Dry shampoo recall: More than 100 injuries reported in Canada so far

The main reported adverse effects from using Unilever’s recalled dry shampoo products include irritation or allergic reaction, Health Canada said.  

Health Canada has received more than 100 reports of injuries related to dry shampoo products that were recalled last month due to the detection of benzene, a cancer-causing chemical.

Unilever and Health Canada announced the recall on Oct. 18, which included more than 1.5 million units of dry shampoo products manufactured by Dove, Bed Head and TRESemmé. They were sold across the country between January 2020 and October 2022.

As of Oct. 31, the main reported injuries were irritation or allergic reaction, Tammy Jarbeau, a Health Canada spokesperson told Global News on Monday.

“Due to reports still incoming, the total number of reports and the analysis of types of injury are ongoing,” she said in an emailed statement.

“Health Canada understands that consumers may have used these products in the past and recognize the challenges for consumers in knowing whether they are impacted by the recalled products.”

This is not the first time benzene has been detected in personal care products, such as dry shampoo, deodorants and aerosol spray sunscreens in Canada, prompting a massive safety recall.

Over the past two years, at least 12 recalls have been related to aerosol spray products and elevated levels of benzene, according to Health Canada’s records.

In announcing its recall, Unilever Canada said an internal investigation identified the aerosol propellant as the source for “potentially elevated levels of benzene” in several lots of dry shampoo products.