Target class action claims retailer’s benzoyl peroxide acne treatments contain benzene

Target class action lawsuit overview:

• Who: Plaintiff Grace Navarro filed a class action lawsuit against Target Corp.
• Why: Target allegedly sells benzoyl peroxide acne treatment products that contain unsafe levels of the human carcinogen benzene.
• Where: The Target benzoyl peroxide class action lawsuit was filed in California federal court.

Target Corporation sells benzoyl peroxide acne treatment products that contain unsafe levels of the human carcinogen benzene, according to a new Target class action lawsuit.

Plaintiff Grace Navarro claims in the lawsuit, filed March 7 in California federal court, that the Target benzoyl peroxide products contain benzene and are at risk of further degrading into benzene under normal use and storage conditions.

Even low levels of benzene exposure increase the risk of blood cancers and other potential health problems, the Target class action lawsuit alleges.

Before Target sells products, it must ensure they are made in accordance to quality, safety and purity standards, Navarro says. She claims the Target benzoyl peroxide products fail to comply with the relevant standards.

“[Benzoyl peroxide] products should not contain benzene, nor degrade into benzene, except under extraordinary circumstances,” the Target class action lawsuit alleges.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration prohibits companies from introducing adulterated or misbranded products into the market. If benzene is discovered in a product, the Target class action lawsuit says the manufacturer must contact the FDA to initiate a voluntary recall of the product.

Testing showed dangerous benzene levels in Target benzoyl peroxide products, lawsuit says

Last year, an independent laboratory tested a representative sample of benzoyl peroxide products and found they contained dangerous levels of benzene, according to the class action lawsuit.

The researchers also found benzene was released into the air even when the packaging was closed, “raising concern for even more inhalation exposures — a particularly pernicious form of exposure to benzene,” the class action lawsuit says.

Target should have known about the benzoyl peroxide benzene content and the potential to expose consumers to the carcinogen under normal use, handling and storage conditions, Navarro claims.

She alleges Target misled consumers about the safety of Target benzoyl peroxide products by representing them as safe while failing to inform them about the presence of benzene. 

Navarro says she and other class members were harmed because they were duped into purchasing a product they would not have otherwise purchased and their health was put at risk because of their exposure to benzene.

The Target class action lawsuit asserts claims for consumer fraud, unjust enrichment and breach of express and implied warranties.

Target and Jetson Electric Bikes recently agreed to pay $38.5 million to settle a lawsuit alleging the lithium ion battery in a Jetson Rogue hoverboard started a fire that caused two sisters to die.

Are you concerned about benzoyl peroxide benzene content in acne products? Tell us your thoughts in the comments.

Navarro is represented by R. Brent Wisner and Stephanie B. Sherman of Wisner Baum LLP.

The Target benzoyl peroxide class action lawsuit is Grace Navarro v. Target Corp., et al., Case No. 1:24-cv-00280-JLT-SAB, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California.

Read About More Class Action Lawsuits & Class Action Settlements:

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