Unilever recalls popular hair care products due to concerns of potentially 'elevated levels' of cancer-causing chemical

By Haley Yamada

Unilever recently announced a voluntary recall of 19 popular dry shampoo aerosol products sold in the United States due to concerns about benzene, a chemical known to cause cancer.

Exposure to benzene, which is classified as a human carcinogen, can occur through inhalation, ingestion, or through skin contact and can result in cancers including leukemia and blood cancers, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Unilever

Unilever United States issued a voluntary product recall to the consumer level of select lot codes of dry shampoo aerosol products produced prior to October 2021 from Dove, Nexxus, Suave, TIGI (Rockaholic and Bed Head), and TRESemmé due to potentially elevated levels of benzene.

Humans are exposed to benzene daily through things like tobacco smoke and detergents, but exposure can be considered dangerous depending on the dose and duration of contact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Unilever said that it is pulling the products "out of an abundance of caution" and that the company has not yet received any reports of adverse event relating to the recall to date.

The recalled products were produced before October 2021 and retailers have been notified to pull the affected products from shelves.

A complete list of the affected products and consumer codes can be found here. No other products from Unilever or its brands are impacted by this recall, the company stated in a press release.

The list of affected products include:

Dove

Dove Dry Shampoo Volume and Dullness

Dove Dry Shampoo Fresh Coconut

Dove Dry Shampoo Fresh and Floral

Dove Dry Shampoo Ultra Clean

Dove Dry Shampoo Invisible

Dove Dry Shampoo Detox and Purify

Dove Dry Shampoo Clarifying Charcoal

Dove Dry Shampoo Go Active

Nexxus

Nexxus Dry Shampoo Refreshing Mist

Nexxus Inergy Foam Shampoo

Suave

Suave Dry Shampoo Hair Refresher

Suave Professionals Dry Shampoo Refresh and Revive

TRESemmé

TRESemmé Dry Shampoo Volumizing

TRESemmé Dry Shampoo Fresh and Clean

TRESemmé Pro Pure Dry Shampoo

Bed Head

Bed Head Oh Bee Hive Dry Shampoo

Bed Head Oh Bee Hive Volumizing Dry Shampoo

Bed Head Dirty Secret Dry Shampoo

Rockaholic

Bed Head Rockaholic Dirty Secret Dry Shampoo

The recall is being conducted with the knowledge of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Unilever urged consumers to stop using the affected aerosol dry shampoo products immediately and visit the company website for eligible product reimbursements.