The industry standard for quick cures in the cosmetics sector is dry shampoo. Without the need for water, dry shampoo, which is available in powder form, can be swiftly sprayed from the can to reduce grease. But before you buy it, think again if you already have a bottle of Dove dry shampoo in your shampoo cart.
Dove dry shampoo was recently removed off the US market by the FDA authorities following the discovery that some of its variants contained carcinogens including benzene. Customers were informed of the products’ carcinogenic risks before they were taken off the market on October 21.
About the US market’s product recall
Unilever reportedly asserted that Dove and other dry shampoo brands are tainted with the cancer-causing substance benzene, according to a Bloomberg report. On its list of recalled goods, the consumer goods company also includes names including Nexxus, Suave, Tresemmé, Rockaholic, and Bed Head dry shampoo manufacturer Tigi, according to a formal notification posted on the Food and Drug Administration website on Friday. According to media reports, the recalled goods were produced before to October 2021.
The main cause of the problem with aerosols appears to be the propellants that are used to spray the products from the cans. Unilever claims that this is what happened when it recalled dry shampoo. The corporation has not disclosed the amount of benzene that was found in the items.
When it identified Benzene in sunscreens in May 2021, an analytical lab by the name of Valisure, New Heaven, made a related finding. As a result, numerous items from well-known manufacturers were taken off the shelves, including Banana Boat by Edgewell Personal Care Co., Coppertone by Beiersdorf AG, and Neutrogena by Johnson & Johnson.
What are these compounds that cause cancer?
Benzene, which is classified as a human carcinogen, can be ingested, inhaled, or come into contact with the skin. It carries a considerable risk for leukaemia and bone marrow blood cancers. Benzene is eaten by individuals every day from a variety of sources all around the world, according to many publications.
Unilever Plc did not specify the amount of benzene in the products, but it did say that it has voluntarily recalled some dry shampoo brands. Because the recalled products were sold across the entire country of the United States, the stores have been instructed to remove them from the shelves.
The propellants used to spray personal care items from cans in aerosols appear to be the primary culprit in the issue. This, according to Unilever, is what brought about the dry shampoo recall. The company merely mentioned that it was recalling the products out of an excess of caution and did not specify how much benzene was in them.
Propane and butane are petroleum distillates produced by refining crude oil that are commonly included in spray-on personal care products like dry shampoo. A well-known petroleum product contaminant is benzoene. Propellers are a known potential source of benzene contamination, according to the FDA.
Does this impact Indian products as well?
Customers in India shouldn’t worry because Hindustan Unilever (HUL) has stated that it neither makes nor sells dry shampoos in that country. Despite the fact that the corporation exports its products to over a thousand nations, India is not concerned about this issue.
Unilever US and Canada voluntarily recalled specified lot codes of dry shampoo manufactured before October 2021 after an internal research found elevated amounts of benzene out of an abundance of caution. According to an independent assessment of health risks, the levels of benzene found do not pose a risk to human health, according to a HUL representative.