Aveeno controversies
Controversies tied to this brand in public sources. A listing is not a finding of fault.
Back to profile5 entries
2023
Legal action following sunscreen recall
Legal action connected with the aerosol sunscreen contamination and recall was reported as settled in 2023.
2021
Aerosol sunscreen benzene recall
Several Aveeno and Neutrogena aerosol sunscreens were recalled in the United States after benzene was detected. Johnson & Johnson stated that benzene was not used as an intended manufacturing ingredient and said it was investigating the contamination source.
2021
Consumers file class-action lawsuit over recalled sunscreens
Lawsuit filed
Johanna Dominguez and Sharron Meijer filed a class-action lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California over affected sunscreen products, seeking an injunction and damages on behalf of consumers.
Source excerpt
The recalled products were named in a May reportby Valisure, an independent testing lab in New Haven, Connecticut, for having high levels of benzene in at least some batches.
The lawsuit, filed by Johanna Dominguez and Sharron Meijer in the US District Court for the Northern District of California, seeks an injunction and damages on behalf of consumers who purchased the affected products.
The affected products include the Aveeno Protect + Refresh aerosol sunscreen and four Neutrogena sunscreens: Beach Defense aerosol sunscreen, CoolDry Sport aerosol sunscreen, Invisible Daily Defense aerosol sunscreen and UltraSheer aerosol sunscreen.
2021
Johnson & Johnson recalls aerosol sunscreens
Recall announced
Johnson & Johnson announced a voluntary recall of several Neutrogena and Aveeno sunscreen products after samples were found to contain benzene, a known carcinogen. The company said detected levels should be harmless and that it was investigating how the chemical got into the products.
Company response
Investigation — Johnson and Johnson
Johnson and Johnson says the products are not formulated to contain benzene and is investigating how the chemical got into the products.
Source excerpt
Johnson and Johnson is issuing a voluntary recall of several sunscreen products it produces.
The company says samples of the products contain benzene, a known carcinogen.
The recall involves Neutrogena and Aveeno sunscreens.
Criticism over microbeads
Aveeno was criticized for selling products containing microbeads, plastic particles that may pass through wastewater systems and reach aquatic environments. Johnson & Johnson stated that it would remove microbeads from its products by 2017.