The lab Valisure has issued a statement warning consumers that some skincare products contain benzene, a chemical that causes cancer.
“Unacceptably high” levels of benzene — some as high as 800 times the acceptable limit — have been found in popular products including Clearasil, Proactiv and Clinique, the lab said.
“Valisure’s tests on dozens of prescription and over-the-counter benzoyl peroxide products suggest that currently formulated BPO medications are fundamentally unstable and can generate unacceptably high levels of benzene when handled or stored at higher temperatures that the products may be exposed to during handling by consumers,” said the statement.
“Benzene can be produced in the product itself and potentially escape into the surrounding air. Therefore, Valisure is requesting an investigation and market withdrawal of BPO-containing products,” it continued. “Data in the Petition suggests that only BPO-containing acne treatment products have this issue of forming high levels of benzene, and that other acne treatment products tested by Valisure, such as those containing salicylic acid or adapalene, do not appear to have this problem.”
According to the CDC, the cancer-causing benzene works by causing cells not to work correctly. The colorless or light yellow liquid has a sweet odor can cause bone marrow not to produce enough red blood cells. Also, it can damage the immune system by changing blood levels of antibodies and causing the loss of white blood cells.
The major effect of benzene from long-term exposure (exposure of more than a year) is that it causes harmful effects on the bone marrow, leading to anemia. It can also cause excessive bleeding and can affect the immune system, increasing the chance for infection.
According to the CDC, some women who breathed high levels of benzene for many months had irregular menstrual periods and a decrease in the size of their ovaries. It is not known whether benzene exposure affects the developing fetus in pregnant women or fertility in men.
“The safety and quality of our products is our top priority and we work closely with regulators around the world to ensure our products are safe and effective for their intended use,” said Reckitt, manufacturer of Clearasil, in a statement.
“The products and their ingredients are stable over the storage conditions described on their packaging, which represent all reasonable and foreseeable conditions,” continued the statement. “The findings presented by an independent lab today reflect unrealistic scenarios rather than real-world conditions.”