JPML Refuses to Centralize Actions Alleging Benzene in L’Oreal Acne Treatment Products

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation has denied a motion to centralize six putative class actions alleging that L’Oreal’s benzoyl peroxide-containing acne treatment products contain excessive levels of benzene, ruling that “centralization is unnecessary at this stage to promote the just and efficient conduct of this litigation.”

In a Feb. 7 order, the panel explained that it previously declined to centralize cases against more than a dozen defendants, including L’Oréal, where the plaintiffs made similar allegations about BPO acne medications. In that 2024 order, the panel explained that “centralization under Section 1407 should be the last solution …