Unilever recalls Dove, other dry shampoos in the US. 10 points
- Unilever did not release the amount of benzene found in the products, though said it was recalling them out of an abundance of caution.
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Unilever Plc has recalled popular brands of aerosol dry shampoo, including Dove and Tresemmé after discovering they were contaminated with a chemical called benzene that can cause cancer. The company has recalled other brands as well such as Nexxus, Suave and Tigi which makes Rockaholic and Bed Head dry shampoos.
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Here's all you need to know about the controversy:
- Unilever said the problem with aerosols has largely appeared to be from the propellants used to spray the personal-care products from the cans.
- Unilever did not release the amount of benzene found in the products, though said it was recalling them out of an abundance of caution.
- The US FDA said the exposure to benzene can result in leukemia and other blood cancers.
- This isn’t the first time spray-on dry shampoo has been identified as a problem. P&G recalled its Pantene and Herbal Essences dry shampoos in December, citing benzene contamination.
- The move once again raises questions about the safety of aerosols in personal-care products. According to Bloomberg news, a number of aerosol sunscreens have been pulled from shelves in the past year and a half, such as Johnson & Johnson’s Neutrogena, Edgewell Personal Care Co.’s Banana Boat and Beiersdorf AG’s Coppertone along with spray-on antiperspirants like Procter & Gamble Co.’s Secret and Old Spice and Unilever’s Suave.
- The recalls of beauty products were set off by findings of benzene in such products by an analytical lab called Valisure, based in New Haven, Connecticut.
- Spray-on personal-care products like dry shampoos often contain propellants like propane and butane, which are petroleum distillates made by refining crude oil.
- Benzene is a known contaminant of petroleum products. The FDA has confirmed propellants are a potential source of benzene contamination.
- 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."
- What is dry shampoo? Dry shampoo is a product to absorb the dirt, oil and grease of your scalp without washing it. It usually come in a spray bottle. They are made with a base of alcohol or starch. According to webmd, when you spray the dry shampoo into your hair, the alcohol or starch soaks up oil and grease, making it look cleaner.
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