FMCG giant Unilever has voluntarily recalled several brands of dry shampoo aerosol products, including Dove and Tresemmé, after having discovered that they contained “potentially elevated levels of benzene,” a chemical that can cause cancer.
Among other brands, the company has also recalled Nexxus, Suave and TIGI, which makes Rockaholic and Bed Head dry shampoos.
Why are they recalling the products?
According to a communique by Unilever US on the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) website on Friday, the voluntary recall is for select brands of dry shampoo aerosol products produced before October 2021.
Unilever said an internal investigation had identified the propellant as the source of the problem with aerosols. Propellants are used to spray the personal-care products from the cans.
To address the issue, Unilever has worked with the propellant suppliers. The company did not mention the amount of benzene found in the products but said it was recalling them as “an abundance of caution”.
According to the US FDA, exposure to benzene can lead to leukaemia and other blood cancers.
Earlier findings
This is not the first time that safety concerns have been raised about aerosols in personal-care products. In the past one and a half years, aerosol sunscreens such as Johnson & Johnson’s Neutrogena and Beiersdorf AG’s Coppertone have been pulled from the shelves. Spray-on antiperspirants such as Procter & Gamble Co.’s Secret and Old Spice and Unilever’s Suave have also been recalled, Bloomberg reported.
The recalls came after a Connecticut-based analytical lab called Valisure reported findings of benzene in such products starting in May 2021.
In December 2021, P&G recalled its Pantene and Herbal Essences dry shampoos, citing benzene contamination.
What is benzene?
Benzene is an organic chemical compound, which appears colourless or light yellow liquid at room temperature. The chemical is highly inflammable and evaporates into the air very quickly. It is used in industries to make nylon, plastics, and synthetic fibres. Benzene is also used in some lubricants, drugs, pesticides, dyes, detergents and rubbers. It is a natural part of petroleum, crude oil, gasoline, and cigarette smoke.
Benzene is not safe for humans and is known to cause cancer, according to the American Cancer Society.
Does this concern you?
Unilever’s Indian subsidiary Hindustan Unilever (HUL) has said it does not manufacture or sell dry shampoos in India. However, various variants of Dove dry shampoo such as Dove Dry Shampoo, Fresh Coconut, and Dove Dry Shampoo Spray, Fresh & Floral, are available on shopping portals like Amazon.
Dove dry shampoo sprays, manufactured by Unilever in the US, are imported and marketed in India by a company called United Distributors which is based in Bengaluru, India Today reported.
(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)
