Acne treatments contain harmful levels of benzoyl peroxide

On March 6, 2024, Valisure, an independent quality assurance lab, issued a press release identifying harmfully high levels of benzoyl peroxide in multiple skincare products, specifically products marketed for acne. The press release notes that at high levels, benzoyl peroxide can form into benzene, an established human carcinogen, at concentrations 800 times greater than the regulatory limit.

According to the CDC, benzene is a carcinogenic compound that can result from natural processes or human activities. The chemical compound can cause drowsiness, dizziness, rapid or irregular heartbeat, headaches, tremors, confusion, unconsciousness, and death if inhaled at high levels. Ingesting the chemical can result in vomiting, stomach irritation, and more. Finally, skin, eye, or lung contact has injured tissue.

Long-term exposure to benzene significantly impacts the blood as it can decrease a patient’s red blood cell count, causing anemia, which contributes to excessive bleeding and compromises the immune system. In some cases, benzene exposure has been shown to cause irregular menstrual cycles and decrease ovarian size.

While some theories postulate that benzene exposure can cause infertility or impact fetal development, the CDC notes that there is no definitive data on that in humans. However, animal studies have shown that pregnant animals who are exposed to benzene have offspring with low birth weights, delayed bone formation, and bone marrow damage.

The adverse effects of benzene have driven federal regulations that attempt to limit exposure. However, this independent study by Valisure poses questions about FDA regulations on benzoyl peroxide, which can break down and turn into benzene when exposed to oxygen because of its instability.

Currently, the FDA allows brands to sell products with benzoyl peroxide concentrates that range from 2.5% to 10%. However, this data on its instability has prompted Valisure to petition the FDA to recall certain products containing the substance.  

“This discovery of benzoyl peroxide’s fundamental instability and formation of benzene is substantially different than Valisure’s previous findings of benzene in sunscreens, hand sanitizers, and other consumer products. The benzene we found in sunscreens and other consumer products were impurities that came from contaminated ingredients; however, the benzene in benzoyl peroxide products is coming from the benzoyl peroxide itself, sometimes at hundreds of times the conditional FDA limit. This means the problem broadly affects benzoyl peroxide products, both prescription and over-the-counter, and necessitates urgent action,” noted David Light, Valisure’s Co-Founder and President, in the press release.