Concerningly high quantities of benzene, a cancer-causing substance, have been identified in several brands and samples of dry shampoo products. According to a recent report by an independent US-based laboratory called Valisure.
According to its findings, 11 samples had levels that were more than ten times higher than the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s drug limit of 2 parts per million (ppm).
Certain aerosol dry shampoos, such as certain Dove, Nexxus, Suave, TIGI, and TRESemmé products, were voluntarily recalled last month due to the presence of benzene.
David Light, Valisure’s Chief Executive Officer, and Qian Wu, Valisure’s Head of Global Analytics, filed a citizen petition to the FDA on Monday, stating that 70% of samples examined revealed “quantifiable” amounts of benzene in 148 batches from 34 multiple products of dry shampoos.
The petition requests that the FDA immediately recalls the concerned batches of benzene-containing items, as well as further clarify limitations for benzene contamination in other products.
Both natural and artificial processes produce benzene. Volcanoes and forest fires are natural producers of benzene, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website states, while it is also a natural component of crude oil, gasoline, and cigarette smoke.
According to the American Cancer Society, the major cause of people being exposed to the chemical is through breathing in benzene-containing air.
