Researchers at a Connecticut laboratory report that 7 out of 10 dry shampoos tested — still on grocery store shelves today — contain detectable levels of the cancer-causing chemical benzene, even after a recall of a dozen popular brands was already issued.
In a "Citizen Petition," Valisure, a Connecticut-based laboratory, reports that it tested 148 dry shampoos from 34 brands and found that 70% contained benzene. The chemical is known to cause certain blood cancers, such as leukemia.
The company filed its petition with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Monday in an attempt to recall the benzene-containing products.
Among those found to have the highest amount of the carcinogen was a bottle of Not Your Mother's Beach Babe Toasted Coconut, which had 79 times the recommended level in the first spray.
Valisure CEO David Light, according to the Daily Mail, said the findings should be "cause for significant concern" because people likely use the products indoors, where benzene "may linger and be inhaled."
"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," Light added.
Responding to the Mail, the FDA says that "manufacturers are responsible for the safety and quality of their products. The FDA encourages companies and retailers to remove their products from store shelves and online marketplaces when benzene is detected.
"Consumers should immediately stop using any drug and cosmetic products that have been recalled."
This is a partial list of dry shampoos containing benzene still on shelves today:
- Not Your Mother's, Beach Babe, Toasted Coconut
- Not Your Mother's, Clean Freak Original
- Not Your Mother's, Clean Freak Unscented
- Not Your Mother's, Blonde Moment Dry Shampoo
- Paul Mitchell Invisiblewear Brunette Dry Shampoo
- Sun Bum Beach Formula Dry Shampoo
- Batiste, Dry Shampoo Bare
- Batiste, Dry Shampoo Clean and Light Bare
- Sebastian, Dry Clean Only Dry Shampoo
But among those tested containing no trace amounts of benzene were products from L'Oreal, Philosophy, and American Crew.