Avoid Using These Shampoos Recalled Due To Cancer Risk

If you or someone in your family uses dry shampoo or conditioner, you may want to check the brand, just to be safe.

According to the Food and Drug Administration, consumer goods company Proctor & Gamble is issuing a voluntary recall on 32 of its dry shampoo and conditioner products after detecting benzene, a known carcinogen, in some of them.

Some of the company's most famous brands of aerosol dry shampoos and conditioners will be discontinued due to the presence of benzene. Brands such as Old Spice, Pantene, and Herbal Essences, to name a few.

According to the FDA, exposure to benzene can occur by inhalation, orally, and through the skin and it can result in cancers including leukemia and blood cancer of the bone marrow and blood disorders which can be life-threatening.

Luckily, as of now at least, Procter & Gamble said that it had not received any reports that the recalled products had caused negative effects, and was issuing the recall out of caution.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that Benzene is a liquid chemical that has a sweet odor and is flammable. You may remember approximately a month ago Proctor & Gamble issued a similar recall of 18 antiperspirant products from its Old Spice and Secret brands due to benzene contamination.

Again, the products under recall include items from Pantene, Herbal Essences, Old Spice, Hair Food, Aussie, and Waterless brands. For the full, detailed list, click here.

Keep in mind that other products such as liquid shampoos or conditioners, hairsprays, and styling products are not part of the recall. Proctor & Gamble had this to say as part of a media statement:

While benzene is not an ingredient in any of our products, our review showed that unexpected levels of benzene came from the propellant that sprays the product out of the can. We detected benzene in aerosol dry shampoo spray products and aerosol dry conditioner spray products. Nothing is more important to us than the safety of the consumers who use our products and the quality of the products we ship.

Check the list and make sure you're safe. You can also find reimbursement information here. The FDA says that consumers should stop using and appropriately discard the affected aerosol dry conditioner spray products and aerosol dry shampoo spray products.