Unilever recalls 1.5M products that may contain elevated levels of cancer-causing benzene

11/01/2022 / By Belle Carter

Multinational consumer goods company Unilever recently recalled some 1.5 million products that may contain elevated levels of benzene, a human carcinogen strongly linked to leukemia and other life-threatening blood disorders.

The affected goods are aerosols made before October 2021 from brands Dove, Nexxus, Suave, TRESemmé and TIGI (Rockaholic and Bed Head).

“The recalled products were distributed nationwide in the United States. Retailers have been notified to remove recalled products from shelves,” the Unilever USA website stated. “No other products from Unilever or its brands are impacted by this recall.”

The recall was conducted with the knowledge of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Unilever also urged consumers to stop using the affected aerosol dry shampoo products immediately and visit the company website for eligible product reimbursements.

Meanwhile, the company said it had not received any reports of adverse events linked to benzene exposure in the products. It stressed that the move was “out of an abundance of caution.”

Benzene has been classified as a human carcinogen. Exposure to this industrially used chemical, whether by inhalation, orally or through the skin, can result in cancers.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), benzene is used in the creation of plastic, nylon, rubbers, paint and glue products. It can also be found in tobacco smoke, motor vehicle exhaust and industrial emissions. Long-term exposures to the chemical have been linked to severe damage to a person’s blood.

It has also been at the top of the FDA’s list of dangerous solvents.

The recalled items were from the following brands:

Dove Dry Shampoo Volume and Fullness
Dove Dry Shampoo Fresh Coconut
Dove Dry Shampoo Fresh and Floral
Dove Dry Shampoo Ultra Clean
Dove Dry Shampoo Invisible
Dove Dry Shampoo Detox and Purify
Dove Dry Shampoo Clarifying Charcoal
Dove Dry Shampoo Go Active
Nexxus Dry Shampoo Refreshing Mist
Nexxus Inergy Foam Shampoo
Suave Dry Shampoo Hair Refresher
Suave Professionals Dry Shampoo Refresh and Revive
TRESemmé Dry Shampoo Volumizing
TRESemmé Dry Shampoo Fresh and Clean
TRESemmé Pro Pure Dry Shampoo
Bed Head Oh Bee Hive Dry Shampoo
Bed Head Oh Bee Hive Volumizing Dry Shampoo
Bed Head Dirty Secret Dry Shampoo
Bed Head Rockaholic Dirty Secret Dry Shampoo

At least 19 Unilever products recalled in America this year

A number of aerosolized products, including deodorants, conditioners and sunscreens, have been recalled in the past two years over possible contamination. At least 19 beauty and pharmaceutical brands have been affected by recalls in the U.S. this past year alone.

Also, the dry shampoo recall is the second one over possible benzene contamination that Unilever has issued this year. In March, they pulled two Suave 24-hour protection aerosol antiperspirants from the market after an internal review detected the presence of benzene in some product samples.

Last year, another global consumer goods brand Procter & Gamble recalled 32 dry shampoo and conditioner products after detecting benzene in some of them. It was among over half a dozen recalls of products contaminated with the cancer-causing chemical.

Also last year, Big Pharma company Johnson & Johnson issued a recall for five of its aerosol sunscreens after finding trace amounts of benzene in them. (Related: Cancer-causing chemical benzene found in Johnson & Johnson sunscreen products.)

Visit CancerCriminals.com for more stories about products that contain carcinogens.

Watch this video that talks about P&G recalling dry shampoos and conditioners containing benzene.

This video is from the channel theDTrain on Brighteon.com.