Cancer-causing Chemical Under the Microscope
- Valisure, an independent laboratory that tests pharmaceuticals to ensure quality assurances, has petitioned the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to recall products on store shelves that contain the cancer-causing chemical benzene. These products, which use benzene, are mainly beauty and skin care products.
- The lab says several products on store shelves containing benzoyl peroxide (benzene) “can form over 800 times” the restricted amount for benzene the FDA allows.
- According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), benzene is a highly flammable, colorless, or light-yellow liquid that can form naturally or be produced by human activities. This chemical is harmful to the eyes, skin, airways, nervous system, and lungs and can cause blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma.
- While a growing body of medical research shows that chemicals in your environment can slightly increase your risk of cancer, it is unlikely that occasional exposure will do much harm, one SurvivorNet expert says.
Popular face creams used to control acne are known to contain cancer-causing chemicals, leading to at least one independent laboratory focused on health care petitioning the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to recall products such as Clearasil, ProActiv, and more. Valisure is a Connecticut-based laboratory that tests pharmaceuticals to ensure quality assurance. It released a statement claiming it discovered benzoyl peroxide (BPO) acne treatment products are “unstable and form benzene,” which is a carcinogen. The National Library of Medicine
says benzene “damages bone marrow and the central nervous system.” The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)
says benzene is “carcinogenic to humans,” meaning it can cause cancer. The chemical has been linked to various types of blood cancers, including:
- Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) starts in the bone marrow, where white blood cells are made, and it's more common in children than adults.
- Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) - This type of leukemia is a slow-growing cancer that usually impacts older adults. It starts with white blood cells, or lymphocytes, in the bone marrow.
- Multiple myeloma - a rare type of blood cancer that hinders the body’s ability to fight infections. It can cause weakness, dizziness, bone pain, and confusion, among other symptoms.
- Non-Hodgkin lymphoma - is a type of lymphoma that is more likely to spread randomly and be discovered in different groups of lymph nodes in the body.
WATCH: Lymphomas aren't one cancer. “Results from Valisure’s tests show that on-market BPO products can form over 800 times the conditionally restricted FDA concentration limit of 2 parts per million (ppm) for benzene, and the current evidence suggests that this problem applies broadly to BPO products currently on the market. High levels of benzene were not only detected inside BPO products but also in the air around incubated BPO products, showing that benzene can leak out of some product packages and pose a potential inhalation risk,” Valisure
said in its statement. In its petition to the FDA requesting products containing benzoyl peroxide be recalled, Valisure
said , “any significant detection of benzene should be deemed unacceptable.” SurvivorNet requested a comment from the FDA regarding the raised concerns and if it intends to take any action. The agency has not returned our requests for comment at the time of publishing.
Dr. Jay Shah , the Stanford Cancer Center's cancer care program leader for urologic oncology, previously told SurvivorNet that benzene levels only become an issue if an individual is frequently exposed to a product. "While a growing body of medical research shows that chemicals in your environment can slightly increase your risk of getting cancer, it's unlikely that occasional exposure, like getting your nails or your hair done, will do much harm," Dr. Shah explained. The Washington Post
reports that “several major consumer products companies, including Unilever, Procter & Gamble, and Johnson & Johnson, have announced recalls” due to elevated benzene levels in recent years.
Helping You Understand How Your Environment Impacts Your Health
Understanding Benzene
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, benzene is a highly flammable, colorless, or light yellow liquid that can form naturally or be produced by human activities. This chemical is harmful to the eyes, skin, airway, nervous system, and lungs, according to the CDC, and can cause blood cancers like
lymphoma and
leukemia . Benzene is occasionally released into the air through automobile emissions or the burning of coal or oil. It is also used in the manufacturing of some plastics, rubbers, dyes, detergents, and drugs. The chemical is a known carcinogen, meaning its link to cancer, particularly blood cancers, has been established. The FDA allows the chemical to be used in drug manufacturing only if the use is unavoidable and the drug product makes a "significant therapeutic advance." If the chemical must be used, benzene levels should be limited to 2 ppm (parts per million) "unless otherwise justified,"
according to FDA regulations.
WATCH: Are toxins making us sick? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
says some known symptoms related to high exposure to benzene may include:
- Dizziness
- Drowsiness
- Headaches
- Irregular heartbeat
Dermatology Times
compiled a list of popular products that contain benzene. Some of the products include:
- Proactive
- Clinique
- Clearasil
- PanOxyl
- Neutrogena
- CeraVe
What Should Be Done If Benzene-containing Products Are Recalled?
If you have any skincare or beauty-related products containing benzoyl peroxide (BPO) or benzene, you can hold off from using them until the FDA decides how to handle the concerns raised by Valisure. If the products are recalled, you can verify the recall by going to
Recalls.gov , which contains information for recalled products ranging from food, cosmetics, medication, and more.
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