Dove Dry Shampoo Lawsuit: The Benzene Recall and Settlement

The Recall

In October 2022, Unilever voluntarily recalled a range of aerosol dry shampoos sold under Dove, Nexxus, Suave, TRESemmé and TIGI (Bed Head, Rockaholic) after internal testing found potentially elevated levels of benzene, a known human carcinogen. Unilever attributed the benzene to the propellant used in the aerosol products. Roughly 19 dry shampoos were covered by the recall.

Benzene in a leave-in aerosol used near the scalp and inhaled during application is the kind of exposure that drove both the recall and the litigation.

The Settlement

A class action, Rullo v. Unilever, was filed in New Jersey in November 2022, alleging the company knew or should have known of the contamination before the recall. It was resolved by a settlement of about $3.625 million covering people who bought the affected Dove, Suave, TRESemmé, Nexxus or TIGI dry shampoos over a defined period — reported as 2014 through 2022. Unilever did not admit wrongdoing.

The settlement is an economic-loss recovery for purchasers; it is separate from any individual personal-injury claim.

What Consumers Should Know

Check any aerosol dry shampoo against the recall list and stop using recalled lots. Because the benzene came from the propellant, the issue spanned multiple brands under one manufacturer. For the settlement, eligibility and deadlines are set by the court-approved administrator, the only reliable place to verify a claim.