Canada-wide recall issued for dry shampoo products due to chemical hazard: What to know
This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Contact a qualified medical professional before engaging in any physical activity, or making any changes to your diet, medication or lifestyle.
The need-to-know
Health Canada is warning Canadians that certain lots of popular hair products are being recalled due the presence of benzene, a chemical hazard.
A safety warning issued on Tuesday stated that several lots of Bed Head TIGI, Dove and Tresemmé Dry Shampoo products packaged in aerosol cans have been recalled "due to detection of benzene."
The government said that 1,574,426 units of the affected products were sold in Canada between January 2020 to October 2022.
Which products should be discarded?
If you have one of the following products, Health Canada is urging consumers to stop using the recalled items, appropriately discard it, and contact the company for reimbursement:
Bed Head Dirty Secret Dry Shampoo 6.2 oz/179g, 300mL
Bed Head Mini Dirty Secret Dry Shampoo 2.1 oz/58g, 100mL
Bed Head OH Bee Hive Dry Shampoo 5 oz/142g, 238mL
Dove Care Between Washes Fresh Coconut Dry Shampoo, 142g
Dove Care Between Washes Go Active Dry Shampoo, 142g
Dove Care Between Washes Invigorating Dry Shampoo, 142g
Dove Care Between Washes Invisible Dry Shampoo, 142g
Dove Charcoal & Clarify Dry Shampoo, 142g
Dove Refresh + Care Fresh & Floral Dry Shampoo, 142g
Dove Refresh + Care Unscented Dry Shampoo, 142g
Dove Refresh + Care Volume Dry Shampoo, 32g
Dove Volume Dry Shampoo, 142g
TRESemmé Fresh Clean Dry Shampoo, 206g
TRESemmé Volume Clean Dry Shampoo, 121g
TRESemmé Volume Clean, 206g
What is benzene?
According to CAREX Canada, a team of researchers specializing in toxicology, benzene is "a clear, usually colourless liquid with a gasoline-like odour."
The highly flammable substance evaporates quickly when exposed to air, and occurs naturally in gasoline and crude oil.
Benzene is usually formed from combustion of organic materials or from natural processes, such as forest fires and volcanoes, but most production and exposure to benzene results from human activity.
The substance is used primarily as a raw material to produce chemicals including ethylbenzene (for styrene), cumene (for phenol and acetone) and cyclohexane (for nylon and synthetic fibres).
How are people exposed to benzene?
One of the main ways people become exposed to benzene is by breathing air containing the toxic chemical.
It can also be absorbed through the skin by direct contact with gasoline. However, because benzene evaporates quickly, this is less common.
The most common places people become exposed to the chemical is at work, in the general environment, or through the use of consumer products contaminated with benzene, such as the hair products on recall.
What are the risks of benzene?
As benzene is a human carcinogen, it's clear why Health Canada issued the recall.
Short-term inhalation of benzene can cause headaches, drowsiness and dizziness. It can also cause irritation of the eyes, skin and respiratory tract.
Long-term exposure of benzene may cause disorders of the blood, including reduced number of red blood cells and aplastic anemia. Women have also reported adverse reproductive effects after exposure to benzene.
Notably, some studies have shown that contact with benzene may increase your risk of developing chronic lymphocytic leukemia and other cancers affecting blood cells.
How does benzene get into hair products?
Although it's unclear exactly how benzene makes it way into hair products, there are a few theories.
One of the strongest hypotheses is that the propellant is at fault, rather than the product.
The propellant is used to get the liquid out of the container and into the air in a spray form. As propellants usually come from gasoline-based products like propane or butane, that could be the source of the benzene.
Overall, if your aerosol products use butane, propane or other propellants, they are at greater risk of being contaminated by benzene.
Next steps
In addition to stop using and properly disposing the recalled product, Health Canada says consumers can visit UnileverRecall.com for more information on the affected products and how to receive reimbursement.
If consumers have additional questions, they can seek further information by calling the Consumer Care team at 1-(877) 270-7412 from Monday—Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. EST.
The Food and Drugs Act (FDA) prohibits the sale of cosmetics that are either made with hazardous substances, or under unsanitary conditions, to users in Canada.
Health Canada has also asked Canadians to report any health or safety incidents related to the use of this product or any other consumer product or cosmetic by filling out the Consumer Product Incident Report Form.
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