Neutrogena class action claims T/Gel shampoo products contain benzene

Neutrogena class action overview: 

• Who: Plaintiff Jordan Eisman filed a class action lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson over its Neutrogena T/Gel Shampoo. 
• Why: Eisman claims testing showed the shampoo contains benzene, a human carcinogen, which is not disclosed on the label.
• Where: The Neutrogena T/Gel shampoo lawsuit was filed in federal court in California.

Johnson & Johnson is facing a new class action lawsuit claiming its Neutrogena T/Gel shampoo contains benzene, a human carcinogen.

Plaintiff Jordan Eisman says that testing showed Neutrogena T/Gel Therapeutic Shampoo contains between 0.82 parts per million (ppm) and 1.49ppm of benzene, while the extra strength version of the coal tar shampoo contains as much as 4.36ppm of benzene.

“There should not be any benzene in coal tar shampoo products,” the Neutrogena benzene lawsuit says. “By comparison, defendants or other firms recently recalled various sunscreen products for containing benzene levels up to 2ppm. The levels in coal tar shampoo products are at least the same, if not greater.”

Benzene is a solvent found in petroleum and primarily used in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, the Neutrogena class action says. Benzene has been described as a human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer; the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also says that benzene is known to cause cancer in humans.

Benzene can cause vomiting, dizziness, other side effects, Neutrogena class action says

Beyond being a carcinogen, benzene can cause side effects including vomiting, stomach irritation, dizziness, sleepiness, convulsions, irregular heartbeat, tissue injury, bone marrow damage, decrease in red blood cells, anemia, irregular menstrual cycles, low fertility and excess bleeding, the Neutrogena T/Gel shampoo class action says.

The shampoo does not include benzene on its list of ingredients, nor does it include a warning to customers that the shampoo contains benzene.

“Benzene is a substance found in, and that may be removed through refinement from, coal tar,” the Neutrogena benzene lawsuit says. “Manufacturers such as defendants have an obligation to reduce or eliminate benzene from their coal tar shampoo Products.”

A separate Neutrogena class action filed in January alleges that Johnson & Johnson falsely markets its Neutrogena T/Sal Therapeutic Shampoo as “preservative-free” even though it does contain a preservative.

Do you use Neutrogena T/Gel shampoo? Let us know in the comments.

The plaintiff is represented by Allan Kanner of Kanner and Whiteley LLC. 

The Neutrogena class action lawsuit is Eisman v. Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc., et al., Case No. 2:24-cv-01982, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

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