Dry Shampoo from Dove, Suave, and More Brands Recalled Due to Benzene
Here's what you need to know.
Dry shampoo can be a great option to perk up hair post-workout or if you've skipped a few wash days. However, you may want to check your medicine cabinets for old canisters. Dry shampoo aerosol products produced by a handful of popular brands prior to October 2021 have recently been recalled due to "potentially elevated levels of benzene," according to a company announcement from Unilever shared by the Food and Drug Administration.
The impacted products are from Dove, Nexxus, Suave, TIGI (Rockaholic and Bed Head), and TRESemmé. If you're concerned you might own an affected product, take a look at the complete list of recalled products from Unilever's press release.
ICYDK, benzene is classified as a human carcinogen that humans can inhale, absorb through skin, or be exposed to orally. It has been linked to cancer and other serious medical conditions. That said, important to note that everyone is exposed to benzene in daily life (it's found in air from gas stations, vehicle exhaust, and tobacco smoke, for example).
This isn't the first time a company has issued a beauty product recall due to benzene. In 2021, Procter & Gamble (P&G) recalled some aerosol dry shampoo and dry conditioner sprays from brands such as Pantene and Herbal Essences due to contamination with benzene. Around the same time, P&G also recalled select spray antiperspirants and deodorants for the same reason. Prior to that, a report found benzene in 78 popular sunscreens, leading to Johnson & Johnson issuing a voluntary recall of five sunscreens from Neutrogena and Aveeno. Most recently, Banana Boat recalled a spray sunscreen due to benzene in August 2022.
The good news is that daily exposure to benzene in the recently recalled dry shampoo products isn't expected to cause health issues, based on an independent evaluation, according to the Unilever announcement. So far, Unilever hasn't received any reports of adverse health event related to the recall. It issued the voluntary recall "out of an abundance of caution," stated the company.
Additionally, an internal investigation found the propellant in the aerosol dry shampoo products was the source of the elevated levels of benzene, and Unilever has addressed the issue with its suppliers.
If you do find an affected product at home, stop using it immediately. You can also visit Unilever's recall site for instructions on how to receive a reimbursement.
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