To learn more about possible benzene contamination in beauty products: "There is a huge supply chain and manufacturing problem because a lot of the propellants and things used to make the aerosols seem to be contaminated with benzene," Dr. (We love 2022 Best of Beauty winner I Dew Care Tap Secret Mattifying Dry Shampoo Powder.)īut, ultimately, the goal is for the system to change, with more oversight and intervention - since aerosols can be (and often are) made without any benzene contamination at all. While they may not be as super-fine as their aerosolized counterparts or deliver the same even distribution, it may be a worthwhile swap. The obvious step is to avoid aerosol dry shampoos in other words, skip those that come in a pressurized can and consider those that have a manual dispensing system, such as shaking, squeezing, and dusting powder onto your roots. "Consumers who are concerned about these findings should absolutely consider alternatives." "However, like exposure to any harmful chemical, the most careful path is to avoid or minimize the exposure," she says. It's difficult for experts to give clear advice, says Dr. ![]() While benzene is one thing, it's hard to make a blanket statement about all aerosol dry shampoos - especially seeing as 30% of the dry shampoos Valisure tested had no detectable benzene. "For example, emissions from motor vehicle fuel - including from driving, filling up the gas tank, traffic, using lawnmowers and other petroleum-fueled equipment - and tobacco smoke, both from active smoking and from secondhand smoke." Where do we go from here? ![]() "Though some benzene may be absorbed by the body while using dry shampoo, there are other common ways in which people are exposed to this chemical," Dr. There are a ton of other aerosol-powered formulas in the beauty industry, from hairspray to self-tanner, so it’s hard to predict (or control) the total amount at this point.Īnd despite its proven risks, benzene continues to be ubiquitous both in the supply chain and everyday life. For one, these are just the products that have been tested. Still, it's hard to quantify exactly how much benzene people are exposed to on a day-to-day basis, aerosols included - and, of course, how that plays out in your overall cancer risk. Valisure identified a potential long-term exposure of up to 36 parts per billion (ppb) of benzene from the lingering cloud of dry shampoo, which is 90 times the EPA's threshold for cancer risk of 0.4 ppb in the air. Not only that, but the benzene doesn't just disappear once you spray the dry shampoo. So for some dry shampoos to have more than 2 ppm - with a handful of batches containing over 100 ppm - is concerning. ![]() "Realizing that what goes onto our body doesn't go through a review process from a chemical perspective is concerning." How worried do we need to be?įor the general public, "once you start getting between 0.8 and 1.6 ppm exposure, that is the amount that is linked to the increased risk for leukemia and blood cancers," says Dr. After all, these dry shampoos went through formulation, manufacturing, labeling, distribution, and wholesale all without the detection of benzene, says Light. It's also been found in (non-aerosol) hand sanitizer, indicating that there are other means of benzene contamination beyond aerosols - although the reasons for this are still unclear.Īnother big factor here: Cosmetics are famously loosely regulated there's no checkpoint for impurities or contamination. Plus, other aerosol-based personal-care products, such as spray-on sunscreen, antiperspirant sprays, and anti-fungal sprays, have been found to contain benzene. With that in mind, it's likely that the issue here is limited to aerosol sprays, which makes sense, seeing as some of the products in Procter & Gamble’s recall included dry conditioners, which are also packaged in aerosol cans. "These propellants are chemicals like butane and propane - which, if they're pure, are fine." The problem, though, is that "they're petroleum distillates, meaning they're coming from the oil and gas industry, which is known for benzene contamination." "Propellants are the raw materials that go into the spray can and actually pressurize it, making the spray," Light explains.
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