Status: In progress

O’Dea v. Clinique Laboratories LLC

Clinique allegedly manufactures and sells acne treatment products containing benzoyl peroxide, which degrades over time into benzene, a cancer-causing chemical.

  • Deadline to file a claim: TBD
  • Proof of Purchase Required: No
  • Potential Individual Reward: TBD
  • Total Settlement Amount: TBD
  • States Involved

Abraham Jewett  |  April 11, 2024

Category: Beauty Products
Close up of a woman applying a spot acne treatment, representing the Clinique class action.
(Photo Credit: yanishevska/Shutterstock)

Clinique benzoyl peroxide class action lawsuit overview: 

  • Who: Plaintiff Lucinda O’Dea filed a class action lawsuit against Clinique Laboratories LLC. 
  • Why: O’Dea claims Clinique manufactures and sells acne treatment products containing benzoyl peroxide that degrades over time into benzene, a cancer-causing chemical. 
  • Where: The Clinique benzene class action lawsuit was filed in Illinois federal court. 

Clinique Laboratories manufactures, markets and sells acne treatment products containing benzoyl peroxide that degrades over time into the cancer-causing chemical benzene, a new Clinique class action lawsuit alleges. 

Plaintiff Lucina O’Dea claims the presence of benzene in the Clinique acne treatment products renders them “adulterated and misbranded” and therefore unlawful to sell under both federal and state law. 

O’Dea argues in the Clinique class action that benzene found in the company’s acne treatment products comes from benzoyl peroxide that degrades over time “directly into the human carcinogen benzene.” 

“BPO degrades over time into benzene, a carcinogenic impurity that has been linked to leukemia and other cancers,” the Clinique benzene class action states. 

O’Dea wants to represent a nationwide class along with both an Illinois and multistate subclass of consumers who have purchased Clinique benzoyl peroxide acne treatment products for personal or household use. 

Clinique class action: Company misrepresents that acne treatment products don’t contain benzene

O’Dea argues Clinique misrepresents that its benzoyl peroxide acne treatment products don’t contain benzene by failing to list the chemical as either an active or inactive ingredient on their  labeling. 

“Defendant failed to detect or prevent the benzene in its Products, and Plaintiff and consumers were harmed as a result of Defendant’s failure,” the Clinique class action says. 

O’Dea claims Clinique is guilty of unjust enrichment and violates state consumer fraud acts, including the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Trade Practices Act

The plaintiff demands a jury trial and requests declaratory and injunctive relief and an award of compensatory, statutory and punitive damages for herself and all class members. 

Consumers have recently filed multiple similar class action lawsuits against L’Oreal, Target, Johnson & Johnson and Walgreens Boot Alliance over claims they sold benzoyl peroxide acne treatment products containing benzene

Have you purchased a Clinique benzoyl peroxide acne treatment product? Let us know in the comments.

The plaintiff is represented by Gary M. Klinger, Nick Suciu III, J. Hunter Bryson and Luis Cardona of Milberg Coleman Bryson Phillips Grossman PLLC and Philip L. Fraietta of Bursor & Fisher PA. 

The Clinique benzoyl peroxide class action lawsuit is O’Dea v. Clinique Laboratories LLC, Case No. 1:24-cv-02750, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.


Don’t Miss Out!

Check out our list of Class Action Lawsuits and Class Action Settlements you may qualify to join!


Read About More Class Action Lawsuits & Class Action Settlements:

We tell you about cash you can claim EVERY WEEK! Sign up for our free newsletter.

31 thoughts onClinique class action claims benzoyl peroxide products degrade into benzene

  1. Sdm says:

    Wow Clinique? Add me to the deceptive suit

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. By submitting your comment and contact information, you agree to receive marketing emails from Top Class Actions regarding this and/or similar lawsuits or settlements, and/or to be contacted by an attorney or law firm to discuss the details of your potential case at no charge to you if you qualify. Required fields are marked *

Please note: Top Class Actions is not a settlement administrator or law firm. Top Class Actions is a legal news source that reports on class action lawsuits, class action settlements, drug injury lawsuits and product liability lawsuits. Top Class Actions does not process claims and we cannot advise you on the status of any class action settlement claim. You must contact the settlement administrator or your attorney for any updates regarding your claim status, claim form or questions about when payments are expected to be mailed out.