+34
An independent lab is warning the FDA of recent findings that certain benzoyl peroxide acne treatment products can form high levels of a chemical linked to cancer.
An independent laboratory is calling on federal health officials to recall popular benzoyl peroxide acne treatment products after discovering that they contain high levels of a chemical linked to cancer.
Valisure on Wednesday said that substantial amounts of benzene, a human carcinogen, can form in prescription and over-the-counter benzoyl peroxide acne treatment products that are handled or stored at certain temperatures. The lab tested 66 benzoyl peroxide acne treatment products, including creams, lotions, gels, washes, liquids and bars, and discovered that popular brands such as Clearasil, Proactiv, Target's Up & Up brand and Clinique can form benzene "at hundreds of times the conditional FDA limit," Valisure co-founder David Light said in a statement. The current evidence from the recent tests suggests that this problem "applies broadly to benzoyl peroxide products that are currently on the market," according to the lab. FLORIDA COMPANY RECALLS HAND SANITIZER DUE TO BENZENE In extreme cases, the Food and Drug Administration will allow up to 2 parts per million of benzene inside a drug product that the FDA regulates. However, the tests show that benzene inside the benzoyl peroxide products is more than 800 times that when stored at 122 degrees, and up to nine times that when the products are sitting on the shelf. The high levels of the chemical were not only detected inside the products, but also in the air outside of benzoyl peroxide products, "showing that benzene can leak out of some product packages and pose a potential inhalation risk," Valisure said in a notice. The EPA has an air limit for benzene. Per the agency, the elevated cancer risk at the standard regulatory level starts at 0.4 parts per billion . When Valisure calculated benzene air results, in certain cases, it was 1,270 times the EPA threshold. In a petition to the FDA, filed Tuesday, Valisure requested an investigation and market withdrawal of benzoyl peroxide-containing products. FOX Business has reached out to the FDA for comment. Light said benzoyl peroxide’s benzene formation "is substantially different" than previous findings of benzene in other consumer products like sunscreens and hand sanitizers. "The benzene we found in sunscreens and other consumer products were impurities that came from contaminated ingredients; however, the benzene in benzoyl peroxide products is coming from the benzoyl peroxide itself, sometimes at hundreds of times the conditional FDA limit," Light said. DOVE, SUAVE, TRESEMMÉ, OTHER DRY SHAMPOO PRODUCTS RECALLED DUE TO HIGH LEVELS OF BENZENE According to the FDA's website, benzene is used in the production of a wide range of industrial products, from dyes and detergents to some plastics. It is also released into the air through cigarette smoke and emissions from automobiles as well as burning coal and oil. However, in recent years, several products such as dry shampoos, hand sanitizers and sunscreens have been recalled for having excess levels of the chemical, posing a health risk to consumers. GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE The FDA said the health consequences of exposure to benzene can "depend on the amount, route, and length of time of exposure" as well as someone's age and any preexisting medical conditions. Long-term exposure to the chemical through inhalation, oral intake and skin absorption may result in cancers such as leukemia and other blood disorders, the FDA said. A spokesperson from Reckitt, which owns the Clearasil brand, said the company is "confident that all Clearasil products, when used and stored as directed on their labels, are safe" and that it works "closely with regulators around the world to ensure our products are safe and effective for their intended use.""Clearasil products and their ingredients are stable over the storage conditions described on their packaging which represent all reasonable and foreseeable conditions," the company said. The company also asserted that the findings presented by the independent lab "reflect unrealistic scenarios rather than real-world conditions." FOX Business has reached out to Target, Estée Lauder Companies and Proactiv for comment.
Scratch the next story
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News: You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
FDA-Approved Tests for Genetic Mutations and Health ConditionsLearn about FDA-approved tests for genetic mutations and health conditions, including BRCA1/2 mutations, inheritable health conditions, mental health medication outcomes, ovarian cancer treatment, hereditary cancer syndromes, and tumor variants.
Read more »
Focal Therapy for Prostate Cancer: Evidence-Based or Oversold?Despite growing enthusiasm for this minimally invasive option for some men with prostate cancer, focal therapy is still not FDA-approved for prostate cancer and comes with high out-of-pocket costs.
Read more »
Breast CancerThe first sign of breast cancer often is a breast lump or an abnormal mammogram. Breast cancer stages range from early, curable breast cancer to metastatic breast cancer, with a variety of breast cancer treatments.
Read more »
Colon Cancer: How Your Diet Can Affect Colorectal CancerDiet, including nutrient, antioxidant, and vitamin intake, affects colon cancer risk. Certain dietary factors either decrease or increase the risk of colorectal cancer, breast cancer, and other diseases. Dietary factors may either inhibit or stimulate the development of cancer cells. Have a nutrition plan that decreases the risk.
Read more »
Cancer is no longer a death sentence, but treatments still have a long way to goRecently, the US Food and Drug Administration approved a first-of-its-kind cancer therapy to treat aggresive forms of skin cancer. It has us thinking of the long history of cancer. One of the first recorded mentions of cancer appears in an ancient Egyptian text from around 3000 B.C.
Read more »
Vaccines Protect You & Your Kids From Measles: FDAAs new outbreaks of measles -- a once nearly eliminated illness in the United States -- continue to emerge, experts remind Americans that there's an easy way to stop infection: Get vaccinated.
Read more »