This Must-Have Hair Product Is Being Recalled In New York State

Uh oh - bad hair days ahead! 

For busy (and lazy) women and men everywhere, dry shampoo is one of the greatest innovations of the 21st century.

Okay, that's slightly dramatic. But for those who use it regularly, aerosol dry shampoo has been a godsend to keep hair looking fresh and clean between washes.

But, like everything too good to be true, it’s been found that certain dry shampoos that were on the market have been linked to potential health hazards - including cancer.

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Dry Shampoo Recall

Unilever, the parent company behind many beloved hair care brands like Suave, Dove, Nexxus, and more, has issued a voluntary recall of certain dry shampoo products that you may have in your bathroom cabinet right now.

According to the announcement posted on the Food and Drug Administration’s website, the affected dry shampoos are being voluntarily recalled due to potentially elevated levels of the chemical benzene in the bottle’s propellant. 

Unilever has said they haven’t received any reports of consumers getting sick from using the recalled dry shampoos but rather are warning consumers out of caution.

What Is Benzene?

According to the CDC, benzene is a carcinogen that can be exposed to humans through inhalation, orally, and through the skin. Exposure to benzene isn’t uncommon, as it’s found in several everyday household products like paints, glues, detergents, and furniture wax. However, daily exposure to benzene over an extended period of time can lead to severe health conditions like blood disorders, leukemia, and blood cancer of the bone marrow. 

In women, inhalation of benzene over a prolonged period can also lead to irregular menstrual cycles.

Is Your Dry Shampoo Affected?

The recalled dry shampoos were produced before October 2021 and include products from the Dove, Nexxus, Suave, TIGI (Rockaholic and Bed Head), and TRESemmé brands. The complete list of these dry shampoos can be found here. 

If you own and use dry shampoo from these brands, check your bottle’s UPC and lot code to see if it matches any on the list. If it does, you’re advised to stop using the product and throw it away immediately.

Unilever has said it has since fixed this issue, so hopefully, it won’t be an issue for diehard dry shampoo users in the future. But if you don’t have time to run to the drugstore to buy a replacement tonight, it looks like you’ll have to get up extra early for a hair wash tomorrow.

Or, fellow lazy girls, use this as an excuse to throw on a hat. No judgment.