Proctor & Gamble has recalled 32 of its aerosol dry shampoo and dry conditioner haircare products due to contamination with carcinogen benzene. In this post, I’ll try to give you a quick rundown of the situation as well as answer some questions you may have.
what is benzene?
Benzene is a chemical that occurs in nature from sources like volcanos and forest fires. It is also introduced into our environment from sources such as car exhaust and cigarette smoke. It is widely used in the manufacturing of goods such as plastics, paints, lubricants and many other things. It is classified as a carcinogen and has been known to be harmful to humans for a long time. In the United States, government agencies regulate benzene exposure for workers and concentration in products where benzene is considered unavoidable.
what are the side effects of benzene exposure?
Side effects may be mild or severe and may vary with short or long term exposure. Milder side effects may include skin, eye, and lung irritation, dizziness and drowsiness. More serious complications may include tremors and unconsciousness. Very high exposure may even result in death. Long term risks include blood diseases and disorders, including an elevated risk for leukemia and other cancers.
why is benzene in these haircare products?
Benzene is a manufacturing issue. It is not a desirable ingredient in any consumer product. It is not put there intentionally by the manufacturer. It’s a contaminant. It appears in this case Proctor & Gamble found benzene in the propellants which spray the products from the cans.
how was the benzene discovered?
In 2021 independent pharmaceutical testing company Valisure made headlines several times for finding high levels of benzene in consumer products. Valisure has published findings about hand sanitizers, sunscreens, and aerosol antiperspirant/deodorant products. I’ll leave some links to some of the studies at the end of the this post.
After having contaminated products named in the November 2021 study Valisure conducted on aerosol body sprays, Proctor & Gamble started testing their entire portfolio of aerosol products out of concern for contamination. This led to the discovery of benzene in the recalled hair care products.
is benzene in other hair care products on the market?
There is no reason to assume that all aerosol hair care products are contaminated with benzene at this time. However, I believe we would be remiss to dismiss the possibility that there may be more contaminated products that we don’t know about. Valisures findings on other personal care products such as sunscreens showed multiple brands and product types affected, which indicates benzene contamination could be a broad issue across the spectrum of personal care products. As far as I know, there hasn’t been a broad study done on benzene in haircare products. Without the data to confirm or deny, we are really just guessing.
are salon quality products safer than these drugstore brands?
As a professional hairstylist, I appreciate high quality ingredients and formulas that are targeted to deliver specific results to my clients. However, I try to defer to science and logic instead of marketing and profit motive when it comes to discussing and recommending products. While there are many reasons I may genuinely choose to recommend salon quality products to consumers, this broad guarantee of “safety” is not one of them.
Without the tests and data to back it up, I cannot guarantee that the dry shampoos on salon shelves are free of benzene (or anything else, for that matter). If there are contaminated raw ingredients in the supply chain which is shared by multiple brands, logic tells us there is a possibility of wide spread contamination. There is no reason to panic or incite fear over an entire category of products, but I think it’s important to be honest with out clients and speak from an educated perspective. It’s okay to say “we don’t know”.
Some beauty professionals will take this opportunity to wage war on non-professional hair products with statements such as “This is why we tell you not to use Pantene!” or “Drugstore products are filled with toxic junk like this, you should only be buying products from a salon.” I think this is very unfortunate. Participating in fear mongering and spreading misinformation with broad dismissive statements is very irresponsible and reflects poorly on professionals in our industry.
should I stop using my dry shampoo?
If you are using a product that is part of a recall, it is absolutely wise to cease use and dispose of the product in accordance with local regulations. Visit brand websites for information on how to receive reimbursement for recalled products.
If you aren’t using a recalled product but still feeling a bit uneasy about the unknown, you can switch to a non aerosol formula or even DIY a simple dry shampoo at home with ingredients such as arrowroot powder or cornstarch. Your satisfaction with these may vary, but it may offer some peace of mind.
If you want to continue using aerosol dry shampoos, it’s always been recommended to follow some basic precautions. It’s best to apply your product in a well ventilated area and reduce inhalation during the application and while the product settles from the air. Remember to wash your hands after massaging or brushing dry shampoo through your hair.
final thoughts?
Overall, I think this is a teachable moment and a good reminder that we can’t always know what is in our products. There is some amount of risk we assume with everything we put on or into our bodies and it’s up to each of us to assess that risk to the best of our abilities.
It reminds us of the importance of keeping up with product recalls and future updates that may be relevant to our health. It brings attention to the need for more testing of consumer products and better regulations of harmful chemicals like benzene.
Only time will tell us if more haircare products have been contaminated with benzene. Perhaps with enough investigation, the contaminant(s) in the supply chain will be identified and traced to the source. Once identified, something can be done about it. I hope we will see more companies stepping up to do proactive testing on their own products as P&G has done. I also hope we will see improvements in testing and safety in the manufacturing of personal care products.
DISCLAIMER: Please be sure to refer to the appropriate government agencies for information on benzene as well as information on recalled products. This post is not intended as medical advice and I am in no way affiliated with any of the brands or agencies mentioned in this post. This is simply for informational purposes and shares my own personal opinions.