An independent laboratory is calling on federal health officials to recall popular benzoyl peroxide acne treatment products after discovering that they contain high levels of a chemical linked to cancer.
Valisure said on Wednesday that substantial amounts of benzene, a human carcinogen, can form in prescription and over-the-counter benzoyl peroxide acne treatment products that are handled or stored at certain temperatures.
The lab tested 66 benzoyl peroxide acne treatment products, including creams, lotions, gels, washes, liquids and bars, and discovered that popular brands such as Clearasil, Proactiv, Target’s Up & Up brand and Clinique can form benzene “at hundreds of times the conditional FDA limit,” Valisure co-founder David Light said in a statement.
The current evidence from the recent tests suggests that this problem “applies broadly to benzoyl peroxide products that are currently on the market,” according to the lab.
