Officials have announced a recall of several skin-care products due to the presence of a chemical that can cause cancer.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) recall affects over-the-counter acne treatments sold in stores and online, Newsweek reported Thursday, noting sellers were told to remove the products from shelves.
The chemical found in the products was identified as benzene, which is associated with certain cancers, per the NIH National Cancer Institute’s website.
The site said, “Exposure to benzene increases the risk of developing leukemia and other blood disorders.”
According to Newsweek, the recall is in regard to several benzoyl peroxide-based acne products. “While benzene is not an intentional ingredient in these products, it can form as a byproduct of the manufacturing process,” the article read.
The outlet then listed the recalled products as La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo Dual Action Acne Treatment by L’Oreal, Walgreens Acne Control Cleanser, Proactiv+ Emergency Blemish Relief Cream Benzoyl Peroxide 5%, Proactiv Skin Smoothing Exfoliator, SLMD Benzoyl Peroxide Acne Lotion, and Walgreens Tinted Acne Treatment Cream.
The FDA said the companies voluntarily agreed to take action in the recall.
“It is important to note the recalls are being conducted at the retail level, not the consumer level. This means retailers are instructed to remove products from store shelves and online marketplaces but does not specifically instruct consumers to take actions regarding products currently in their possession,” the agency’s announcement read.
“Even with daily use of these products for decades, the risk of a person developing cancer because of exposure to benzene found in these products is very low,” it continued.
In 2022, L’Oréal was sued due to claims its chemical hair straightening products increased women’s risk of uterine cancer, CNN reported at the time.
“Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, counsel Diandra ‘Fu’ Debrosse Zimmermann and others filed a lawsuit Friday in Illinois on behalf of 32-year-old Missouri resident Jenny Mitchell, claiming that Mitchell’s uterine cancer ‘was directly and proximately caused by her regular and prolonged exposure to phthalates and other endocrine disrupting chemicals found in Defendants’ hair care products,'” the article said.
