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Cancer-Causing Chemical Found In More Shampoo Products, Independent Laboratory's Study Reveals

An independent laboratory is reporting that it has found a cancer-causing chemical in more batches of shampoo products. 

Many dry shampoo products are being recalled for containing high levels of benzene.

Many dry shampoo products are being recalled for containing high levels of benzene.

Photo Credit: U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Many brands of dry shampoo products -- including some Dove, Nexxus, Suave, TIGI, and TRESemmé products -- had already been recalled by manufacturer Unilever containing the cancer-causing chemical benzene in an announcement made on Tuesday, Oct. 18.

On Tuesday, Nov. 1, the independent laboratory Valisure, based in New Haven, Connecticut, reported finding a high level of benzene in more batches of dry shampoo.

It said that high levels of benzene were found in 70 percent of 148 batches of shampoo from 34 different brands that were analyzed. The full list of products is available here.

Additionally, it said it found that some samples analyzed directly from contaminated air suggested that the sprayed shampoo product contained up to 170 times the benzene limit of 2 parts per million already set by the Federal Food and Drug Administration, according to the announcement. 

"These findings are the highest and most broadly detected levels of benzene observed by Valisure to-date in a consumer product category," Valisure said in the announcement. 

Valisure is also asking the FDA to "better define limits for benzene contamination in cosmetics and other regulated product," according to the announcement. 

Benzene, a colorless or light-yellow liquid chemical at room temperature, is known to cause cancer of blood tissues, such as leukemia, at certain levels of exposure, according to Valisure. 

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