Procter & Gamble recalls shampoos over concerns products include cancer-causing agent Benzene

An urgent nationwide recall has been issued for certain shampoos and conditioners after traces of cancer-causing chemicals were found.

Multiple dry shampoos and conditioners have been pulled from shelves across Australia over warnings they could contain benzene, a cancer-causing agent.

Procter & Gamble recalled items including Pantene and Waterl

It follows a much larger recall of products in the US, where the consumer goods company was based.

People who bought the affected products should stop using them and throw them away, Proctor & Gamble said in a statement on Wednesday.

“While benzene is not an ingredient in any of our products, our review showed that unexpected levels of benzene came from the propellant that sprays the product out of the can,” the statement read.

“We detected benzene in aerosol dry shampoo spray products and aerosol dry conditioner spray products.”

Proctor & Gamble said the products were being recalled “out of an abundance of caution”, and that the levels of benzene found in the products “would not be expected to cause adverse health consequences”.

“However, in light of these findings, and out of an abundance of caution, we have issued a voluntary recall at the consumer level of aerosol dry shampoo spray products and aerosol dry conditioner spray products from Pantene and Waterl

A dry shampoo product from Pantene has been affected by the recall. Picture: Supplied

People are being urged to check the production codes to see if they had an affected product.

Pantene and Waterl

Proctor & Gamble is offering full refunds to customers.

A full list of recalled products:

• Pantene Never Tell Dry shampoo 120g, with EAN 080878188727 – batch numbers 0065144504, 0280144504, 0310144504, 0330144504, 0364144504, 1008087818, 1008087881 and 1074144504
• Pantene Cheat Day Dry Shampoo Foam 169g, with EAN 080878190928 – batch numbers 0064144504, 0097144504, 0289144504, 1028144504, 1112144504 and 1145144502
• Waterl

Another of the products affected by the Australian recall, Waterl.

• Waterl
• Waterl
• Waterl
• Waterl

Originally published as Procter & Gamble recalls shampoos over concerns products include cancer-causing agent Benzene