Get Rid of These Antiperspirants That Have Cancer-Causing Chemicals, FDA Says

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If you’re a fan of aerosol spray antiperspirants and deodorants, you’re going to want to check to see whether the one you use is part of a voluntary recall issued by Procter & Gamble (P&G).

The recall comes after a citizen’s petition filed with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last month that claims more than half of the batches of antiperspirant and deodorant sprays they tested contained benzene—a chemical that, when found at high levels, can cause cancer. Here’s what you need to know.

Why are these antiperspirants being recalled?

This all started when Valisure, a company that checks the chemical composition of medications and healthcare products, conducted a series of tests on aerosol spray deodorants and antiperspirants. They found that out of the 108 batches of products tested, 59 (or 54%) of them had levels of benzene exceeding the 2 parts per million permitted by the FDA.

Technically, back in 2018, the FDA said that because benzene is a class one solvent with “unacceptable toxicity,” it shouldn’t be used to manufacture health products. But then came the pandemic, and the agency temporarily eased its restrictions on the chemical, establishing the 2 parts per million limit for liquid hand sanitizers.

Which products are part of the recall?

Valisure’s tests included 30 different brands, but according to CNN, P&G is the only company to issue a recall for its products containing benzene; specifically, the recall covers 17 types of Old Spice and Secret antiperspirant.

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The full list of products Valisure tested and found to contain more than 2 parts per million of benzene can be found on the company’s petition to the FDA. Examples include products from other familiar brands like Tag, Sure, Equate, Suave, Right Guard, Brut, Summer’s Eve, Right Guard, Power Stick, Soft & Dri, and Victoria’s Secret.

If you have purchased any of the Old Spice or Secret products included in P&G’s recall, the company instructs consumers to stop using them, throw them out, and contact their customer care team (at 888-339-7689 from Monday – Friday from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. EST) to learn how to be reimbursed for eligible products.

 

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