U.S. health officials are asking retailers to pull a small number of acne creams from their store shelves after government testing found they contain slightly elevated levels of a chemical associated with cancer.
The Food and Drug Administration said several lots of six products containing benzoyl peroxide are being recalled, including Walgreens Acne Control Cleanser, Proactiv Skin Smoothing Exfoliator and La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo Dual Action Acne Treatment. On Tuesday, the entire list and lot numbers were made available online. The FDA stated that the products pose no danger to consumers. The agency stated, “The risk of a person developing cancer as a result of exposure to the benzene found in these products is very low even with daily use of these products for decades.” Media was informed by a spokesperson for Health Canada that the products that are the subject of the recall are not currently permitted for sale in Canada and that “there is no impact on the Canadian market” as a result. All of the products contain benzene, a chemical component of crude oil, gas and cigarette smoke. Leukemia and other cancers can be caused by prolonged exposure to high levels. The recalls announced this week apply to stores selling the items. According to FDA officials, consumers are not required to take any particular action. After testing 95 acne treatments, the six products were identified by the FDA. The agency’s review was prompted by testing reports from private laboratories about excess benzene levels in a number of acne products.
In recent years a variety of other products have been recalled over benzene levels, including hand sanitizers, aerosols and sunscreens.
Some acne products recalled in U.S. due to benzene, ‘no impact’ in Canada
