brand is involved in six federal lawsuits due to their acne foaming cream cleanser and wash containing benzoyl peroxide, which can break down into benzene when exposed to heat, such as during showers or sun exposure.

You’ve probably heard about the lawsuits over benzene contamination in CeraVe products. Benzene is most likely a contaminant of benzoyl peroxide, which is added to products to treat acne. So, you probably won't find benzene on an ingredient list because benzoyl peroxide is the active ingredient and benzene forms or is present as a contaminant.

A fact-checking summary reported that six plaintiffs have filed federal lawsuits related to benzoyl peroxide acne products and benzene contamination, but noted that only one of those lawsuits directly names CeraVe. The post explains that online claims that CeraVe is "facing six federal cancer lawsuits" are misleading because most of the benzoyl peroxide cases involve other brands, even though CeraVe does make benzoyl peroxide acne products. It also states that the independent report that triggered this litigation did not specifically mention CeraVe and that the FDA and other scientists later challenged aspects of that report, although the single lawsuit that includes CeraVe remains pending without any court decision yet on customer risk.

Nobody is suing because they got cancer. The cases actually name L'Oréal, CeraVe's parent company, and they're about whether possible benzene was disclosed, not about anyone getting sick. When the FDA ran its own tests under normal conditions, more than 90% of products had little or no benzene. CeraVe wasn't among the few that were recalled, and even decades of daily use came out to very low risk.

The complaint filing in Grossenbacher v. L'Oréal USA, Inc. was in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, case number 2:24-cv-00663, filed March 15, 2024. The filing alleges that CeraVe acne products containing benzoyl peroxide were contaminated with benzene.

My take on this hot topic around the lawsuits involving CeraVe (only involves their acne products)… A few important points: The concern is not that benzene was intentionally added to these products. The concern is that benzoyl peroxide can degrade over time and potentially form benzene, particularly under certain storage conditions. The FDA conducted its own testing on 95 benzoyl peroxide products and found that more than 90% had undetectable or extremely low benzene levels. No CeraVe product was included on the FDA recall list.

✓ The FDA conducted its own testing on 95 benzoyl peroxide products and found that more than 90% had undetectable or extremely low benzene levels. ✓ No CeraVe product was included on the FDA recall list. ✓ The concern is that benzoyl peroxide can degrade over time and potentially form benzene, particularly under certain storage conditions.