Benzene, cancerous chemical, found in 70% of shampoos, study says
A new study by researchers in the United States of America (USA) suggests that dry shampoos contain detectable levels of benzene, a cancer-causing chemical.
Random samples of different products found on grocery store shelves and sold by online retailers across the country were tested, with “70 percent” found to contain benzene.
Valisure, “an independent laboratory and partner for quality that provides increased transparency and quality assurance throughout the healthcare industry”, announced the development in a statement.
“70% of samples tested by Valisure in its recently filed FDA Citizen Petition showed quantifiable levels of benzene, and some samples analyzed directly from contaminated air suggest the sprayed product contained up to 170 times the conditionally restricted FDA concentration limit of 2 parts per million (ppm) (intended for certain drugs, when the use of benzene is unavoidable to produce a product that has a significant therapeutic advance),” Valisure said.
“11 samples tested by Valisure showed over 10 times this FDA limit. These findings are the highest and most broadly detected levels of benzene observed by Valisure to-date in a consumer product category.”
Benzene is a widely used industrial chemical found in crude oil and is a major part of gasoline; it is also a known carcinogen (cancer-causing agent) that is linked to leukemia and other blood disorders.
The chemical damages body cells when inhaled or absorbed over an extended period, which can have negative implications on a person’s health.
Some effects of inhaling high concentration of benzene in the short term include dizziness, headaches, irregular heartbeat, and, in certain circumstances, death.
It can also damage the immune system by altering blood levels of antibodies, killing off white blood cells and limiting production of red blood cells.
Benzene levels varied by bottles, but nine were found to have at least 10 times the legal limit.
The research comes after millions of bottles of dry shampoo bottles from Dove, TRESemme and Bed Head were recalled across America last week after they were found to contain Benzene.
People who purchased the shampoos were urged to stop using them and visit the Unilever — the conglomerate that manufactured them — website for a full refund.