Proactiv Deceptive Advertising Claims
If you purchased a Proactiv product containing benzoyl peroxide, you may be entitled to compensation. Fill out the case review form to determine if you qualify.
What’s Going On?
On March 6, 2024, an independent lab named Valisure published research results that found that popular acne products containing benzoyl peroxide, including those sold by Proactiv, risked exposing users to high amounts of benzene, a known human carcinogen. According to Valisure’s testing, when the acne products were handled or stored at high temperatures, the active ingredient benzoyl peroxide was converted into benzene at amounts that far exceeded federal safety regulations.
Valisure’s testing found that “high levels of gaseous benzene could be generated” from benzoyl peroxide-containing products like Proactiv, “and emanate into a consumer environment such as a hot car or bathroom during a hot shower.” For example, data from Valisure’s 17-hour incubation of unopened Proactiv at temperatures consistent with a hot car demonstrated “approximately 1,270 times the previously mentioned EPA calculated threshold for increased cancer risk by long-term inhalation exposure to benzene.” Notably, Valisure found that acne treatment products with active ingredients other than benzoyl peroxide did not create the risk of benzene exposure.
Valisure submitted its findings to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and requested that the FDA issue a recall and suspend further sales of acne products containing benzoyl peroxide until further investigation.
Read the following to learn more about Valisure’s findings:
- Popular Acne Products from Proactiv, Clinique and Target Contain Cancer-Linked Chemical Benzene, Fortune
- Benzene, a Known Carcinogen, Found in Some Popular Acne Products, Lab Says. Here’s What to Know, CBS News; Benzene Found in Various Acne Products; Valisure Files Petition with FDA to Recall Treatments, Dermatology Times
Am I Affected?
If you purchased a Proactiv product containing benzoyl peroxide, you may have a claim under consumer protection and false advertising laws for failure to disclose risks of benzene exposure. This case does not involve claims for physical injuries from benzene, so purchasers of Proactiv products are eligible even if they have not suffered physical injuries from benzene exposure.
You may be entitled to compensation for each purchase of Proactiv products.
Am I Eligible to Submit a Claim?
If you purchased Proactiv products containing benzoyl peroxide within the last three years, you may have a claim. Fill out the Claim Form to determine if you qualify.
What Fees or Costs does Zimmerman Reed Charge?
You will not be responsible for any fees or costs unless we obtain compensation for you. The firm will advance any costs to submit and resolve your claim, including any arbitration fees.
Ultimately, should you choose to settle your case, we would be entitled to a contingency fee based on the value of your settlement. The choice to accept a monetary settlement is yours and yours alone.
What Is This Case About?
Together with consumer-rights law firm Janove PLLC, we are representing Proactiv customers under consumer protection and false advertising laws regarding the sale of Proactiv products that allegedly did not disclose the risk of exposure to benzene, a known human carcinogen. False advertising refers to the act of promoting a product, service, or business using deceptive or misleading information in order to deceive consumers, or failing to disclose information that a reasonable consumer would want to know about the product.
Here, Proactiv allegedly engaged in deceptive advertising by not disclosing the risks of benzene exposure to consumers.
What Legal Rights Do I Have?
Proactiv requires all customers who purchase its products to agree to terms and conditions that require claims to be resolved through individual arbitration, rather than in court. Our law firms have extensive experience handling consumer arbitrations, and we are here to help consumers interested in presenting such claims to recover compensation for their losses.
Results Matter.
As a law firm, Zimmerman Reed is well positioned to successfully resolve your claim and obtain the compensation you deserve. Since 1983, we have taken on and won tough cases around the country. In the 1990s, Zimmerman Reed worked with other law firms in what was known as the third wave of tobacco litigation that ultimately culminated in the 1998 Master Tobacco Settlement, which required tobacco companies to pay $206 billion to 52 U.S. states and territories.
Zimmerman Reed recently helped secure a $400 million dollar settlement on behalf of farmers whose crops were harmed by volatile herbicides. Our firm has also led the way in data breach cases, including the T-Mobile data breach which led to a $350 million settlement on behalf of 53 million T-Mobile customers, and the Target data breach litigation which resulted in a $39 million settlement. We also served in leadership positions in data breach and privacy litigation involving Uber, Sony, Vizio, Home Depot, Wendy’s, Arby’s, and many others.
In the arbitration context, Zimmerman Reed has helped tens of thousands of consumers and workers obtain millions of dollars in compensation from the companies that violated their rights. Don’t take our word for it—read real reviews left by other Zimmerman Reed clients.
Janove PLLC also has a strong record of advancing consumers’ rights in various types of litigation throughout the country and obtaining significant results for their clients. For more information, visit www.janove.law.