High levels of the carcinogen benzene have been found in some acne products, including Estee Lauder’s Clinique, Target’s Up&Up and Reckitt Benckiser’s Clearasil, claims independent US laboratory Valisure.
Valisure, based in New Haven, Connecticut, has appealed to the US Food and Drug Administration, asking the regulator to recall the products, conduct an investigation and revise its guidelines.
Estee Lauder’s stock fell by about 2% following the announcement.
Benzene was also found in Proactiv, PanOxyl, Walgreens’ acne soap and Walmart’s Equate Beauty cream, among others.
Target, Estee Lauder, Walmart and Reckitt did not respond to Reuters’ request for comment. The FDA has yet to respond to Valisure’s request.
According to the lab, benzene could form “at unacceptably high levels” in both prescription and non-prescription acne treatment products, the lab said.
The substance has already been detected in many consumer products, including sunscreen, hand sanitizer and dry shampoo.
Many companies, including Procter & Gamble and Johnson & Johnson have recalled their products.
But the detection of benzene in acne products “differs significantly” from other cases, the lab said.
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“The benzene found in sunscreen and other consumer products were impurities derived from contaminated ingredients.
However, the benzene in benzoic peroxide formulations comes from benzoic peroxide itself,” said Valisure co-founder and president David Light.
Tests conducted by Valisure showed that some products could form more than 800 times the concentration limit of benzene set by the FDA.
High levels of benzene were found not only in the acne products but also in the air around the packages, which may suggest that the carcinogen may be leaking from some packages, posing a risk of inhalation, Valisure also said.
