Dry Shampoo Recall: Everything You Need to Know About the Dry Shampoo Recall
Relatively consistent exposure does not mean benzene is risk-free, however. According to Dr. Maclellan, short-term symptoms to high benzene exposure can include dizziness, confusion, drowsiness, vomiting, stomach irritation, or headache, and long-term effects could lead to cancer, anemia, and low blood cell counts as benzene kills white blood cells. He also says that if you have experienced any symptoms stated above, to seek medical attention. However, Plugge clarifies that it's benzene only in high concentrations that is known to be carcinogenic and cause anemia.
“The level of exposure determines the risk,” he says. “The levels in the product described in these studies are very low and exposure is even lower.”
Is the amount of benzene in the dry shampoo canisters cause for concern?
As noted above, benzene's effects on human beings are determined by the length and frequency you are in contact with the chemical. “While levels of exposure and people’s reactions to [benzene] are taken on a case-to-case basis,” Dr. Maclellan says, “based on what has currently been reported, it does not appear that the amount of benzene found in the recalled dry shampoo would have long-term health effects on those who used the products unknowingly.” Plugge agrees: “You are exposed to much higher benzene levels pumping your own gas,” he says.
However one can see why consumers would be worried about aerosol cans in particular. “You are literally spraying near your nose, mouth, and ears in generally an enclosed space, the bathroom,” Reddy notes—though how much you potentially inhale depends on varying factors such as whether the bathroom fan is running, how much dry shampoo was sprayed, and how long one stays in the bathroom after using it.
“Benzene in daily life is a constant exposure for nearly everybody at an extremely low level except for possible occupational exposures,” adds Plugge. “While it may be theoretically possible to avoid all benzene exposures, it is not doable in everyday life. Natural products contain benzene, like the banana smoothie, gasoline contains benzene, propellants contain benzene. At the levels cited, the latter is the least of anybody's concern.”
12 of the recalled dry shampoo products
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)How and why did benzene end up in the dry shampoo?
The source of the contamination remains unclear. “The spray cans’ propellant has been identified as the source of benzene in the dry shampoo, and they are working with the manufacturer to get to the bottom of this,” Dr. Maclellan says, though he clarifies that companies are not putting benzene into their products on purpose, since the harmful effects of these chemicals are universally recognized.
