Cancer-causing hairspray sounds like some kind of beauty urban legend.
Like the whispers that bat guano is used to make mascara (it’s not, it’s confused for guanine) or that wearing lipstick causes cancer. I mean can you imagine how many of us would actually have cancer if that were the case? The Food and Drug Administration has, of course, fully debunked that tall tale. But recently, companies have been seeing instances of a carcinogenic chemical, benzene, contaminating personal care products in aerosol containers.
The FDA has classified benzene as a human carcinogen. The federal agency asserts exposure to benzene can occur by inhalation, orally, and through the skin and it can result in cancers including leukemia and blood cancer of the bone marrow and blood disorders which can be life threatening. The FDA said benzene is ubiquitous in the environment. Humans around the world have daily exposures to it indoors and outdoors from multiple sources.
When it comes to manufacturing, the chemical is used to make synthetic fibers, resins, and plastics. It's used to make lubricants, cleaning products, dyes, drugs, pesticides and rubber. It's found in cigarette smoke, crude oil, and even volcanic eruptions. But it's particular appearances in aerosol products over the last year has the FDA's attention, and it has introduced a process for testing products to prevent contamination. As of right now, product testing for benzene isn't mandatory.
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Unilever Recalls Suave, Dove & More
Unilever (UL) products Suave, Dove, Nexxus, TIGI (Bed Head and Rockaholic), and TRESemme dry shampoos have been voluntarily recalled due to benzene exposure. No other Unilever products have been recalled at this time.
“Based on an independent health hazard evaluation, daily exposure to benzene in the recalled products at the levels detected in testing would not be expected to cause adverse health consequences,” the recall notice reads. “Unilever U.S. is recalling these products out of an abundance of caution.“
As for the cause of the contamination, "an internal investigation identified the propellant as the source, and Unilever has worked with its propellant suppliers to address this issue.”
If you purchased the recalled shampoos and want reimbursement, go to Unileverrecall.com. If you have questions, contact Unilever at 877-270-7412, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Eastern time. If these products or any drugs cause a problem, notify a medical professional first, then let the FDA know via its MedWatch Adverse Event page or by filling out a form you can get by calling 800-332-1088. Then, notify Unilever of the issue.
Previous Benzene Recalls
Late 2021 saw a few benzene-related product recalls from various companies who make personal care products that come in aerosol containers. Edgewell (EPC) issued a recall of Banana Boat Hair & Scalp Sunscreen due to the presence of benzene. Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) also saw traces of benzene in Aveeno and Neutrogena aerosol sunscreen products.
After the J&J recall, CVS (CVS) voluntarily removed two of its store-brand aerosol sunscreen products. And before that, dozens of Procter & Gamble (PG) brands like Herbal Essences, Secret, and Old Spice were recalled for the same reason.
