What Is the CeraVe Cancer Lawsuit?
The CeraVe cancer lawsuit is a consolidated federal class action alleging that CeraVe benzoyl peroxide acne cleansers can form benzene, a chemical linked to cancer. L'Oréal USA, which owns CeraVe, is the defendant. The case is not a multidistrict litigation.
The consolidated case is captioned In re L'Oréal Benzoyl Peroxide Products Litigation, No. 1:24-cv-02735, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Judge Analisa Torres presides. The lawsuit does not accuse CeraVe moisturizers or hydrating cleansers of anything.
Despite the name people search for, no plaintiff in the case claims CeraVe gave them cancer. The complaints describe a cancer risk from benzene and ask for refunds, not damages for illness. The main CeraVe lawsuit page covers the full procedural history.
“This is a class action lawsuit regarding Defendants' manufacturing, distribution, advertising, marketing, and sale of CaraVe [sic] Cream benzoyl peroxide products (the "BPO Products") that contain dangerously high levels of benzene, a carcinogen that has been linked to leukemia and other blood cancers.”
Source: Grossenbacher v. L'Oréal USA, Inc., No. 2:24-cv-663 (E.D. La.), Class Action Complaint, Document 1, paragraph 1 (filed March 15, 2024)
Why Are People Filing CeraVe Cancer Lawsuits?
People are filing CeraVe cancer lawsuits because plaintiffs allege CeraVe's benzoyl peroxide cleansers can form benzene, a human carcinogen, with no warning on the label. Benzene is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, and the complaints tie it to leukemia and other blood cancers.
The claims trace to March 5, 2024, when the testing laboratory Valisure petitioned the FDA to recall benzoyl peroxide products. Valisure reported that the ingredient can break down into benzene, and that heat speeds the process. The first CeraVe-related complaint followed on March 15, 2024, in Louisiana.
Valisure's testing is the source of the 5 to 12 parts per million figure that circulates online, against an FDA reference level of 2 ppm. The FDA has said third-party labs using unvalidated methods can produce inaccurate results.
What Injuries Are Included in the CeraVe Cancer Lawsuit?
The injuries included in the CeraVe cancer lawsuit are four alleged harms, and none is a diagnosed illness. Plaintiffs describe a cancer risk and a financial loss. L'Oréal USA has not been found liable on any of them.
Benzene Exposure
Benzene is an industrial chemical classified as a human carcinogen, and benzoyl peroxide is an acne ingredient that can break down into it when heated.
Plaintiffs allege the two benzoyl peroxide cleansers contain benzene or degrade into it during storage. Their theory is that heat during manufacturing, shipping, or holding drives the breakdown.
Blood Cancer Risk
Leukemia is a cancer of the blood-forming tissues, and public health agencies link long-term, high-level benzene exposure to it.
The Grossenbacher complaint calls benzene a carcinogen "linked to leukemia and other blood cancers." That language describes a general risk from the chemical. It does not say any plaintiff developed leukemia from CeraVe products.
Failure to Warn
A failure to warn is a claim that a product's label omitted a risk the maker knew or should have known about.
The complaints allege benzene appears nowhere on the labels and that buyers received no warning about a carcinogen. Judge Torres ruled in September 2026 that federal drug law preempts a state-law demand for that warning.
Economic Injury
Economic injury, in a consumer class action, is the financial loss of paying for a product that was worth less than advertised.
The Grossenbacher complaint states that standing is satisfied by alleging economic injury, meaning money spent on products the buyer would not otherwise have purchased. This is why the case concerns refunds rather than cancer damages.
Who Qualifies for the CeraVe Cancer Lawsuit?
You may qualify if:
- You bought CeraVe Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser (4% benzoyl peroxide) or Acne Foaming Cream Wash (10% benzoyl peroxide), which is the group the dismissed proposed class would have represented
- You or a family member was diagnosed with a serious illness that you attribute to benzene exposure from a benzoyl peroxide product, and you want an attorney to review a separate injury claim
You may not qualify if:
- You only used CeraVe moisturizers, hydrating cleansers, or other products without benzoyl peroxide, which the lawsuit does not cover
- You want to join the consolidated class action, which was dismissed and has no open claims process
No CeraVe settlement fund exists, so qualifying does not mean a payment is available. The federal court noted that the labeling preemption provision does not apply to product liability claims, so an injury claim is analyzed differently from the dismissed consumer claims. Deadlines vary by state, and only a qualified attorney reviewing your records can say whether any individual claim remains.
What Is the Current Status of the CeraVe Cancer Lawsuit?
The current status of the CeraVe cancer lawsuit is dismissal with prejudice at the trial-court level, with no settlement and no trial date. The consolidated class action and the two earlier Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation requests are listed separately below.
In re L'Oréal Benzoyl Peroxide Products Litigation
Judge Analisa Torres granted L'Oréal USA's motion to dismiss on September 15, 2026, holding that the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act preempts the plaintiffs' state-law claims. The Clerk of Court entered judgment for L'Oréal USA on September 16, 2026.
The court found that the FDA's acne monograph permits benzoyl peroxide at 2.5 to 10 percent and requires no benzene warning. It also found no binding federal limit of 2 ppm for benzene in these products. Leave to amend was denied.
| Proceeding Type | Consolidated federal consumer class action |
| Court | U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York |
| Case Number | 1:24-cv-02735 (AT) |
| Judge | Hon. Analisa Torres |
| Defendant | L'Oréal USA, Inc. |
| Consolidated | May 28, 2025 (seven related cases) |
| Ruling | Motion to dismiss granted with prejudice, September 15, 2026 |
| Judgment | Clerk's judgment entered September 16, 2026 |
The docket lists two entries filed September 29, 2026, labeled "Reconsideration" and "Memorandum of Law in Support of Motion." Their text was not retrievable, and no ruling on them was found in sources reviewed through November 4, 2026. No notice of appeal appeared in the entries reviewed.
JPML Proceedings: MDL No. 3120 and MDL No. 3141
The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation refused twice to centralize benzoyl peroxide cases. It denied MDL No. 3120 on August 1, 2024, and MDL No. 3141, covering six L'Oréal-only actions, on February 7, 2025.
| Proceeding Type | JPML centralization motions under 28 U.S.C. § 1407 |
| MDL No. 3120 | Denied August 1, 2024 |
| MDL No. 3141 | Denied February 7, 2025 |
| Result | No MDL exists for CeraVe benzoyl peroxide claims |
Is There a CeraVe Cancer Lawsuit Settlement?
No. There is no CeraVe cancer lawsuit settlement, and the case has produced no settlement fund, no claim form, and no payout.
Websites advertising a CeraVe claim form for this litigation are not describing a court-approved settlement, because none exists as of November 4, 2026. The search phrase "cerave class action lawsuit claim form" reflects public interest, not an open claims process.
A payout could arise only if the plaintiffs successfully challenge the dismissal or a separate claim succeeds. The outcome of any reconsideration request or appeal cannot be predicted from the current record.
No court has found that CeraVe products cause cancer, so a settlement figure tied to illness has no basis in this case.
CeraVe Cancer Lawsuit Updates and Case Status
The latest CeraVe cancer lawsuit updates run from the 2024 Valisure petition to the September 2026 dismissal. The entries below show each confirmed filing, order, and regulatory step, and the last verified docket entry is dated September 29, 2026.
CeraVe Cancer Lawsuit Timeline
Docket Shows Reconsideration Filings After Dismissal
The docket for In re L'Oréal Benzoyl Peroxide Products Litigation lists two entries filed September 29, 2026, labeled "Reconsideration" and "Memorandum of Law in Support of Motion," and no ruling on them was found through November 4, 2026.
Clerk Enters Judgment for L'Oréal USA
The Clerk of Court entered judgment for L'Oréal USA, Inc. in the consolidated CeraVe benzoyl peroxide case on September 16, 2026, implementing Judge Torres's order of the previous day.
Judge Torres Dismisses the CeraVe Benzene Case With Prejudice
U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres of the Southern District of New York dismissed the consolidated CeraVe and La Roche-Posay benzoyl peroxide class action, ruling that federal law preempts the plaintiffs' state-law claims.
News Coverage Examines Viral CeraVe Cancer Posts
By mid-June 2026, outlets including IOL were publishing explainers on viral social posts claiming CeraVe causes cancer, noting that the posts rest on lawsuit allegations and that the FDA considers the cancer risk from benzene levels it found very low.
L'Oréal USA Moves to Dismiss the Second Amended Complaint
L'Oréal USA moved on December 15, 2025, to dismiss the plaintiffs' second amended class action complaint, arguing chiefly that the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act preempts every state-law claim.
Court Consolidates Seven Related Cases Before Judge Torres
Judge Analisa Torres consolidated seven related benzoyl peroxide cases against L'Oréal USA on May 28, 2025, after which the plaintiffs amended their complaint.
FDA Publishes Its Own Testing of 95 Acne Products
The FDA announced on March 11, 2025, that it tested 95 benzoyl peroxide acne products, found six with elevated benzene, and reported that more than 90 percent had undetectable or extremely low levels. No CeraVe product appeared in the recall list.
JPML Denies Centralization of the L'Oréal Cases
The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation denied MDL No. 3141 on February 7, 2025, declining to centralize six L'Oréal USA benzoyl peroxide actions in the District of Hawaii.
JPML Rejects the Broad Benzoyl Peroxide MDL Request
The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation denied MDL No. 3120 on August 1, 2024, refusing to centralize 28 putative class actions against at least twelve defendant groups, including L'Oréal USA.
Noakes Class Action Filed in New York
Ciara Noakes filed Noakes v. L'Oréal U.S.A., Inc., Case No. 1:24-cv-02735, in the Southern District of New York on April 11, 2024, the case that later became the lead docket of the consolidated litigation.
Grossenbacher Class Action Filed in Louisiana
Holly Grossenbacher filed Case No. 2:24-cv-00663 against L'Oréal USA in the Eastern District of Louisiana on March 15, 2024, alleging CeraVe's benzoyl peroxide cleansers contain benzene, a carcinogen linked to leukemia and other blood cancers.
Valisure Petitions the FDA Over Benzene in Benzoyl Peroxide
The testing laboratory Valisure submitted a citizen petition to the FDA on March 5, 2024, asking for a recall of benzoyl peroxide products after reporting that the ingredient can degrade into benzene.
How to File a CeraVe Cancer Lawsuit
To file a CeraVe Cancer lawsuit, start with the 5 steps below.
- Confirm no claim form exists: No CeraVe settlement or claims process exists, so no deadline applies to joining the dismissed consumer class action.
- Gather purchase records: Receipts, order confirmations, and lot codes show which benzoyl peroxide product was bought and when.
- Collect medical records for any diagnosis: A physician's records are what an attorney reviews when assessing a separate injury claim.
- Consult a product liability attorney: A qualified attorney can say whether an individual claim is available, since state deadlines and rules differ.
- Watch the court docket: The docket for No. 1:24-cv-02735 shows any ruling on the September 2026 reconsideration filings or a later appeal.
CeraVe Cancer Lawsuit is no longer accepting new claims. The consolidated federal class action was dismissed with prejudice on September 15, 2026, and judgment was entered on September 16, 2026. No settlement, claim form, or payout exists, and no court has found that CeraVe products cause cancer.
What Evidence Do I Need for a CeraVe Cancer Lawsuit?
The evidence you need for a CeraVe cancer lawsuit depends on whether the claim is a purchase claim or an injury claim. A purchase claim centers on what was bought and what the label said.
Proof of purchase and the product's lot code matter most, because the plaintiffs tie benzene formation to batches and storage. A diagnosis would additionally require medical records and a documented exposure history, and only an attorney can evaluate whether those support a claim.
What Did L'Oréal Allegedly Know About the CeraVe Cancer Risk?
Plaintiffs allege L'Oréal knew or should have known that its benzoyl peroxide cleansers contained or formed benzene and failed to warn buyers. The Grossenbacher complaint makes that allegation in its third paragraph. L'Oréal USA has not been found liable.
The FDA's March 2025 notice gives the regulator's view. Of 95 products tested, the agency found six with elevated benzene, and it called the cancer risk from the levels it found very low, even with daily use for decades.
The FDA also warned that unvalidated third-party testing can overstate benzene levels. The only L'Oréal product in the recalls was one lot of La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo, and the agency did not tell consumers to discard products they already own.
| Date | Actor | Action |
|---|---|---|
| March 5, 2024 | Valisure | Citizen petition asking the FDA to recall benzoyl peroxide products |
| March 15, 2024 | Plaintiff Grossenbacher | Class action alleging benzene in two CeraVe cleansers |
| March 11, 2025 | FDA | Published its own testing results and announced limited retail-level recalls |
| September 15, 2026 | Judge Torres | Dismissed the consolidated case with prejudice on preemption grounds |
How Does the CeraVe Cancer Lawsuit Compare to Other CeraVe Cases?
The CeraVe cancer lawsuit differs from other CeraVe suits by subject, because none of the others involves benzene or cancer. Three separate cases share only the brand name and should not be confused with the dismissed class action.
| Case | Court | Subject | Relation to Benzene Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raymundo v. L'Oréal USA S/D, Inc. (filed July 29, 2026) | Federal court in California | Allegation that CeraVe Baby products are materially identical to adult versions but priced higher | Separate case, no benzene claim |
| Gruber v. CeraVe LLC, No. 1:20-cv-07235 (filed Dec. 7, 2020) | N.D. Illinois | Allegation that products labeled "oil-free" contain oils | Separate case, outcome not verified |
| Environmental Health Advocates, Inc. v. CeraVe LLC | Alameda County Superior Court, California | Proposition 65 complaint over diethanolamine in CeraVe Retinol Serum | Separate case, status not verified |
Other brands' benzoyl peroxide products drew their own suits after the Valisure petition. Those cases run against different defendants, so a ruling in one does not decide the others.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does CeraVe cause cancer?
No court has found that CeraVe causes cancer, and the lawsuit rests on unproven allegations. The FDA's March 2025 testing of 95 acne products did not list CeraVe for recall and described the cancer risk from the levels it found as very low.
What is the CeraVe cancer lawsuit about?
The CeraVe cancer lawsuit is a consolidated class action alleging that CeraVe's benzoyl peroxide acne cleansers can form benzene, a known carcinogen, without a label warning. The plaintiffs claim economic injury, not illness.
Is the CeraVe cancer lawsuit a class action or an MDL?
The CeraVe cancer lawsuit is a consolidated class action, not a multidistrict litigation. The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation denied centralization in August 2024 and February 2025, and the cases were consolidated before Judge Analisa Torres in New York.
Was the CeraVe cancer lawsuit dismissed?
Yes. Judge Analisa Torres dismissed the CeraVe cancer lawsuit with prejudice on September 15, 2026, ruling that federal law preempts the plaintiffs' state-law claims. Filings labeled "Reconsideration" followed on September 29, 2026.
Is there a CeraVe lawsuit claim form?
No. There is no CeraVe lawsuit claim form, settlement fund, or payout, because the case ended in dismissal rather than settlement. Sites advertising a claim form are not describing a court-approved settlement.
Which CeraVe products are in the cancer lawsuit?
The CeraVe products named in the lawsuit are Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser (4% benzoyl peroxide) and Acne Foaming Cream Wash (10% benzoyl peroxide). CeraVe moisturizers and hydrating cleansers are not part of the case.
Is the CeraVe Baby ointment lawsuit the same case?
No. The CeraVe Baby lawsuit, Raymundo v. L'Oréal USA S/D, Inc., is a separate California class action filed July 29, 2026, and it alleges pricing and labeling issues rather than benzene.