The FDA has not established benzene limits for cosmetics such as dry shampoo, although it does state that products must not contain any poisonous or harmful substances. For this reason, Unilever recalled its famous aerosol dry shampoos, including the Dove brand, after discovering that they were contaminated with benzene, a chemical that can cause cancer.
In addition, the recall also affects brands such as Nexxus, Suave, Tresemmé and Tigi, which makes Rockaholic and Bed Head dry shampoos, according to a notice posted last Friday on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website. However, Unilever’s recall affects products manufactured before October 2021. The move once again raises questions about the safety of aerosols in personal care products.
This is not the first time that spray dry shampoo has been identified as a problem. P&G tested its entire product portfolio the same and retracted, to raze Pantene and Herbal Essences shampoos in December, citing benzene contamination.
“Given what we have seen, it unfortunately makes sense that other consumer product categories, such as spray dry shampoos, could be greatly affected by benzene contamination and we are actively investigating this area,” said David Light, chief executive officer of Valisure.
The problem with aerosols appears to stem largely from the propellants used to spray personal care products from cans. Unilever said this was the case with its dry shampoo recall. The company did not disclose the amount of benzene found in the products, although it said it was recalling them as a precaution. The FDA said that “daily exposure to benzene in the recalled products at the levels detected in the tests would not be expected to cause adverse health consequences.” However, the agency also said that exposure to benzene can cause leukemia and other blood cancers.
Benzene is a known contaminant of petroleum products. The FDA has confirmed that propellants are a potential source of benzene contamination.
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