• High levels of benzene were detected in several acne treatment products
• Affected products include those from Clinique, Clearasil, and Target’s Up & Up

6 March 2024

Several acne creams from brands like Estee Lauder’s Clinique, Clearasil, and Target’s Up & Up have been found to contain ‘unacceptably high’ levels of cancer-causing chemical benzene

High levels of cancer-causing chemical benzene were detected in several acne treatments from brands including Clinique and Clearasil, independent lab experts found.

Connecticut-based lab Valisure said Wednesday that it detected ‘unacceptably high levels’ of benzene in several over-the-counter and prescription acne treatments that use the ingredient benzoyl peroxide. 

Affected products include several acne creams from Clinique, Clearasil, Target’s Up & Up, and Walmart‘s Equate Beauty acne treatment.  

Valisure has also filed a petition with the FDA, calling on the agency to recall the products, conduct a formal investigation, and revise industry guidance.

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Benzene belongs to a class of chemicals called volatile organic compounds, which evaporate in the air. 

It is a known carcinogen, meaning that it can cause cancer. Benzene is also toward the top of the FDA’s list of dangerous solvents.

It is considered a ‘Class 1 solvent’ that ‘should not be employed in the manufacture of drug substances, excipients, and drug products because of their unacceptable toxicity.’

Inhaling or absorbing the chemical over a long period of time can have devastating health effects because it causes cells in the body to work incorrectly.

Overexposure to benzene can also cause bone marrow not to produce enough red blood cells, which can lead to anemia, as well as blood cancers like leukemia.

It can also wreak havoc on the immune system by altering blood levels of antibodies and killing off white blood cells.

Inhalation of a high concentration of benzene in the short term can cause a myriad of adverse effects such as dizziness, headaches, irregular heartbeat and, in certain severe circumstances, death.

In 2022, Valisure found benzene in several consumer products, including sunscreens, hand sanitizers, and dry shampoo, leading to recalls of products made by companies including Procter & Gamble and Johnson & Johnson.

Benzene levels varied by bottles, but nine were found to have at least 10 times the legal limit. One product — Not Your Mother’s Beach Babe Texturizing Coconut — had nearly 80 times the threshold. 

The FDA allows for a trace level of benzene, up to two parts per million (ppm), in products.

But the Environmental Protection Agency warns that inhaling just 0.4ppm of benzene increases your risk, resulting in one additional cancer case per 100,000 people.

But the detection of benzene in the acne treatment products was ‘substantially different’ from the other cases, Valisure said.

“The benzene we found in sunscreens and other consumer products were impurities that came from contaminated ingredients; however, the benzene in benzoyl peroxide products is coming from the benzoyl peroxide itself,” said Valisure Co-Founder and President David Light.

Valisure’s tests showed some products could form more than 800 times the conditionally restricted FDA concentration limit for benzene.

High levels of benzene were not only found in the acne products, but also in the air around incubated products, indicating that the carcinogen could leak out of some of the packages, posing a potential inhalation risk, Valisure said.

Estee Lauder, which owns Clinique, shares dropped 3% following the report. 

Target, Estee Lauder, Walmart and Reckitt did not respond to requests for comment from Reuters. The FDA has not yet responded to Valisure’s petition.

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