FDA Recalls Acne Products Found with Benzene from Stores
Seven acne products found to be contaminated with low levels of benzene, a cancer-causing chemical, are voluntarily recalled after US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) tests. These actions were announced in March, more than a year after third-party testing found the chemical in far more products.
Satterley & Kelley, PLLC, attorneys in Louisville represent Kentucky residents and people across the country with cancer and other diseases caused by asbestos and chemical exposures. If you’re diagnosed with a benzene-related medical condition, it’s time to start discussing your potential legal claims to compensation for your medical costs, pain, suffering, and other damages.
Benzene is an artificially created and naturally formed chemical. It’s part of crude oil, gasoline, and tobacco smoke. Benzene exposure increases the risk of several medical conditions, including leukemia.
Independent Lab Found Benzene in Acne Products
Valisure, an independent quality advocate, filed a citizen petition in March 2024 with the FDA, stating that it found elevated benzene levels in acne treatment products containing benzoyl peroxide, according to the defense law firm Skadden Arps. Valisure provided test results on over-the-counter brands and prescription acne products.
Valisure states that benzene formed over time in these products because the original formulation degraded, not because the products were contaminated or because benzene was an added ingredient. It claims 94 of the 175 products it tested had benzene. Valisure asked the FDA to recall the products, due to its own investigation, test these products, and update its benzene guidance.
FDA Also Finds Benzene, But in Fewer Products
The agency didn’t immediately recall the products or change its benzene guidelines, but took the rest of their advice. The FDA tested 95 acne products after the Valisure report and found six with enough benzene to request that their manufacturers remove the products from the market. A seventh had levels that weren’t quite as high, but they agreed to stop selling that product. One common factor with these products is that they were close to their expiration dates.
Here are the recalled products and their lot number, according to the Lansing State Journal:
- La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo Dual Action Acne Treatment: MYX46W
- Walgreens Acne Control Cleanser: 23 09328
- Proactiv Emergency Blemish Relief Cream Benzoyl Peroxide 5%: V3305A and V3304A
- Proactiv Skin Smoothing Exfoliator: V4204A
- SLMD Benzoyl Peroxide Acne Lotion: 2430600
- Walgreens Tinted Acne Treatment Cream: 49707430
The products involved were sold nationwide in stores and online. The FDA doesn’t see the problem as serious enough to advise consumers to discard their anti-acne products and replace them. They claim that even with daily use over many years, the increased cancer risk would be very low.
The FDA took a swipe at Valisure in its announcement:
“FDA has continued to raise concern that use of unvalidated testing methods by third-party laboratories can produce inaccurate results leading to consumer confusion. Specifically, such methods may result in much higher reported levels of contaminants such as benzene than are actually present in tested products. It is critical that third-party laboratories reporting their results to consumers use validated methods so their results are reliable.”
Valisure stated it used “industry standard” methods for most of its results.
Although the FDA took a conservative approach with the recall, if you have these products, don’t use them and throw them out to avoid any health risk.
What Should I Do If I Have a Benzene-Related Health Condition?
You may be entitled to compensation for what you’ve suffered due to your condition from companies responsible for your exposure. This compensation could include lost wages, medical bills, pain and suffering, emotional and psychological effects, as well as the impact on your relationships with others.
If you want to learn more about how a benzene-related condition could result in compensation and how your legal rights can be protected, contact Satterley & Kelley, PLLC, because our attorneys are experienced in representing victims of companies that injure others with the toxic substances they profit from.
Call Us Today for a Free Initial Consultation
If you or a loved one is diagnosed with leukemia or another severe illness caused by benzene, you may receive financial compensation for your hardship. Call us at 855-385-9532, locally 502-589-5600, or contact us online to arrange a free initial consultation with a Satterley & Kelley PLLC lawyer.