New Delhi: Unilever Plc has ordered to withdraw aerosol dry shampoo of popular brands including Dove. It was discovered that these shampoo were laced with a chemical called benzene that are carcinogenic in nature.

Voluntary product recall

In a statement by the organization published on the FDA website, it announced a voluntary product recall from the market. The statement read, “Unilever United States today issued a voluntary product recall to the consumer level of select lot codes of dry shampoo aerosol products produced prior to October 2021 from Dove, Nexxus, Suave, TIGI (Rockaholic and Bed Head), and TRESemmé due to potentially elevated levels of benzene.”

Products infused with carcinogens

Informing about Benzene being carcinogenic in nature, the statement read, “Benzene is classified as a human carcinogen. 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. Benzene is ubiquitous in the environment. Humans around the world have daily exposures to it indoors and outdoors from multiple sources.”

Unilever calls this ‘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. Unilever U.S. is recalling these products out of an abundance of caution. Unilever has received no reports of adverse events to date relating to this recall.

The recalled products were distributed nationwide in the United States. Retailers have been notified to remove recalled products from shelves.

A complete list of the affected products produced prior to October 2021 and consumer UPC codes is provided below and can be found here. No other products from Unilever or its brands are impacted by this recall.

Internal investigation launched

An internal investigation identified the propellant as the source, and Unilever has worked with its propellant suppliers to address this issue.

Consumers should stop using the affected aerosol dry shampoo products and visit UnileverRecall.com for instructions on how to receive reimbursement for eligible products. If consumers have further questions, they may also contact Unilever U.S. by calling (877) 270-7412, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. EST.

Adverse reactions can be reported to FDA

Adverse reactions or quality problems experienced with the use of this product may be reported to the FDA’s MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program either online, by regular mail or by fax.

While the FDA hasn’t set benzene limits for cosmetics like dry shampoo, it does say the products shouldn’t contain “any poisonous or deleterious substance.”