Benzene Settlement: Which Cases Pay, and Which Deadlines Have Passed
Reference Guide
There is no single “benzene settlement.” There are several separate consumer class actions over products that allegedly contained traces of benzene, a carcinogen. As of October 16, 2026, the newest one — MG217 coal tar shampoo — had its final approval hearing scheduled for October 15, 2026. Every claim deadline we could verify has already passed. These are refund settlements for buyers, not injury payouts.
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What the Benzene Lawsuits Allege
Benzene is not an ingredient in any of these products. The lawsuits allege it showed up as a contaminant — from propellants in aerosol sprays, or, in acne products, because benzoyl peroxide can break down into it. Many of the cases trace back to testing by the independent lab Valisure LLC and its citizen petitions to the FDA.
The legal theory is mostly economic: buyers say they paid for products they would not have bought had they known. In the MG217 case, for example, the plaintiff generally alleges that Lake Consumer Products did not manufacture the shampoos in line with current Good Manufacturing Practices “as to the levels of benzene present.” Every defendant denies wrongdoing, and no court has found that any of these products harmed anyone.
The FDA's own testing is useful context. On March 11, 2025 it reported testing 95 benzoyl peroxide acne products: more than 90% had undetectable or extremely low benzene, and six had elevated levels and were recalled at the retail level. The FDA said that even with daily use for decades, the cancer risk from the benzene found was “very low.”
Case details
Each case is separate, with its own court and deadlines:
MG217 coal tar shampoo — Pineda v. Lake Consumer Products, Inc., No. 5:2024-cv-01074-CH, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Judge Catherine Henry. Administrator: Fidexis.
Lotrimin and Tinactin sprays (Bayer) — Huertas v. Bayer U.S. LLC, No. 2:21-cv-20021, District of New Jersey, Judge Stanley Chessler.
Strides testosterone gel — Painter v. Strides Pharma, Inc., No. 7:25-CV-4189, Southern District of New York. Administrator: Verita Global.
Differin acne products (Galderma) — Williams v. Galderma Laboratories LP, No. 1:24-cv-02222, Northern District of Illinois.
P&G aerosol sprays (Secret, Old Spice, and several dry shampoos) — In re: Procter & Gamble Aerosol Products Marketing and Sales Practices Litigation, MDL No. 3025, Southern District of Ohio, Judge Michael H. Watson. We cover that one on our Old Spice lawsuit page.
Status of Each Benzene Settlement, October 2026
Strides testosterone gel (at least $750,000): claims closed. The claim deadline was September 16, 2026, according to settlement listings. The final approval hearing is set for November 19, 2026. No payments go out before the approval becomes final.
Lotrimin / Tinactin ($4.85 million): approved. Judge Chessler granted final approval on May 13, 2026. Plaintiffs' counsel said payments were expected on or about August 11, 2026.
Differin ($990,000): claims closed. The claim deadline was May 19, 2026, and the final approval hearing was set for June 30, 2026. We could not open the official Differin site to confirm whether approval was granted or when payments go out.
Acne products sold by Walgreens and Walmart: still being litigated. Bloomberg Law reported that Magistrate Judge Stanley A. Boone of the Eastern District of California recommended against dismissing these suits. That is a recommendation, not a settlement.
Who Was Covered
Membership depends on what you bought, and when:
MG217: anyone in the United States who bought any formulation of the MG217 coal tar shampoos between January 1, 2021 and June 25, 2026.
Strides testosterone gel: people in the United States who bought a prescription of Strides Testosterone Gel between June 1, 2022 and July 31, 2025.
Differin: buyers of Differin Daily Deep Cleanser (5% benzoyl peroxide), Differin Acne Spot Treatment (10%) or Differin Maximum Strength Acne Foaming Cleanser (10%) between January 1, 2020 and February 19, 2026.
If you were in a class and did not opt out by the deadline, you are bound by the settlement whether or not you filed a claim. If you did not file a claim before the deadline, you generally get nothing from these settlements.
What These Settlements Pay
MG217: a $700,000 cash fund plus $500,000 in product vouchers, for $1,200,000 total, split among valid claims.
Strides gel: Strides pays at least $750,000. Refunds are 40%, 75% or 100% of what you paid out of pocket, depending on when you bought, with a baseline of $3.50 per prescription.
Differin: settlement listings report $9 per product, or up to $27 for three products without a receipt.
Lotrimin / Tinactin: a $4.85 million common fund, which plaintiffs' counsel calls the largest benzene consumer-product class settlement so far.
None of these settlements decides whether benzene caused anyone's illness. If you have a diagnosis and believe a product was the cause, that is an individual personal-injury question. A refund class settlement does not answer it.
Benzene Settlement Timeline
April 7, 2022 — P&G Aerosol Cases Centralized
The JPML sends the Secret, Old Spice and dry-shampoo benzene suits to Judge Michael H. Watson in the Southern District of Ohio as MDL No. 3025.
March 11, 2025 — FDA Tests 95 Acne Products
The FDA finds six benzoyl peroxide products with elevated benzene, which are recalled at the retail level. More than 90% of the products it tested had undetectable or extremely low levels.
May 13, 2026 — Lotrimin and Tinactin Deal Approved
Judge Stanley Chessler grants final approval to the $4.85 million Bayer spray settlement in the District of New Jersey.
June 25, 2026 — MG217 Settlement Preliminarily Approved
Judge Catherine Henry approves notice for the $1.2 million Lake Consumer Products settlement and appoints Fidexis as administrator.
September 24, 2026 — MG217 Deadlines Pass
Claims, opt-outs and objections were due that day. The final approval hearing was scheduled for October 15, 2026.
November 19, 2026 — Strides Gel Hearing
The Southern District of New York is scheduled to consider final approval of the Strides testosterone gel settlement. Its claim deadline was September 16, 2026.
Court Documents
Read the key filings yourself. We host copies of the public court record, free to read and share.
Case: HUERTAS v. BAYER U.S. LLC, No. 2:21-cv-20021 (D.N.J.)
- ComplaintNov 16, 2021 · ECF No. 1 · 32 pages · PDF, 351 KB
- First Amended ComplaintSep 16, 2022 · ECF No. 29 · 98 pages · PDF, 1.3 MB
- Order Granting Preliminary Approval of SettlementDec 11, 2025 · ECF No. 122 · 12 pages · PDF, 878 KB
Documents from 1 related case
Case: Painter v. Strides Pharma, Inc., No. 7:25-cv-04189 (S.D.N.Y.)
- ComplaintMay 19, 2025 · ECF No. 1 · 43 pages · PDF, 299 KB
- Order Granting Preliminary Approval of SettlementMay 21, 2026 · ECF No. 29 · 9 pages · PDF, 1.3 MB
- Motion for Attorneys' Fees, Costs and Service AwardsAug 3, 2026 · ECF No. 30 · 2 pages · PDF, 82 KB
A complaint states one side's allegations; only the court's orders decide anything. Copies of federal court records (PACER) via CourtListener, Free Law Project. Not legal advice.
Three Things to Watch For
Benzene headlines draw ads and imposters. These three patterns fit these cases:
“Late claims still accepted” sites
Every claim deadline listed here has passed. A page promising to file a benzene settlement claim for you now, for a fee or in exchange for your bank details, is not run by Fidexis, Verita or any other court-appointed administrator.
Refund deals sold as cancer payouts
Ads sometimes blur a $9-per-product refund with a large “benzene cancer settlement.” The class settlements on this page pay buyers, not injury claimants. A retainer for an injury claim is a separate legal decision, not a registration form.
Payment texts about Differin or Lotrimin
Messages saying your benzene payment is “on hold” until you log in to your bank or pay a release fee are fake. Administrators never charge class members a fee to receive a payment.
Benzene Settlement — Questions People Actually Ask
Short answers to the questions people ask most about this case.
Is there a benzene settlement I can still file a claim in?
Not among the cases on this page. As of October 16, 2026, the MG217 deadline (September 24, 2026), the Strides gel deadline (September 16, 2026), and the Differin deadline (May 19, 2026) had all passed. Check our open settlements list for deals still taking claims.
When will the MG217 shampoo settlement pay?
Not before the court grants final approval and any appeals are resolved. The final approval hearing was October 15, 2026. As of October 16, 2026 we had not seen an approval order, so no payment date has been set.
Did the Lotrimin and Tinactin settlement pay out?
It received final approval on May 13, 2026. Plaintiffs' counsel said payments to valid claimants were expected on or about August 11, 2026. If you filed a claim and received nothing, contact the settlement administrator directly.
What is the most common way someone gets exposed to benzene?
The FDA describes benzene as formed both in nature and by human activity, and as a natural part of crude oil, gasoline and cigarette smoke. The trace levels alleged in these consumer products are a separate issue from those everyday sources.
Were benzoyl peroxide acne products recalled?
Some were. On March 11, 2025 the FDA reported that six of 95 tested products had elevated benzene. They were recalled at the retail level, meaning stores pulled them, but consumers were not specifically told to act. The FDA called the cancer risk from those levels very low.
Is there a Differin benzene settlement?
Yes. Galderma agreed to a $990,000 settlement in Williams v. Galderma Laboratories LP, No. 1:24-cv-02222 (N.D. Ill.), covering three benzoyl peroxide products bought between January 1, 2020 and February 19, 2026. Claims closed May 19, 2026. Galderma denies wrongdoing.
Does a benzene settlement pay people who got cancer?
No. The settlements on this page resolve economic claims by buyers, meaning refunds and vouchers. They do not decide whether any product caused an illness, and in the MG217 case the release covers claims about this lawsuit only for class members who did not opt out.
I got a notice about a benzene settlement. Is it real?
Compare it against the court case. MG217 notices point to MG217ShampooSettlement.com and the administrator at 1-888-722-7084. A real notice never asks for a fee. If the deadline in a message has already passed, it is not an invitation to file.
About This Information
Editorially Reviewed — Content reviewed for accuracy using published legal research, government data, and verified court records. See our methodology. Reviewed by Leonard Goldberg, Editor · Last updated - $236 billion in real payouts analyzed · See what we found
This page is for general information only and is not legal advice. Lawsuit status, eligibility, and compensation can change. Settlement Insight is not a law firm and does not represent any party. Consult a licensed attorney about your specific situation.
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