Health Canada handled more than 100 questions and incident reports, including for allergic reactions, following the recall of approximately 1.5 million dry shampoos due to the presence of benzene, a chemical carcinogenic.
The federal agency told Global News that the calls received since the launch of the recall were aimed at reporting “irritations or allergic reactions”, or were the fact of citizens who were wondering.
“As we are still receiving reports, the total number of incidents and the analysis of the types of injuries are still in progress,” said Health Canada.
The recall, announced on October 18 by Health Canada and Unilever, involved dry shampoos from the brands Dove, Bed Head TIGI and Tresemmé.
“Immediately stop using the recalled products and follow the directions on the product for disposal,” Health Canada said in the recall.
In its announcement, Unilever said the internal investigation had determined that the aerosol propellant was the cause.
The company also added that benzene was known to cause cancer in humans and could cause leukemia and other blood cancers, among other things.
According to Health Canada, benzene can be inhaled, ingested by mouth or absorbed through the skin.
Since 2021, Health Canada has recalled at least 12 products because of benzene.