Overview: Valisure, an independent lab, reported detecting benzene in some benzoyl peroxide-containing CeraVe acne products, measuring 5–12 ppm in tested samples. Those findings prompted six class action lawsuits filed between March and May 2024 against L'Oréal/CeraVe. Plaintiffs’ efforts to centralize the litigation in Hawaii were denied by the JPML in February 2025, and the cases were transferred to the Southern District of New York by May 2025. As of the latest filings, the consolidated litigation had not produced a final court decision.
Independent Lab Finds Benzene; Six Class Actions Target L'Oréal’s CeraVe Over Acne Products
Hector Retamal, via Getty Images
Skin-care brand CeraVe, owned by French cosmetics company L'Oréal, is facing six class action lawsuits after an independent laboratory detected benzene in some acne-treatment products that contain benzoyl peroxide (BPO), an active ingredient commonly used to treat acne.
What the Tests Found
In March 2024 Valisure, an independent lab founded by former Yale students, reported detecting benzene in samples of products containing benzoyl peroxide. In tests that included CeraVe items, Valisure reported benzene levels between 5 and 12 parts per million (ppm) when BPO products were incubated at 37°C (98.6°F), 50°C (122°F) and 70°C (158°F). For context, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration references a 2 ppm level in some regulatory contexts; Valisure’s measured values therefore exceeded that reference in the samples they reported.
How Benzene May Form
Benzoyl peroxide can degrade into benzene under certain conditions, Valisure said, and the lab’s tests showed benzene formation at relatively low temperatures, including at body temperature. Valisure’s initial public statement did not single out CeraVe or L'Oréal by name, but the findings prompted subsequent legal action naming manufacturers and sellers of BPO-containing products.
Litigation Timeline
The first complaint tied to the Valisure disclosures was filed March 8, 2024, by Jennifer Snow in Hawaii. Additional class actions were filed by plaintiffs in Louisiana, Missouri, Illinois, and New York between March and May 2024. Plaintiffs sought to centralize the suits in the federal district of Hawaii in November 2024, but the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) denied that request on February 7, 2025. By May 2025 the related cases had been transferred to the Southern District of New York for coordinated proceedings. As of this report, the consolidated litigation had not produced a dispositive court ruling.
Products and Ingredients
CeraVe product archives indicate that the Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser contains 4% benzoyl peroxide and the Acne Foaming Cream Wash contains 10% benzoyl peroxide. These ingredient listings explain why those specific products were included in tests and subsequent complaints.
Health Context
Public-health authorities, including the American Cancer Society, classify benzene as a Group 1 carcinogen—meaning there is sufficient evidence that exposure to benzene can cause cancer in humans. Health bodies note there is no universally accepted "safe" level for benzene exposure, though regulatory agencies use context-specific reference levels to guide safety assessments and enforcement.
Bottom line: Independent lab testing prompted lawsuits alleging that benzoyl peroxide-containing CeraVe products can form benzene under certain conditions. The cases are consolidated in federal court, and no final judicial decision has been reached as of the last available filings.
Readers who want primary sources can consult Valisure’s March 2024 announcement and the public court dockets for individual complaints and filings. Coverage of the litigation and regulatory context is available from ClassAction.org, court-listing services, and public-health organizations.
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