Valisure finds benzene in more dry shampoos

Close on the heels of Unilever’s recall of aerosol dry shampoo due to benzene contamination, the independent analytical lab Valisure has reported finding benzene in 103 of 148 dry shampoos in a recent consumer product screen. Affected brands include Not Your Mother’s, Batiste, and L’Oréal. Some batches the firm tested showed benzene levels up to 170 times the limit set by the Food and Drug Administration for drugs that must be manufactured using benzene. In addition to asking the FDA to order a recall of the contaminated lots, Valisure is petitioning the agency to set a clear limit specific to cosmetic products. “Many dry shampoo products tested had no detectable level of benzene, so it appears that such products can adhere to strict limits,” the firm said in a statement. A full list of affected lots can be found at cenm.ag/benzshampoo.