Suave Antiperspirant Lawsuit Filed Over Contamination With Cancer-Causing Chemicals

Deodorant sprays are one of a number of consumer products which have been revealed to contain the cancer-causing chemical in recent months.

A class action lawsuit has been filed against consumer goods giant Unilever, alleging the manufacturers’ failure to properly screen its products has exposed customers to cancer-causing chemicals, after a new report confirmed Suave deodorants and antiperspirants contain dangerous levels of benzene.

The complaint (PDF) was filed earlier this month by Yvonne Barnes and Patricia Dean in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, seeking class action status to pursue damages for themselves and others who purchased the popular deodorant sprays.

The Suave lawsuit was filed after the release of a report by the independent, online pharmacy Valisure on November 3, which found dangerously high levels of benzene in deodorants and body sprays including Suave, Old Spice, Secret and Tag. Shortly after the report was released, the organization also filed a citizen’s petition with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, calling for a deodorant recall of the affected products.

Benzene is an industrial chemical that has been associated with the development of several fatal forms of cancer, leukemia and other conditions, such as AML, Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML), Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL), Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL), Hairy Cell Leukemia (HCL), Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, Multiple Myeloma, Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDL), Myelofibrosis and Myeloid Metaplasia, Aplastic Anemia and Thrombocytopenic Purpura.

The lawsuit joins a growing number of Old Spice benzene lawsuits filed recently which also seek class action status to bring compensation benefits to consumers nationwide.

The deodorant lawsuits also follow the identification of benzene in many sunscreen spray products earlier this year, which led to a number of consumers filing similar sunscreen cancer lawsuits and class action claims against Johnson & Johnson, as well as other manufacturers.

Barnes and Dean indicate they consistently purchased and used various Suave antiperspirants multiple times per year over the last several years, without being warned they could be exposing themselves to well-documented carcinogens. Unilever has been accused of engaging in fraudulent, deceptive and misleading practices, which have caused consumers across the nation to purchase the benzene-contaminated Suave antiperspirant sprays, resulting in chemical exposures that may cause cancer.

The lawsuit against Suave alleges that consumers would have chosen an alternative deodorant and antiperspirant if they had known about the risk of benzene exposure, and certainly would have have paid the high prices charged for the products.

The FDA categorizes benzene as a Class I Solvent, which should not be used in the making of drug products because of its toxicity. However, if a product must contain benzene, it should be limited to 2 parts per million (ppm).

Sunscreen Benezene Lawsuits

Following similar findings by Valisure of benzene in aerosol sunscreen spray products earlier this year, a number of popular products have been recalled, including Neutrogena, Aveeno, Coppertone and other widely used brands.

Johnson & Johnson issued the Neutrogena and Aveeno sunscreen spray recall in July 2021, after confirming known human carcinogens was present in its products. At least eight class action complaints have been filed against the company, each raising similar allegations that Johnson & Johnson endangered consumers’ health by not warning them of the presence of benzene in brands of Neutrogena and Aveeno spray sunscreen, which could increase their risk of cancer.

Late last month, Johnson & Johnson and Costco announced they had reached a settlement agreement to resolve the cases. However, the details of the sunscreen settlement agreement have not yet been revealed and the deal has not been finalized.

Over the last year, benzene contamination has been found in many common consumer products resulting in a Bayer Lotrimin and Tinactin antifungal sprays recall, Artnaturals hand sanitizer recall, and Blistex Odor-Eaters recall