Neutrogena controversies
Controversies tied to this brand in public sources. A listing is not a finding of fault.
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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.
2020
Criticism and withdrawal of dark-spot products
Certain Neutrogena and Clean & Clear dark-spot products were removed from Asian and Middle Eastern markets after criticism that consumers used them to lighten skin and that the positioning could imply that lighter skin was preferable. The company said that promoting color-based judgments was not its intention.
Animal-testing certification controversy
As of 2023, Neutrogena was not certified by PETA, Leaping Bunny, or Cruelty Free International. The brand has stated that it does not conduct cosmetic animal testing except where governments or laws require it, while acknowledging that regulatory requirements in some markets can affect testing status.
Public claims involving Hayden Panettiere
Former ambassador Hayden Panettiere publicly suggested that Neutrogena distanced itself from her after she discussed postpartum depression. The claims' veracity was not established in the reference material but prompted social-media criticism of the brand.