Carcinogenic chemical benzene found in hundreds of US personal care products

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Hundreds of personal care items were tested in the US and results revealed they are contaminated with benzene, a highly carcinogenic chemical, forcing several brands to recall large amounts of products already in the market. 

Valisure found benzene in hand sanitizers, sunscreens, deodorants, dry shampoos, conditioners, antiperspirants, deodorants, body sprays, and antifungal treatments last year. The contamination has been found most frequently in aerosol or spray items, with some levels deemed "life-threatening" by the Food and Drug Administration.

According to David Light, Valisure's CEO, the findings indicate that benzene contamination is widespread and is likely in other items that have not yet been analyzed.

“Benzene really shouldn’t be there at all,” he said. “What we’re seeing is a fundamental problem in the manufacturing of a lot of consumer products.” To date, Valisure has tested 662 items and found the chemical in 180, or about 27% of products.

Procter & Gamble, Bayer, CVS, and Johnson & Johnson have issued voluntary recalls for widely distributed brands including Brut, Sure, Pantene, Herbal Essences, Old Spice, Secret, Tinactin, Lotrimin, Coppertone, Neutrogena, and Aveeno. Among the recalled hand sanitizer brands are Art Naturals, Best Brands, and Natural Wunderz.

Light cited "decades of research" that revealed no acceptable levels of benzene exposure since it is so deadly at such low concentrations. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, the petroleum-based chemical "causes cancer," particularly leukemia and in blood-forming organs. The toxin has also been proven to have negative effects on the central nervous system and reproductive organs.

Benzene ingredient banned 

Nearly 45 years ago, the US banned benzene as an ingredient, and it is "somewhat unique in that it's pretty well established to be incredibly toxic - that's been known for decades to over a century," said David Andrews, senior scientist at the public health advocate Environmental Working Group. 

Advocates accused the Food and Drug Administration of failing to do more to protect the public. In a December statement, the agency said it’s investigating the situation, doing its own testing, and urged companies to recall contaminated products.

Light cited "decades of research" that revealed no acceptable levels of benzene exposure since it is so deadly at such low concentrations. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, the petroleum-based chemical "causes cancer," particularly leukemia and in blood-forming organs. The toxin has also been proven to have negative effects on the central nervous system and reproductive organs.

Because federal regulations allow benzene to be used in the manufacture of personal care items, it may end up in goods even if it is not mentioned as an ingredient. In emergency cases, such as a pandemic, or if it gives "substantial therapeutic" benefits, benzene can also be used.

In such scenarios, the FDA’s limit is two parts per million, but some products that provided no therapeutic advantage were found with levels as high as 21 ppm.

How is benzene contaminating products? 

Companies claim they aren’t adding it to their formulas, and the FDA theorized that it’s probably in contaminated thickening agents, preservatives, spray propellant, or ethanol.

In numerous situations, Valisure discovered that one batch of a product included benzene while another batch of the same product did not. This shows the complexities and lack of monitoring in the worldwide supply networks used to manufacture personal care goods.

In numerous situations, Valisure discovered that one batch of a product included benzene while another batch of the same product did not. This shows the complexities and lack of monitoring in the worldwide supply networks used to manufacture personal care goods.

Valisure discovered benzene most commonly in body sprays, which include deodorants and antiperspirants: it was identified in nearly half of the 108 items from 30 different brands. Sure, Old Spice, Secret, Equate, Right Guard, Tag, and Brut had the greatest levels.

Valisure examined approximately 300 sunscreens or after-sun products and discovered measurable quantities in 77, or roughly 27%, of the samples. Neutrogena, CVS, Sun Bum, Raw Elements, and Banana Boat were among those having the highest levels. Though spray-on sunscreen was determined to be the most frequently contaminated, the chemical was also identified in lotions and gels.

The highest levels of benzene were identified in tiny brands that appeared as demand for the product increased, according to Valisure's hand sanitizer investigation. 44, or roughly 17 percent, of 260 samples from 168 brands offered on Amazon, at pharmacies, and at big-box stores like Target had detectable levels of benzene. The chemical was not found in products from well-known brands such as Purell and Suave.