Valisure, an independent laboratory, has filed an FDA Citizen Petition on its findings of benzene, a known human carcinogen, in "several brands and batches of dry shampoo".
Of 24 different brands it tested, it said 70% of the 148 batches of products "contained quantifiable benzene". Valisure said that "analysis of contaminated spray from some batches resulted in up to 170 times the emergency FDA limit of 2 parts per million (ppm)."
It added that the highest detection was 340 ppm from the ~analysis of contaminated spray in a batch of Not Your Mother’s branded dry shampoo". It went on to name brands in which "benzene was detected at 2ppm or higher" as "Paul Mitchell, Sun Bum, Batiste, Sebastian, Redken, dp Hue, OGX, Sol de Janeiro, Klorane and IGK."
Valisure said its detection of benzene in dry shampoo builds upon the growing list of the company’s detection of benzene in consumer products, including Valisure’s March 24, 2021, Citizen Petition on benzene contamination in hand sanitiser, its May 24, 2021, Citizen Petition on benzene contamination in sunscreens and its November 4, 2021 Citizen Petition on benzene contamination in body sprays.
These findings were followed by recalls of major brands, including Johnson & Johnson NEUTROGENA and AVEENO® Sunscreen, P&G Old Spice and Secret Body Sprays, and Best Brands Consumer Products Mickey Mouse and The Mandalorian Sunscreens, and most recently, Unilever Dove, Nexxus, Suave, TIGI and TRESemmé Dry Shampoos.
“The detection of high levels of benzene in dry shampoos should be cause for significant concern since these products are likely used indoors, where benzene may linger and be inhaled for prolonged periods of time,” said David Light, CEO of Valisure. “These and other issues identified by Valisure, including the detection of benzene in body spray, hand sanitizer and sunscreen products, strongly underscore the importance of independent testing and its need to be better integrated into an increasingly complex and vulnerable global supply chain.”
FDA Citizen Petition filed due to benzene levels in “several” dry shampoo brands
