Study Reveals Dry Shampoos Consist Of Harmful Benzene Which Can Cause Cancer

In 70% of the dry shampoo samples tested, benzene levels were found to be high. Petroleum products are found as inactive components in consumer health and personal care products such as dry shampoo.

According to a new study, a recognised carcinogen may be more prevalent in dry shampoo than previously thought. Valisure, an independent laboratory in New Haven, Connecticut that tests and conducts quality assurance checks on various products, tested 148 different batches of dry shampoo from 34 different manufacturers.

Benzene levels were found to be excessive in 70% of the dry shampoo samples tested. Benzene has been linked to cancer.

Dry shampoos, which are used as a fast cure between washes, are becoming a growing cause of concern, with more of the aerosol spray-on products being tainted with a cancer-causing ingredient, according to new research released this week. 

Benzene, the contaminant that caused nationwide recalls of Unilever and Procter & Gamble dry shampoos, is now turning up in goods that are still on shop shelves. According to the latest study, this includes popular spray-on shampoos such as Church & Dwight's Batiste and DeMert Brand's Not Your Mother's.

Even within a single brand, the amount of benzene in the samples varied dramatically from batch to batch. Some air samples polluted with the sprayed product contained up to 170 times the US Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) standard of 2 parts per million (ppm)Trusted Source. Eleven of these samples exceeded the limit by more than tenfold.

Valisure is requesting that the FDA recall tainted dry shampoo batches and that the FDA further specify limits for benzene contamination in products such as cosmetics.

What Is Benzene?

Benzene is a colourless chemical that is mostly employed as a solvent.

According to the United States' National Cancer Institute, benzene levels can be detected in cigarette smoke, adhesives, cleaning chemicals, and paint strippers.

It is also present in many petroleum products.

In consumer health and personal care goods such as dry shampoo, petroleum products appear as inactive components.

What Can Be The Health Effects Of Exposure To Benzene?

According to the Centres For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC), Benzene works by causing cells not to work correctly. For example, it can cause bone marrow not to produce enough red blood cells, which can lead to anemia. Also, it can damage the immune system by changing blood levels of antibodies and causing the loss of white blood cells.

The CDC also pointed out the following long-term effects of exposure to Benzene: 

The main effect of benzene from long-term exposure is on the blood. (Long-term exposure is a year or more of exposure.) Benzene is toxic to the bone marrow and can induce a reduction in red blood cells, leading to anemia. It can also induce excessive bleeding and weaken the immune system, raising the risk of infection.

Some women who inhaled high quantities of benzene for several months experienced irregular menstrual cycles and a decrease in the size of their ovaries. It is unknown whether benzene exposure affects the developing foetus in pregnant women or male fertility.

Human cancer is caused by benzene, according to the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). Long-term benzene exposure in the air can lead to leukemia, a cancer of the blood-forming organs.

In a hospital, benzene poisoning is treated with supportive medical care. There is no known antidote for benzene poisoning. The most crucial thing is that sufferers get medical attention as quickly as possible. The severity of benzene poisoning is determined by the amount, route, and length of time of exposure, as well as the exposed person's age and preexisting medical condition, according to the CDC.