FDA Says Acne Products Recalled Over Carcinogenic Substance

The agency said it tested six products and found elevated levels of benzene, a chemical used in industrial processes.

The headquarters of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in Silver Spring, Md., on Nov. 4, 2009. Jason Reed/Reuters

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this week said that voluntary recalls for acne products have been initiated after the agency tested them and found benzene, a carcinogenic substance.

In a statement Tuesday, the FDA said that 95 acne products that contain benzoyl peroxide were tested and that a “limited number of products should be recalled at the retail level.” However, more than 90 percent of the products were tested to have “undetectable or extremely low levels of benzene,” the agency said.