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Throw Out These Procter & Gamble Hair Care Products With Cancer-Causing Chemicals, FDA Says

The voluntary recall includes dry shampoos from brands like Pantene, Herbal Essences, and Old Spice.
Throw Out These Procter & Gamble Hair Care Products With Cancer-Causing Chemicals, FDA Says
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Only a few weeks after recalling a variety of their aerosol antiperspirants, the Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) has now issued a voluntary recall of some of its aerosol dry shampoo and conditioner sprays, according to a notice from P&G posted on the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) website. The recalled products contain benzene—a chemical that, when found at high levels, can cause cancer. Here’s what to know about the recall.

What is included in the recall

Although P&G says benzene isn’t an ingredient in any of their products, while conducting a review of the company’s aerosol items, inspectors found “unexpected levels of benzene [that] came from the propellant that sprays the product out of the can” in a variety of their dry shampoos and conditions. At this point, P&G hasn’t received any reports of illness or injury related to the recalled products, and says it is conducting the recall “out of an abundance of caution.”

The recalled products—from Pantene, Aussie, Herbal Essences, and Waterless, in addition to previously discontinued aerosol dry shampoo products from Old Spice and Hair Food—were sold nationwide, both in stores and online. They were all produced in the United States.

A full list of recalled products can be found on the FDA’s notice, along with their UPC and production code ranges. These are the only products from the hair care brands that have been recalled, P&G notes.

What to do if you have recalled products

If you have purchased any of the recalled products, the FDA notice says to stop using them immediately, and throw them out. Consumers can visit the Pantene, Aussie, Herbal Essences, Waterless, Old Spice, or Hair Food websites, or contact the P&G Consumer Care team at 1-888-674-3631 from Monday – Friday from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. ET for more information on the recall, including how to receive reimbursement.