Neutrogena Skin360 Privacy Settlement: Claims Due November 25

People who performed a Neutrogena Skin360, NeoStrata Skin360, or other Skin360 skin assessment while in Illinois may be eligible to claim a cash payment from a proposed $4.7 million biometric privacy settlement. The court-authorized class period runs from December 9, 2019, through May 5, 2023.

Claims must be submitted online or postmarked by November 25, 2026. The separate deadline to opt out or object is November 10, 2026. The payment amount is not known because valid claimants will receive equal shares of the net settlement fund after approved fees, expenses, and service payments.

Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc., now known as Kenvue Brands LLC, denies the allegations. The court has granted preliminary approval and conditionally certified a class for settlement purposes, but it has not decided that the company violated Illinois law or granted final approval.

Key facts

Case: Helene Melzer et al. v. Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc., No. 3:22-cv-03149
Court: U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey
Who may be included: People who performed any version of a Skin360 skin assessment through a mobile or web application while in Illinois from December 9, 2019, through May 5, 2023
Settlement fund: $4.7 million
Benefit: An equal share of the net settlement fund for each valid claimant; the individual amount is not yet known
Opt-out and objection deadline: November 10, 2026
Claim deadline: November 25, 2026
Final approval hearing: December 17, 2026, at 10 a.m. Eastern Time
Current status: Proposed settlement awaiting final approval

What happened

The plaintiffs filed a proposed class action alleging that facial scans used for Skin360 skin assessments triggered requirements under the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act, commonly called BIPA. According to the court-authorized notice, they claim Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. collected, stored, disclosed, and profited from biometric facial geometry without first giving required written disclosures, obtaining written consent, or publishing the required retention policy.

The company disputes that account. The official notice says it maintains that it did not collect, store, disclose, or profit from an individual's biometric identifiers or biometric information. The settlement resolves those disputed claims without a trial or admission of wrongdoing.

The parties reached a negotiated agreement after litigation and mediation. The court has preliminarily approved the agreement so notice and claims can proceed. Preliminary approval does not decide the merits. It means the court found enough support to notify the proposed class and consider final approval after class members have an opportunity to claim, exclude themselves, or object.

What changed The settlement claim process is now open. A person must submit a valid claim by November 25 to seek payment, but no payment can be distributed unless the settlement becomes final.

What Skin360 is

Neutrogena describes Skin360 as a service that provides recommendations tailored to a user's skincare needs. The current official Neutrogena website links users to a Skin360 web experience, and the official terms describe it as a progressive web application operated in connection with Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc.

The settlement is not limited to the Neutrogena-branded version. The court-authorized definition covers any version of Skin360, including Neutrogena Skin360, NeoStrata Skin360, and collaborations with other entities. What matters is whether the person performed a Skin360 skin assessment using a mobile or web application while physically in Illinois during the stated period.

This case concerns how the service allegedly handled information associated with facial scans. It is not a product-defect case and does not allege that a skincare product caused an injury. The distinction matters because eligibility is tied to using the assessment, not purchasing a Neutrogena or NeoStrata product.

What the lawsuit alleges

The plaintiffs allege Skin360 users scanned their faces as part of an assessment and that the resulting facial geometry qualified as biometric data under Illinois law. Their claims focus on alleged failures to provide written notice, obtain written permission, and maintain a publicly available retention and destruction policy before handling that information.

The official notice also says the plaintiffs alleged disclosure and profiting involving the information. Those statements remain allegations. The company denies that it collected or possessed protected biometric information and denies violating BIPA. The court has not made findings establishing either side's factual position.

A settlement releases covered claims if it receives final approval. Class members who remain in the settlement will generally be bound by that release even if they do not submit a claim. The complete release is broader and more technical than a news summary, so readers considering their rights should review the filed agreement and court-authorized notice.

How Illinois biometric privacy law applies

BIPA is an Illinois law that regulates private entities' handling of biometric identifiers and biometric information. In practical terms, the statute can require specific written notice and written consent before a company collects or obtains certain biometric data. It also contains rules addressing disclosure, profit, retention, and destruction policies.

A scan of face geometry is one category named in the statute. The legal dispute here is not resolved simply because a service used a camera. The plaintiffs contend the Skin360 process produced and handled protected facial geometry, while the defendant maintains it did not collect, store, disclose, or profit from protected biometric identifiers or information.

The settlement avoids a final ruling on those competing positions. The proposed class has been certified only for settlement purposes. If the settlement does not become effective, that conditional certification does not necessarily determine whether a class could be certified for continued litigation.

Allegations are not findings The settlement notice records competing positions. It does not establish that Skin360 collected legally protected biometric data or that Kenvue violated BIPA.

Who may be included

The settlement class covers people who, while in Illinois, performed a Skin360 skin assessment using any version of Skin360 through a mobile or web application between December 9, 2019, and May 5, 2023.

Location during the assessment is an express part of the definition. Living in Illinois now, buying a Neutrogena product, or using a separate skincare tool does not by itself establish class membership. The assessment must have been a Skin360 assessment performed in Illinois during the class period.

Excluded groups include the defendant and its affiliates and employees, the judges and their immediate family members and staff, counsel in the case, people who validly request exclusion, and successors or assigns of excluded persons.

The settlement administrator can answer administrative questions at the official website or by telephone at 1-888-706-4337. A person does not need to have received a notice to read the definition or contact the administrator, but the administrator will decide whether a submitted claim meets the settlement requirements.

The class is assessment-based Eligibility is tied to performing a Skin360 face-based assessment in Illinois during the class period, not to purchasing skincare products.

What the settlement offers

Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. agreed to place $4.7 million into a settlement fund. The fund will pay valid claims as well as court-approved administration costs, attorneys' fees and expenses, and service payments for the four class representatives.

Every class member who submits a timely claim that the administrator approves is entitled to an equal cash payment from the remaining net fund. The exact payment cannot be calculated yet. It depends on the number of valid claims and the amounts the court approves for other settlement expenses.

Class counsel may ask for attorneys' fees of up to one-third of the fund, plus reasonable costs and expenses. Each class representative may request a service payment of up to $5,000. Those amounts are requests, not final awards, and the court will decide them.

The agreement also describes prospective relief. Within 14 days after the settlement's effective date, the defendant must confirm deletion of images obtained during Skin360 assessments in the class period. Subject to changes in legal authority, it must also maintain a user notice and written-consent mechanism and a written policy for retaining and destroying information collected through Skin360.

No fixed payout is promised The $4.7 million figure is the gross fund. Each approved claimant receives an equal share of the net amount after approved fees, costs, and service payments.

How to file a claim

Claims may be filed through the court-authorized website, Skin360BIPASettlement.com. The online process asks whether the claimant has a settlement claim ID and then collects claimant information, a certification, and a payment choice. The notice says only one claim may be submitted per class member.

A paper claim form can be requested from the administrator and mailed to Skin360 BIPA Settlement Administrator, P.O. Box 3116, Baton Rouge, LA 70821. Online claims must be submitted by November 25, 2026. Mailed forms must be postmarked by the same date.

The payment options described by the claim process include electronic delivery and a mailed check. Choosing a method does not guarantee that a claim is valid or establish the payment amount. Checks expire 90 days after issuance, and the notice says expired checks will not be replaced.

People who want to leave the settlement must submit an exclusion request by November 10. An exclusion preserves the ability to pursue separate claims subject to applicable law but gives up the settlement payment. An objection is different. It asks the court to reject or change the settlement while the objector remains part of the class. A class member cannot both object and exclude themselves.

Timeline and current status

May 2022: The original Skin360 proposed class action was filed in federal court in New Jersey.
2022–2025: The parties litigated motions and exchanged discovery. The settlement agreement says the court allowed the BIPA claims to continue while dismissing an unjust-enrichment claim, and later denied a motion directed at the second amended complaint.
2025: The parties participated in private mediation and reached an agreement in principle, according to the filed settlement agreement.
2026: The parties finalized settlement documents and sought court approval.
November 10, 2026: Deadline to request exclusion or object.
November 25, 2026: Claim deadline.
December 17, 2026: Scheduled final approval hearing before Judge Michael A. Shipp.

The court may change the hearing date or time. Class members should check the official site for updates rather than relying on an older copy of the notice.

What remains disputed

The defendant denies wrongdoing and specifically disputes that it collected, stored, disclosed, or profited from biometric identifiers or biometric information. The settlement is not an admission. The court has not decided the factual and legal merits of the claims.

The individual payout also remains unknown. It will depend on the valid-claim count and court-approved deductions. No authoritative source supports a reliable estimate of what one claimant will receive.

The settlement must still clear final approval and any appeal. A submitted claim can be reviewed or rejected under the administrator's rules, and payments will not be issued merely because the claim window is open.

What happens next

Class members who want payment must submit a claim by November 25. People considering exclusion or an objection face the earlier November 10 deadline.

At the December 17 hearing, the court will consider whether the settlement is fair, reasonable, and adequate, along with fee and service-payment requests and properly submitted objections. If final approval is granted and the settlement becomes effective, the administrator will calculate equal shares and distribute approved payments.

This article provides legal news and general information. It does not determine whether any person qualifies, recommend a legal option, or replace the official notice.

Frequently asked questions

Who may qualify for the Skin360 settlement?

People who performed any version of a Skin360 skin assessment through a mobile or web application while in Illinois from December 9, 2019, through May 5, 2023, may be included, subject to the settlement definition and exclusions.

How much will each claimant receive?

The amount is not known. Each valid claimant is scheduled to receive an equal share of the net $4.7 million fund after court-approved fees, expenses, administration costs, and service payments.

Do I need proof of purchase?

The class definition is based on performing a Skin360 assessment, not purchasing a product. The official claim process requires claimant information and a certification. The administrator decides whether a claim is valid.

What is the claim deadline?

Online claims must be submitted and paper claims postmarked by November 25, 2026. Opt-outs and objections are due November 10.

Has the settlement received final approval?

No. The court has granted preliminary approval. A final approval hearing is scheduled for December 17, 2026, and no payments can be distributed unless the settlement becomes final.