Proactiv class action alleges benzoyl peroxide acne products degrade into carcinogen

Proactiv class action overview: 

• Who: Plaintiff Judy Judt filed a class action lawsuit against Alchemee and Taro Pharmaceuticals.
• Why: Judt claims Proactiv benzoyl peroxide products can degrade into the carcinogen benzene.
• Where: The Proactiv benzoyl peroxide lawsuit was filed in federal court in New York.

Proactiv benzoyl peroxide (BPO) products can degrade into benzene, a known carcinogen, according to claims made in a new Proactiv class action lawsuit.

The lawsuit is one in a series of class actions related to BPO products degrading. 

The World Health Organization and International Agency for Research on Cancer describe benzene as carcinogenic to humans. The United States Department of Health and Human Services also identifies benzene as cancer-causing, linking it `to acute lymphocytic leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, multiple myeloma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

The independent laboratory Valisure tested Proactiv benzoyl peroxide products and found that incubation of one of the products at the temperature of a hot car — about 158 F — resulted in the detection of benzene at more than 1,200 times the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) calculated threshold for increased cancer risk through long-term inhalation of benzene, according to the Proactiv carcinogen lawsuit.

That temperature, the lawsuit says, is one that the BPO products should be expected to be exposed to through normal consumer and distributor handling.

Benzene can enter body in multiple ways, interfering with blood cell production

Benzene can enter the human body through the eyes, skin, respiratory system, blood, central nervous system and bone marrow, according to the  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and Centers for Disease Control.

Benzene then causes cells to not work properly and interferes with red blood cell production while also changing blood levels and interfering with white blood cell levels, the lawsuit says.

The FDA recommends benzene not be used in the manufacturing of any portion of a drug product due to its carcinogenic qualities.

Clinique Laboratories is also facing a benzoyl peroxide class action lawsuit  saying it manufactures, markets and sells acne treatment products that degrade over time into benzene.

Have you purchased Proactiv benzoyl peroxide products? Let us know in the comments.

The plaintiff is represented by Mark S. Reich, Courtney E. Maccarone and Melissa Meyer of Levi & Korsinsky LLP.

The Proactiv class action lawsuit is Judt v. Alchemee LLC, et al., Case No. 7:24-cv-02718, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Read About More Class Action Lawsuits & Class Action Settlements:

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• Class actions claim benzoyl peroxide acne products contain harmful benzene
• Neutrogena class action claims T/Gel shampoo products contain benzene
• MISSHA, A’pieu class action claims sunscreen falsely advertised as waterproof