Neutrogena Sunscreen Contains ‘Carcinogenic Impurity,’ Warns Class Action Lawsuit

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A pair of consumers claim that Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc knowingly sells several Neutrogena brand sunscreens that contain high levels of benzene, a chemical linked to leukemia and other cancers.  

Lead plaintiffs, Melissa Jimenez and Catalina Ocampo filed the class action lawsuit in New Jersey federal court Tuesday seeking to represent other consumers who purchased Neutrogena sunscreen products. The plaintiffs claim that manufacturer, Johnson & Johnson, fails to include benzene on the ingredients list of the sunscreens in violation of federal and state consumer protection laws.  

Jimenez, a New York resident, says she purchased several bottles of Neutrogena Beach Defense Spray Body Sunscreen SPF 50 from major retailers, such as Walgreens, Rite Aid, and CVS. Similarly, Ocampo, an Illinois resident, claims she bought multiple bottles of Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Weightless Sunscreen Spray, SPF 100+.  

Both the plaintiffs say that they would not have purchased or paid as much for the Neutrogena sunscreen products had they known about the high levels of benzene in the products.  

“The health hazards of benzene have been recognized for over one hundred years,” states the class action lawsuit which also points out that the Food and Drug Administration has found that there is no “safe” level of benzene exposure.  

Indeed, benzene has been linked to blood cancer and leukemia, as well as other health conditions. In May, an independent lab sent a letter to regulators warning that multiple sunscreens it tested contained far more benzene than health agencies deem safe – up to 400 times more. The 78 sunscreens tested, including sprays and lotions, as well as after-sun gels, including popular brands, such as Neutrogena, Banana Boat, Babyganics, Aveeno, CVS Health, and others.   

A number of class action lawsuits have been filed against the makers of some popular sunscreens, including CVS, Fruit of the Earth, Blue Lizard, and Coppertone. Johnson & Johnson faces another Neutrogena sunscreen class action lawsuit in California claiming that the company knew its product contained high levels of benzene.  

The plaintiffs in this class action lawsuit claim that Neutrogena sunscreens contain “the highest levels of benzene detected in the sunscreen products tested by” the independent lab; however, despite the health hazards presented by the substance, Johnson & Johnson allegedly fails to include benzene on the products’ ingredient lists, alleges the lawsuit.  

The plaintiffs want to represent a nationwide Class of consumers who purchased Neutrogena sunscreens, as well as Illinois and New York subclasses. They want Johnson & Johnson to pay consumers back for the premium they paid for Neutrogena sunscreen.  

Have you used Neutrogena sunscreen? Are you concerned about its ingredients? Tell us about it in the comment section below or go here to join a sunscreen class action lawsuit investigation! 

The plaintiffs are represented by Jonathan Shub and Kevin Laukaitis of the Sub Law Firm, and Gary M. Klinger, Gary E. Mason, and David K. Lietz of Mason Lietz & Klinger LLP.  

The Neutrogena Sunscreen Class Action Lawsuit is Jimenez v. Johnson & Johnson Consumer, Inc., Case No. 2:21-cv-13113 in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.  

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