Benzene in Deodorant

Is there Benzene in Deodorant?

In November 2021, Valisure, an independent laboratory, tested 108 body sprays from 30 different brands and found more than half contained benzene. Benzene exposure is linked to certain cancers, including leukemia and lymphoma.

Several of the aerosol products tested had levels of benzene at or above 2 parts per million (ppm)—the limit the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advises manufacturers not to exceed in consumer drugs or products due to health concerns.

The most highly contaminated products included two popular Procter & Gamble (P&G) brands—Old Spice and Secret:

• Two lots of Old Spice Pure Sport antiperspirant (Lots 11671458SQ and 11671458SB; UPC 012044001912) contained 17.7 and 17.4 average ppm, respectively—nearly nine times the FDA’s limit.
• P&G’s Secret Powder Fresh 24-Hour Aerosol (Lots 11721458SG and 11701458SH; UPC 037000711087) contained about 16 average ppm.

In total, 24 lots of aerosol sprays from 8 different brands had levels of benzene above 2 ppm, 14 lots from 8 brands contained detectable amounts of benzene between 0.20 to 1.89 ppm, and 21 lots from 8 brands included detectable benzene at less than 0.1 ppm.

The presence of benzene in deodorants is concerning. Several studies have shown that the chemicals in skincare products can be found in high levels in the bloodstream after they are applied to the skin.

Valisure filed a Citizen Petition with the FDA alerting the agency to its test results and called for a recall of all the deodorant sprays containing benzene to limit consumers’ exposure to benzene.

What causes Benzene in Deodorant?

It’s unclear what may be causing the aerosol body sprays to become contaminated with benzene. Valisure Chief Executive Officer David Light told MedPage Today that it may be due to “quality problems starting at the raw materials.”

Kate DiCarlo, senior director of communications for the Personal Care Portfolio of P&G, said  that it came from the propellant that sprays the product out of the can. “Due to the highly specialized nature of aerosol products, we use a manufacturing partner to produce these products,” Dicarlo said. “That manufacturing partner identified an issue with their propellant supply and is implementing additional measures to address the issue identified in the investigation.”