Dry Shampoo Lawsuit
Why are some dry shampoo products unsafe?
Recently, Unilever, the company behind such brands as Dove, Nexxus, Suave, TIGI, and TRESemmé, among many others, made headlines by recalling 19 dry shampoos over potently elevated levels of the human carcinogen, benzene, in certain of its dry shampoo products.
Benzene is a highly flammable, colorless toxin which is used primarily as a solvent in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. Benzine has long been linked to fatal forms of leukemia and other cancers such as AML, Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML), Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL), Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL), Hairy Cell Leukemia (HCL), Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, Multiple Myeloma, Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDL), Myelofibrosis and Myeloid Metaplasia, Aplastic Anemia and Thrombocytopenic Purpura.
What manufacturers are involved?
On October 18, 2022, Unilever issued a press release stating:
“Unilever United States today issued a voluntary product recall to the consumer level of select lot codes of dry shampoo aerosol products produced prior to October 2021 from Dove, Nexxus, Suave, TIGI (Rockaholic and Bed Head), and TRESemmé due to potentially elevated levels of benzene.”
The recall was, apparently, initiated after an internal investigation identified the propellant in aerosol cans as the source of the benzene contamination in the dry shampoo brands. As dry shampoo is applied directly to the hair and scalp, health officials have warned that benzene could enter an individual’s bloodstream through inhalation, orally, or through the skin which, over time and repeated use, could result in adverse health effects.
The recalled products were distributed nationwide in the United States and retailers have been notified to remove such products from shelves. Consumers have been directed to stop using the affected products. Specifically, the following Dove, Nexxus, Suave, TIGI (Rockaholic and Bed Head) and TRESemmé dry shampoo aerosols have been recalled by Unilever:
- Dove Dry Shampoo Volume and Fullness
- Dove Dry Shampoo Fresh Coconut
- Dove Dry Shampoo Fresh and Floral
- Dove Dry Shampoo Ultra Clean
- Dove Dry Shampoo Invisible
- Dove Dry Shampoo Detox and Purify
- Dove Dry Shampoo Clarifying Charcoal
- Dove Dry Shampoo Go Active
- Nexxus Dry Shampoo Refreshing Mist
- Nexxus Inergy Foam Shampoo
- Suave Dry Shampoo Hair Refresher
- Suave Professionals Dry Shampoo Refresh and Revive
- Tresemmé Dry Shampoo Volumizing
- Tresemmé Dry Shampoo Fresh and Clean
- Tresemmé Pro Pure Dry Shampoo
- Bed Head Oh Bee Hive Dry Shampoo
- Bed Head Oh Bee Hive Volumizing Dry Shampoo
- Bed Head Dirty Secret Dry Shampoo
- Bed Head Rockaholic Dirty Secret Dry Shampoo