"Lab Discovers Cancer-Causing Benzene in Popular Acne Treatments"

An independent lab, Valisure, has found dangerously high levels of benzene, a known carcinogen, in several popular acne products containing benzoyl peroxide, prompting a petition to the FDA for their removal from shelves. Benzene, which can cause cancer and other life-threatening conditions, was detected at levels over 800 times higher than FDA restrictions, with some products even leaking benzene, posing an inhalation risk. The lab's tests suggest that benzoyl peroxide products are fundamentally unstable and can generate unacceptably high levels of benzene when exposed to higher temperatures, while products using salicylic acid or adapalene did not show the same issue.