Warning for Acne Treatment Users: Cancer Causing Chemical Found in Products – What North Dakota and Montana Residents Need to Know

Hey parents of teens with acne, folks using acne products, and everyone in North Dakota and Montana. There's some concerning news out there. Valisure, a testing company, found benzene, a cancer-causing chemical, in popular acne treatments like Proactiv, Clearasil, PanOxyl and more. Yup, brands we all know, even if we're not in our teens anymore.

They're asking the FDA to recall these products because they found high benzene levels. Turns out, benzoyl peroxide, a common ingredient in acne meds, breaks down into benzene over time, especially when it's hot—think steamy bathrooms or parked cars in the summer heat.

In tests, benzene levels shot up, reaching over 800 times the FDA limit in just two weeks at 122°F. Even at room temp, levels were still high, ranging from 1 to 24 parts per million.

Now, the FDA's checking it out, and manufacturers are defending their products' safety. But it's a reminder to stay vigilant about what we put on our skin, especially if you or your teens are battling acne.

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Dr. Christopher Bunick from Yale says there are other acne treatments without benzoyl peroxide to consider. Plus, the percentage of benzoyl peroxide in a product doesn't predict benzene levels—it's all about the formulation.

This isn't Valisure's first rodeo with finding harmful stuff in products. They flagged NDMA in Zantac and benzene in hand sanitizers before. So, while we wait for more info, it's a good idea to keep an eye out for updates and maybe consider alternatives to benzoyl peroxide-based acne treatments. Stay safe out there, whether you're a parent of a teen with acne, someone dealing with acne themselves, or residing in North Dakota or Montana.