According to the company’s recall, dry shampoos from Dove, Nexxus, Suave, TIGI (Rockaholic and Bed Head) and TRESemmé are being recalled after potential benzene contamination was detected.
Dangers of benzene exposure
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention benzene inhalation can cause drowsiness, dizziness, rapid or irregular heartbeat, headaches, tremors, confusion, unconsciousness, and, in extreme cases, death. Benzene exposure can also have long-term harmful effects on the blood. The level of risk depends on the amount, route and length of exposure.
An internal review determined the propellant was the source of the contamination and Unilever has worked to address the issue, according to the recall.
The US press release said a daily exposure to the level of benzene detected is not expected to cause adverse health effects.
“Unilever U.S. is recalling these products out of an abundance of caution,” the press release read. “Unilever has received no reports of adverse events to date relating to this recall.”
The recall comes after several recalls in 2021, including recalls of P&G deodorants, dry shampoo and dry conditioners, as well as Johnson and Johnson spray sunscreens.
Click through to learn more about benzene recalls, Unilever and chemical contaminants in cosmetics.
Prohibited chemicals are the top regulatory and legal concerns for small to mid-sized cosmetic and personal care businesses according to IBA.
Some of the biggest challenges are coming from class action lawsuits and consumer-enforced accountability around contaminants and substances deemed unsafe for consumers rather than from Federal Drug Administration requirements, Donald Frey, president of the Independent Beauty Association, told CosmeticsDesign.
One of the prominent issues for Frey is recent recalls of benzene-related products ensuing from analytical testing performed by Connecticut-based pharma and analytics company Valisure. In that case, Frey said recalls were not driven by FDA action, but by the “court of public opinion.”
“The levels detected were very low but there was a lot of press about it which has caused some companies to withdraw their products from the market until they can figure out what is causing it,” he said. “Benzene is obviously a safety concern, but these are cases where it was not knowingly or intentionally added.”
Q&A
Last year saw a rash of personal care product recalls. CosmeticsDesign discussed the connection between the recalls and what to learn from them with Harpreet Sareen, Manager, Quality and Regulatory Consulting at Eurofins.
Can you tell me a little bit about maybe what thru line there is between the cosmetic beauty products recalls that happened in 2021? What connects them?
It's all public knowledge anyway, all regulatory bodies have to report it. What we have observed is that all of the cosmetics recalls in 2021 have been related to the presence of higher levels of benzene, which is a known carcinogen, and primarily aerosol products. If you notice, most of the recalls are on products that spray aerosols. That's the common denominator so far.
Personal care major Unilever has split out its operations into five distinct business units to create a more category-focused company, breaking up its largest division beauty and personal care.
Unilever’s mega beauty and personal care division, worth €21.1bn in 2020, had now been carved into two distinct units: beauty & wellbeing and personal care. Home care, nutrition and ice cream made up the remaining three groups under the split, with each division set to be “fully responsible and accountable” for strategy, growth and profit globally.
‘Crystal-clear accountability for delivery’
Alan Jope, CEO of Unilever, said the new organisational structure had been developed over the past year and was designed to continue the “step-up” the company had seen in performance during this time.
The class of chemicals which bring us non-stick pans, PFAS, is prevalent across industries, including cosmetics, but regulation and litigation over safety concerns are increasing.
PFAS can be used in cosmetics to make products long-wear, more easily spreadable, more absorbent on the skin and to give the appearance of smoothness or shimmer, according to scientific reviews of the chemical class.
Because of research suggesting PFAS may have serious health impacts, state regulations and litigation are on the rise, and cosmetics brands need to start considering where the chemicals appear in their own products, Ally Cunningham and Matt Walker, partner and associate at Lathrop GPM respectively, told CosmeticsDesign.
In approaching dealing with regulations, litigation or potentially removing PFAS from products, there may be challenges in testing, formulating and avoiding legal action, they said.
