A voluntary recall has been placed on a small number of acne creams after government testing found slightly elevated levels of the potentially cancer-causing chemical benzene.
The Food and Drug Administration said the recall was limited to six products that contain benzoyl peroxide, including Walgreens Acne Control Cleanser, Proactiv Skin Smoothing Exfoliator and La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo Dual Action Acne Treatment.
However, they urged retailers to pull the affected products from their shelves. The full list and lot numbers were posted online Tuesday.
“FDA has concluded that a limited number of products should be recalled at the retail level; more than 90% of tested products had undetectable or extremely low levels of benzene,” the official announcement read.
The FDA also stressed that consumers face little risk from the products.
“Even with daily use of these products for decades, the risk of a person developing cancer because of exposure to benzene found in these products is very low,” the agency stated.
All of the products contain benzene, a chemical component of crude oil, gas and cigarette smoke. Prolonged exposure to high levels can cause leukemia and other cancers.
The recalls announced this week apply to stores selling the items. FDA officials said consumers don’t need to take any specific action.
The FDA identified the six products after testing 95 acne treatment products. The agency’s review was prompted by testing reports from private laboratories about excess benzene levels in a number of acne products.
In recent years, a variety of other products have been recalled over benzene levels, including hand sanitizers, aerosols and sunscreens.
The recall on acne treatments comes after the FDA issued an advisory on the popular moisturizer First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream, in January.
First Aid Beauty recalled 2,756 jars of the viral skin care product on December 23, 2024 before the FDA issued the second-highest risk classification for it, meaning “the use of or exposure to, [the cream] may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences.”
Speaking to USA Today, First Aid Beauty clarified that the contaminated stock was exclusively purchased online.
The product is designed to hydrate “dry, distressed skin” and help heal eczema, per First Aid Beauty’s website description.
While the health risks were classified as low, customers still panicked online, worrying they would soon no longer have access to important information from the FDA with the Trump Administration removing regulators.
“Wait until the FDA can’t report on this kind of stuff anymore…oh wait,” one concerned individual wrote on Reddit.
Meanwhile, another person on Reddit pointed out: “At least the FDA is doing their job, and good on FAB for owning up to it, too.”
Additional reporting by The Associated Press…
