P&G recalls products from Pantene, Herbal Essences, Old Spice and more
Procter & Gamble has issued a recall for dozens of its products.
P&G announced it is discontinuing a wide range of aerosol dry shampoos and conditioners from some of the company's standout brands such as Pantene, Herbal Essences, Old Spice and more due to the presence of benzene, a potential cancer-causing agent.
Based on exposure modeling and cancer risk assessments published by the Environmental Protection Agency, P&G said daily exposure to benzene in its recalled products -- at the levels detected during testing -- would not be expected to cause adverse health consequences.
The personal care and consumer goods corporation stated that it has not received any reports of adverse events related to this recall to date. It said the recall was conducted as a cautionary action.
"While benzene is not an ingredient in any of our products, our review showed that unexpected levels of benzene came from the propellant that sprays the product out of the can," P&G stated. "We detected benzene in aerosol dry shampoo spray products and aerosol dry conditioner spray products."
What to know about benzene
Benzene is a colorless or light yellow liquid chemical that has a sweet odor and is flammable, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It evaporates into the air quickly and dissolves only slightly in water.
The CDC has said long-term exposure to high levels of benzene in the air can cause leukemia, cancer of the blood-forming organs.
Prolonged exposure to high levels of benzene, which belongs to the family of chemicals known as hydrocarbons, can also cause damage to the heart, lungs and brain, according to ABC News medical contributor Dr. Darien Sutton, an emergency physician.
People can be exposed to benzene through products like dyes, cigarettes and plastics. Those who might be exposed the most often typically work in manufacturing settings, according to Sutton.
When it comes to how benzene is getting into products people use in their everyday lives, Sutton explained there is still not a clear answer.
"It’s not clear why we’re seeing an increase in the rates of these benzene-contaminated products," he said. "Investigators believe it may be due to the manufacturing process and cross-contamination."
Speaking specifically about the P&G recall, he said, "For instance, in this statement they were able to explain there were unexpected levels of benzene from the propellent that sprays the product out of the can."
Sutton added that it is good news that regulators were able to identify the problem quickly, and notify the public quickly too.
Concerned consumers should check if a product they own is on the recall list, according to Sutton. If it is, he said they should follow FDA guidelines and "discard of it appropriately."
See the full list of P&G products being recalled below:
The brands impacted by the recall are offering reimbursements for eligible products, and any reactions or quality problems related to the use of any of the recalled products should be reported to the FDA's MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program.
- Waterless Dry Conditioner Weightless Smooth (3.6 oz) with UPC 37000543954 with a production code in the range of 0002-0248 or 9298-9350.
- Waterless Dry Conditioner Instant Moisture (3.6 oz) with UPC 37000543831 with a production code in the range of 0009-0069 or 9297-9350.
- Waterless Dry Conditioner Weightless Smooth (.98 oz) with UPC 37000544111 with a production code in the range of 0084-0085 or 9284-9361.
- Waterless Dry Conditioner Instant Moisture (.98 oz) with UPC 37000544227 with a production code in the range of 0017-0100 or 9283-9284.
- Waterless Dry Shampoo No Residue (3.7 oz) with UPC 37000543787 with a production code in the range of 0004-0357 or 9291-9344.
- Waterless Dry Shampoo No Residue (1 oz) with UPC 37000543978 with a production code in the range of 0175-0176 or 9295-9297.
- Pantene Sultry Bronde All in One Luxury Mist (4.9 oz) with UPC 80878188710 with production code 0038.
- Pantene Smooth Talker Dry Conditioning Oil (3.9 oz) with UPC 80878192397 with a production code in the range of 0183-0365 or 1042-1046.
- Pantene Mist Behaving Dry Conditioning Mist (3.9 oz) with UPC 80878190898 with a production code in the range of 0048-0336 or 1008-1218 or 9247-9349.
- Pantene Mist Behaving Dry Conditioning Mist (3.9 oz) with UPC 80878188758 with a production code in the range of 9108-9303.
- Pantene Mist Behaving Dry Conditioning Mist (1 oz) with UPC 80878188765 with a production code in the range of 0107-0262 or 9112-9288.
- Pantene Gold Series Instant Nourishing Spray (4.9 oz) with UPC 80878188987 with a production code in the range of 0307 or 9263-9266.
- Aussie Smooth Vibes Dry Conditioner (4.9 oz) with UPC 381519187957 with production code 0021 or 1038 or in the range of 9294-9325.
- Aussie Petal Soft Dry Conditioner (4.9 oz) with UPC 381519187544 with a production code in the range of 9196-9246.
- Aussie Sleekend Warrior Dry Conditioner (4.9 oz) with UPC 381519187537 with a production code in the range of 0014-0062 or 9198-9349.
- Herbal Essences Blue Ginger Refresh Dry Shampoo (4.9 oz) with UPC 190679001498 with a production code in the range of 9047-9072.
- Herbal Essences White Grapefruit & Mint Dry Shampoo (4.9 oz) with UPC 190679000262 with a production code in the range of 0015-0314 or 1004-1019 or 9028-9348.
- Herbal Essences White Strawberry & Sweet Mint Dry Shampoo (4.9 oz) with UPC 190679000255 with a production code in the range of 0167-0308 or 1105-1106 or 9049-9348.
- Herbal Essences Cucumber & Green Tea Dry Shampoo (4.9 oz) with UPC 190679000248 with a production code 0093 or 1075 or in the range of 9029-9294.
- Herbal Essences Cucumber & Green Tea Dry Shampoo (1.7 oz) with UPC 190679000330 with a production code in the range of 0036-0329 or 1019-1098 or 9023-9312.
- Pantene Dry Shampoo No Water Refresh (4.9 oz) with UPC 80878177042 with a production code in the range of 9009-9058.
- Pantene Dry Shampoo Sheer Volume (4.9 oz) with UPC 80878185276 with a production code in the range of 9025-9260.
- Pantene Never Tell Dry Shampoo (4.2 oz) with UPC 80878188727 with a production code in the range of 0006-0364 or 1074-1133 or 9157-9329.
- Aussie After Hours Dry Shampoo Texture Spray 4.9 oz) with UPC 381519187834 with a production code in the range of 0139-0140.
- Aussie Tousle Hustle Dry Shampoo (4.9 oz) with UPC 381519187285 with a production code in the range of 0013-0300 or 1038 or 9189.
- Aussie Bounce Back Dry Shampoo (4.9 oz) with UPC 381519187278 with a production code in the range of 0013-00357 or 1018-1123 or 9189-9345.
- Aussie Clean Color Protect Shampoo (4.9 oz) with UPC 381519187360 with a production code in the range of 9047-9123.
- Aussie Clean Texture Dry Shampoo (4.9 oz) with UPC 381519187285 with a production code in the range of 9072-9176.
- Aussie Clean Volume Dry Shampoo (4.9 oz) with UPC 381519187278 with production code 9085.
- Hair Food Coconut Dry Shampoo (4.9 oz) with UPC 37000876717 with a production code in the range of 0027-0192 or 9007.
- Old Spice Fiji Dry Shampoo (4.9 oz) with UPC 37000779421 with a production code in the range of 9046-9228.
- Old Spice Pure Sport Dry Shampoo (4.9 oz) with UPC 37000785170 with a production code in the range of 9040-9239.
Dr. Alexis E. Carrington, a member of ABC News Medical Unit, contributed to this report.
