Investing.com -- L’Oreal SA has issued a recall for all lots of its Effaclar Duo acne treatment in the United States due to concerns about potential benzene contamination, according to Bloomberg News. Benzene is a recognized carcinogen, a substance capable of causing cancer in living tissue.
The acne treatment, Effaclar Duo, is produced under L’Oreal’s La Roche-Posay brand and contains benzoyl peroxide, an antibacterial compound used to combat acne. However, under certain conditions, benzoyl peroxide can break down and form benzene.
The contamination issue was first raised a year ago by Valisure, an independent laboratory based in Connecticut. The lab detected benzene in several widely-used benzoyl peroxide products and urged the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to withdraw the contaminated treatments from the market. As of now, the FDA has not responded to requests for comment regarding whether more acne treatments will be recalled.
Benzene, a natural part of gasoline and tobacco smoke, can cause leukemia when exposed to high amounts, as stated by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. L’Oreal confirmed that testing had revealed trace amounts of benzene in one lot of the Effaclar Duo product.
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