In the world of skincare, particularly in products aimed at tackling acne, benzene is a word you don’t often hear—but it’s becoming a major concern. Benzene is a colorless, flammable liquid commonly used in industrial processes. However, recent reports have raised alarms about its contamination in certain consumer products, including sunscreens and acne treatments. Today, we’ll explore the controversy surrounding benzene, and its impact on popular products you see on store shelves. Benzene is a known carcinogen, meaning it can cause cancer in humans. Extended exposure increases the risk of leukemia and other blood disorders. If you look at the ingredients listed on your favorite skincare products, you won’t find it. Benzene is not an intentional ingredient. However, the breakdown of benzoyl peroxide, a key ingredient in acne products could result in high levels of benzene when tested.
And most of that testing is coming from—a small, independent, Connecticut-based laboratory founded in 2015. They also had a pharmacy at one point, which has since been sold. For the last five years, Valisure has filed a half-dozen citizen petitions to the FDA based on their testing. And their focus has been on benzene and NDMA, a carcinogenic chemical found in the generic form of Zantac, a heartburn medication withdrawn from the U.S. market in 2020 after one of Valisure’s findings. In 2021, Valisure turned its attention to finding benzene in sunscreen products. They tested close to 300 products, and this led to a major recall of big-name products from Procter & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson, and Unilever. The internet lit up, and before you knew it, people were tossing out their sunscreens. Valisure claims benzene has also been found in lots of other personal hygiene products such as antiperspirants, deodorants, shampoos and conditioners, and even hand sanitizers.
Then, in May of this year, Valisure submitted this citizen petition to the Food and Drug Administration. They were looking for benzene once again, but this time, they tested popular acne products from big brands like Proactiv and Clearasil, as well as products from Clinique, Target, Walgreens, and Walmart. That sounds terrifying, right? Let’s go beyond the headlines and learn more about Valisure, the company making all of these cancer claims. Valisure is an independent, third-party company. They are private, and they don’t make much of their data public either. For example, in their citizen petition to the FDA, they tested for benzene levels at room temperature, skin temperature and also extreme heat, 122 F or 50C—but in their results, they published only the levels of benzene found with extreme heat. And people started to call them out for it. Since the report came out, Valisure has defended their testing techniques. They claim they were performing a stability study. In other words, they were interested in the safety of these products throughout the product’s lifetime. Many of these labs use high levels of heat as a substitute for how well these products hold up over time.
Other sources we found, including articles from the Environmental Working Group, Consumer Reports, and various social media posts from politicians—are praising Valisure’s testing because it’s from an independent lab—one that’s holding the FDA accountable because it’s free from government bureaucracy. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t other factors at play here.
Valisure has also been the subject of an investigation by the FDA. Shortly after the company released information about benzene in hand sanitizer, the FDA spent weeks combing through the lab’s facilities, ultimately accusing them of operating without proper regulatory approvals. The FDA was convinced Valisure was doing tests for companies seeking FDA approval, and accused them of violating regulations. Valisure claims they don’t do regulatory work for anyone.
So, what does all of this mean for those of us who just want to make sure that we’re not putting dangerous chemicals on our skin? Whenever possible, look at the situation from a holistic perspective. Unfortunately, we come in contact every day with lots of things that could potentially make us sick. Some have higher rates than others. It’s when all of those little percentages are combined that it becomes a problem, which also makes causation harder to track.
