Unilever recently announced a voluntary recall of 19 popular dry shampoo aerosol products sold in the United States over concerns about benzene, a chemical known to cause cancer.
Exposure to benzene, which is classified as a human carcinogen, can be through inhalation, ingestion, or through skin contact and can lead to cancer, including leukemia and blood cancer, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services.
unilever
Unilever USA has issued a consumer-level voluntary product recall for select lot numbers of dry shampoo aerosol products manufactured by Dove, Nexxus, Suave, TIGI (Rockaholic and Bed Head) and TRESemmé prior to October 2021 due to potentially elevated benzene levels.
People are exposed to benzene daily through things like tobacco smoke and cleaning products, but exposure can be considered hazardous depending on the dose and length of exposure, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Unilever said it was withdrawing the products “out of caution” and that the company has not yet received any reports of adverse events related to the recall.
The recalled products were manufactured prior to October 2021 and retailers have been notified to remove the affected products from their shelves.
A full list of affected products and consumer codes can be found here. No other Unilever products or its brands are affected by this recall, the company said in a press release.
The list of affected products includes:
Dove dry shampoo volume and dullness
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 Activated Charcoal
Dove Dry Shampoo Go Active
Nexxus Dry Shampoo Refreshing Mist
Nexxus Inergy Foam Shampoo
Suave Dry Shampoo Hair Freshener
Suave Professionals dry shampoo refreshes and invigorates
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
The recall is being conducted with the knowledge of the US Food and Drug Administration. Unilever urged consumers to immediately stop using the affected aerosol dry shampoo products and visit the company’s website for eligible product refunds.