What You Need to Know About Carcinogens in Dry Shampoo and 10 Safe Alternatives

The recent dry shampoo recall sent a lot of us spinning—especially those of us who use it regularly and count on it to extend the life of our hair between washes. We won’t say that it’s not a cause for concern, but there are some facts you should know that will (hopefully) quiet some fears you may have about using dry shampoo in the future. Here are the facts. Valisure, which is an independent testing laboratory, reported that high levels of benzene (a known carcinogen) were detected in several dry shampoo products. In fact, according to the report, 11 samples showed over 10 times the FDA concentration limit of 2 parts per million. In response, Unilever, the company behind beauty brands like Dove, Suave, Bed Head, and Tresemme, issued a voluntary recall of select products. “Benzene is a carcinogen but it’s more likely to cause cancer with higher doses,” says Board-Certified Dermatologist and founder of FACET Dermatology, Dr. Geeta Yadav. “Most of the population is exposed to benzene through gasoline fumes (like filling up your car with gasoline). Though Unilever didn’t specify the amount of benzene found in their products, they did state that ‘daily exposure to benzene in the recalled products at the risk levels detected in testing would not be expected to cause adverse health consequences.’ The best analogy here is that smoking one cigarette once in your life is not the same risk as smoking every day for 50 years—dose and exposure do matter when discussing the risk of harmful health outcomes.”

Benzene wasn’t purposely used in the formulation of these dry shampoo products, nor is it ever purposely used in formulations of any consumer products. The benzene found in dry shampoos was due to contamination, and according to Yadav, the recall came out of “an abundance of caution” versus a “necessity.” “The brand states that some dry shampoos produced before October 2021 featured potentially elevated levels of benzene as a trace contaminant,” she explains. “This benzene was found in the formula’s propellant, the substance that sprays the dry shampoo out of the canister; propellant is provided by a raw material supplier.” In other words, this recall only applies to a specific set of dry shampoo products in spray canisters. Other dry shampoo products, like non-aerosol powders, are exempt. But before you toss out all your dry shampoos in spray canisters, reference the complete list of recalled products. There are only a specific few listed.

“I’m a big fan of Klorane’s dry shampoo formulas; this non-aerosol version of the brand’s oat milk dry shampoo is very effective at absorbing oil, dirt, and odor while being gentle on hair,” Yadav says.