petroleum-derived ingredients” used in the spray propellant, he explains.
“But it still hasn’t fully been determined exactly what that source is in all these products and if it’s consistent across all of them,” Andrews continues. “There are a lot of petroleum-derived ingredients in some consumer products, so it could be coming from one or more different ingredient sources.”
The contamination isn’t limited to one company’s products: Johnson & Johnson, Bayer, Proctor & Gamble, and TCP HOT Acquisition LLC dba HRB Brands are among the manufacturers whose spray products have faced recall due to unexpected levels of benzene.
The Personal Care Products Council “is aware of recent studies reporting the presence of trace amounts of benzene in some personal care products,” the industry trade group said in a statement.
“Benzene is a chemical that is ubiquitous in the environment and not an intentionally added ingredient in personal care products,” the statement continued. “People worldwide are exposed daily to benzene from indoor and outdoor sources, including air, drinking water, and food and beverages.”
The council added that “trace levels” of benzene “do not pose a safety concern for consumers.”
“Based on exposure modeling and cancer risk assessments published by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, daily exposure to benzene in personal care products would not be expected to cause adverse health consequences,” the council’s statement said.
RELATED: Beauty Labels Decoded
Limiting your exposure
People who are concerned about benzene exposure should avoid spray products for personal care until more is known, Andrews suggests.
They also should call for more and better testing and regulation of these products, he adds.
“Consumers who are aware of the issue should be asking the product manufacturers and sending their concerns to the Food and Drug Administration, because this is a place where there is not currently adequate oversight,” Andrews shares. “This is a piece of a larger issue in terms of the lack of FDA oversight and authority with respect to consumer personal care product manufacturing and regulation of contaminants.”
Aside from avoiding certain products, you can limit your exposure to benzene by:
- Staying away from cigarette smoke
- Limiting gasoline fumes by pumping gas carefully and using gas stations with vapor recovery systems that capture the fumes
- Avoiding skin contact with gasoline
- Limiting the time you spend near idling car engines
- Limit or avoid exposure to fumes from solvents, paints, and art supplies, especially in unventilated spaces
If you are being exposed at your workplace, talk to your employer about limiting your exposure through process changes (such as replacing the benzene with another solvent or enclosing the benzene source) or using personal protective equipment. If needed, the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) can provide more information or make an inspection.