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Deodorant and antiperspirant recall: What the discovery of carcinogenic benzene means for you


Several other brands have yet to be recalled, including batches of Tag, Sure, Equate, Suave, Right Guard, and Brut. level of benzene David Light, CEO and founder of Valisure, the independent lab that has run the tests and filed petitions, said at or above 2 parts per million.

Additional batches of deodorants and antiperspirants, which Valisure says have tested at up to 2 parts per million, include Summer’s Eve, Right Guard, Power Stick, Soft & Dri and Victoria’s Secret products. Now, CNN was unable to verify that any of these products except Old Spice and Secret have been recalled below Validity’s early November that request came into effect with the FDA.

CNN has reached out to all of these companies for feedback. The Village Company, which makes Soft & Dri, declined to comment. Unilever, which makes Suave, told CNN in an email: “Unilever takes all safety concerns seriously and we are conducting a vigorous investigation into the claims made by Valisure against two Suave antiperspirant spray.”

CNN did not receive a response from the rest of the brands prior to the announcement, but the Personal Care Products Council, an industry association that protects 600 consumer product companies, released this information. declare.

“Benzene is not an ingredient intentionally added in body spray products; however, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as well as the product manufacturers, are aware of it. that it may be present in very low concentrations in medicinal and food products,” the PCPC wrote.

“PCPC and its member companies are firmly committed to ensuring that consumers have access to cosmetics and personal care products with ingredients that have been thoroughly tested for safety and adhere to regulatory requirements. required by law,” the statement said. “Companies and individuals have a legal responsibility to ensure their products and ingredients are safe for their intended use.”

Detected high levels of benzene

Benzene is created by both natural and man-made processes. Follow US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
It is also used to make a variety of “plastics, lubricants, rubber, dyes, detergents, drugs and pesticides”. according to the American Cancer Society.
Exposure can be dangerous, by increasing “the risk of developing leukemia and other blood disorders,” According to the National Cancer Institute.
Image of the sprays contained in the voluntary antiperspirant Recall.
Exposure to high levels of benzene in the air can be fatal, and if “you spill benzene on your skin, it can cause redness and sores.” According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). “Benzene in your eyes can cause general irritation and damage your cornea.”

During the recall, P&G said it had no reports of adverse reactions, adding that “daily exposure to benzene in the recalled products at levels detected in our testing I will not cause adverse health consequences.”

However, Valisure’s tests showed an association with benzene levels in some batches of P&G products. The heaviest contamination – two batches of Old Spice antiperspirant called Pure Sport (Lots 11671458SQ and 11671458SB; UPC 01204401912) – contained 17.7 and 17.4 parts on average per million benzene, said David Light, CEO Valisure said.

“This is almost nine times the upper limit of 2 parts per million that the FDA has set for emergency use,” Light said.

Secret Powder Fresh, 24 HR Aerosol (Lots 11721458SG and 11701458SH; UPC 037000711087) has about 16 parts per million on average, tests show.

“With the spray, you can use it every day, maybe in an enclosed space like the bathroom,” says Light.

The company tested the product with the highest benzene content (Old Spice Pure Sport with 17.7 ppm) in a closed bathroom, spraying once on each arm as a consumer would do. By doing so, you “could bring the air in the entire bathroom up to 15 times the limit that the EPA has said increases the risk of leukemia,” says Light.

How does the product get contaminated?

In overall testing, benzene levels varied widely between batches, even within a single brand, Valisure noted, while initial analysis of at least one sample of 49 batches of body sprays from 19 Different brands show no benzene.

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In total, “24 lots of body spray products from 8 different brands contained benzene from 2.24 to 17.7 ppm; 14 lots from 8 brands contained detectable benzene from 0.20 to 1, 89 ppm; and 21 lots from 8 brands of detectable benzene at Press Release.

None of the products have benzene, experts say, so the only way the chemical could have been introduced is through a manufacturing error – or by introducing the chemical into the body.

One possibility is that the benzene could come from ingredients like hydrofluorocarbon 152a, butane, isobutane, propane and alcohol used to push the spray onto the skin, Valisure said.

“Our investigation revealed traces of benzene came from the propellant that sprayed the product out of the can,” said Kate DiCarlo, senior communications director for P&G Personal Care.

“Due to the highly specialized nature of aerosol products, we use a manufacturing partner to manufacture these products,” continued Dicarlo. “That manufacturing partner has identified an issue with their propellant supply and is taking additional measures to address the issue identified in the investigation.

“Once the recall is complete, we are preparing to move the new product that meets our quality standards to our warehouse shelves.”

Other products with benzene

Is avoiding propellants in aerosol products the answer to minimizing risk? Possibly, experts say. However, Valisure also found higher levels of benzene in non-aerosol body odor products, including powders and sticks, Light said.

“I think there is good evidence that propellant is a significant source of this contamination but there are many different potential sources in the raw materials used to make the product,” says Light.

David Andrews, senior scientist with the Environmental Working Group (EWG), an environmental and consumer non-profit organization, said: “Contaminants can remain in the manufacturing environment as a result of the use of the product. use certain chemicals, equipment, or containers. health advocacy group.

“We need independent analysis as part of the overall supply chain. It’s really important to find these issues before they hit the shelves,” Light added.

Benzene is also found in other consumer products. The FDA advised consumers not to use certain hand sanitizers early in the pandemic due to high solvent levels, and this summer Johnson & Johnson (J&J) voluntarily withdrew four brands of Neutrogena sunscreens and one Aveeno brand. after Valisure’s lab detected alarming levels of benzene and filed a complaint with the FDA.
Sunscreen recall: What the discovery of cancer-causing chemicals means for you
CVS Health and Coppertone also voluntarily stopped selling certain sunscreens or aftercare products due to similar findings. But Light said that to the best of his knowledge, other sunscreens and post-sun cosmetics, which also tested positive for the toxin, are still marketed.
Dr Christopher Bunick, associate professor of dermatology at Yale University, said: “There is no safe level of benzene that can exist in sunscreen products. Press Release at that time. “Even benzene at 0.1 ppm (parts per million) in sunscreen can expose people to nanograms of too high of benzene.”
However, the majority of sunscreens that have been tested, no benzeneand experts emphasize The importance of using sunscreen to protect skin from the aging and cancerous effects of the sun.
Sunscreens tested by Valisure just a small sample out of more 11,000 registered sun care products on the market.

In response to Valisure’s petition for sunscreens, the FDA told CNN it is “evaluating and evaluating the information provided in citizen petitions of this type and, generally, initiating a process.” independent testers and verifiers.”

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