FDA issues massive recall of dry shampoo due to possible cancer-causing chemical

• The FDA issued a recall of certain dry shampoos sold in the US.
• The recall is due to the possible presence of cancer-causing chemicals.
• Dove, Suave, Bed Head, TRESemmé are among affected brands.

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a recall of certain dry shampoos sold in the United States due to the possible presence of carcinogenic chemicals, reported Click On Detroit.

Unilever, which owns brands including Dove, Nexxus and Suave, has issued a voluntary recall of dry shampoo products due to potentially elevated levels of benzene, a chemical known to cause cancer.

FDA orders recall of dry shampoo

On October 18, 2022, Unilever United States issued  a consumer-level voluntary product recall of select lot codes of dry shampoo spray products produced before October 2021 from Dove, Nexxus, Suave, TIGI (Rockaholic and Bed Head) and TRESemmé due to potentially elevated levels of benzene.

The FDA indicated that the company is recalling these products out of an abundance of caution. “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 FDA said.

What are the risks of benzene?

Benzene is classified as a human carcinogen. Exposure to benzene can occur by inhalation, by mouth, and through the skin and can cause cancers, such as leukemia and blood cancer, cancer of the bone marrow, and blood disorders that can be life-threatening.

Benzene is ubiquitous in the environment. Humans around the world have daily indoor and outdoor exposures from multiple sources, according to information published by the FDA. “Unilever has received no reports of adverse events to date related to this recall,” the agency said.