Hand sanitizers were tainted by benzene. Sunscreens and dry shampoos too. Now acne treatments are joining the list of widely used consumer products found to contain high levels of the chemical linked to cancer.
Acne products from brands including Proactiv, Target Corp.’s Up & Up and Clinique have elevated levels of the carcinogen, an independent testing laboratory said in a petition filed with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration late Tuesday. The lab asked the FDA to recall the affected treatments—all of which contain the active ingredient benzoyl peroxide—while regulators investigate.
Benzene is a natural component of gasoline and tobacco smoke and can cause leukemia in high amounts, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Over the past three years it’s been detected in several popular products, heightening consumers’ awareness of the potential threats in their bathroom cabinets and raising questions about the FDA’s oversight of the industry. Companies including Johnson & Johnson, Unilever Plc and Procter & Gamble Co. have recalled products.
New Haven, Connecticut-based Valisure LLC, the testing laboratory that filed Tuesday’s petition and uncovered the previous risks, has positioned itself as a gatekeeper for consumers. Valisure gained prominence conducting product research and has deals with large health-care systems, including Kaiser Permanente and the U.S. Department of Defense, to test drugs used by their members and weed out substandard treatments.
The FDA said the agency would work to verify whether Valisure’s data is accurate before acting on the lab’s petition. “The agency will continue to provide updates to the public regarding benzene in drug products, as appropriate,” Jeremy Kahn, a spokesperson for the FDA said in a statement. Companies are required to ensure the safety of their products, he said.
For its acne research, Valisure tested 66 benzoyl peroxide products, including creams, lotions, gels and…
