CeraVe Oil-Free Skincare Products Contain Oil, Class Action Lawsuit Says

The companies behind CeraVe lotions are facing a new class action lawsuit over what the plaintiff says are false claims about their supposedly oil-free skincare products.

Jake Gruber of Illinois says he purchased CeraVe skin lotion as recently as October before discovering that the product, which is advertised as being oil-free and is labeled as being “lightweight and oil free,” actually contains oil. In fact, Gruber says, most of the CeraVe products contain more than one oil.

That kind of deceptive advertising and inaccurate and misleading labeling is in violation of federal and state consumer protection and business practices laws, Gruber alleges. He and his lawyers filed a federal class action lawsuit against CeraVe LLC and its parent company, L’Oreal USA Products, Inc. on Dec. 7 as a result. The case is being considered in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division.

According to the class action, CeraVe’s Daily Moisturizing Lotion and PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion contain caprylic/capric triglyceride and dimethicone. Its Ultra-Light Moisturizing Lotion SPF contains octocrylene. And CeraVe AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion SPF 30 reportedly contains octocrylene and dimethicone.

All three of those ingredients – caprylic/capric triglyceride, dimethicone and octocrylene – are oils, the class action lawsuit alleges.

“All oils can be generally characterized by the same physical properties commonly observed by laypersons including being less dense than water, being more viscous than water, and feeling slick or slippery to the touch,” Gruber’s class action explains.

Many consumers prefer oil-free skincare products and specifically avoid oil-based moisturizers. They rely on labeling to inform their choices, the class action argues.

“[The] Plaintiff would not have been able to understand that the products contained oils without an advanced understanding of chemistry,” Gruber’s lawyers wrote in the class action lawsuit. “[The] defendants employ professional chemists to create the chemical formulas of [their] products.”

Since they were responsible for developing the purportedly oil-free skincare items, CeraVe and L’Oreal knew or should have known they contained oils, yet they labeled them to the contrary.

“[They] did know that the products contained oils but chose to include ‘oil-free’ labeling because they did not believe their customers were well educated enough to know the difference,” Gruber claims.

Based on CeraVe’s alleged misrepresentations, Gruber and many other consumers purchased the company’s various moisturizers and skin treatments, and paid a premium to do so. Given those conditions, Gruber’s lawyers are arguing that the consumers were financially harmed by CeraVe’s practices.

The class action lawsuit also claims CeraVe’s actions caused Gruber and other consumers “stress, aggravation, frustration, loss of trust, loss of serenity, and loss of confidence in product labeling” as well as wasted time.

The plaintiff wants the court to approve the case as a class action lawsuit and allow him to represent all other consumers who purchased CeraVe products in Illinois, and nationwide, that contain oil, but are labeled oil-free. It is unclear how many potential Class Members might be eligible to participate if the court agrees, but Gruber’s legal team estimates it will be “thousands, if not millions.”

Are you someone who avoids oil-based moisturizers and seeks out oil-free skincare products? Have you ever purchased a CeraVe lotion because you thought it was oil-free? Tell us about it in the comment section below.

Lead plaintiff Gruber and the proposed Class Members are represented by Todd M. Friedman, Steven G. Perry, and David B. Levin of The Law Offices of Todd M. Friedman, P.C.

The Oil-Free Skincare Class Action Lawsuit is Jake Gruber, et al. v. CeraVe LLC, et al., Case No. 1:20-cv-07235, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division.

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