So for some dry shampoos to have more than 2 ppm — with a handful of batches containing over 100 ppm — is concerning. Not only that, but the benzene doesn’t just disappear once you spray the dry shampoo. Valisure identified a potential long-term exposure of up to 36 parts per billion (ppb) of benzene from the lingering cloud of dry shampoo, which is 90 times the EPA’s threshold for cancer risk of 0.4 ppb in the air.
Still, it’s hard to quantify exactly how much benzene people are exposed to on a day-to-day basis, aerosols included — and, of course, how that plays out in your overall cancer risk. For one, these are just the products that have been tested. There are a ton of other aerosol-powered formulas in the beauty industry, from hairspray to self-tanner, so it’s hard to predict (or control) the total amount at this point.
And despite its proven risks, benzene continues to be ubiquitous both in the supply chain and everyday life. “Though some benzene may be [inhaled and] absorbed by the body while using dry shampoo, there are other common ways in which people are exposed to this chemical,” Dr. Teras says. “For example, emissions from motor vehicle fuel — including from driving, filling up the gas tank, traffic, using lawnmowers and other petroleum-fueled equipment — and tobacco smoke, both from active smoking and from secondhand smoke.”
Where do we go from here?
While benzene is one thing, it’s hard to make a blanket statement about all aerosol dry shampoos — especially seeing as 30% of the dry shampoos Valisure tested had no detectable benzene. It’s difficult for experts to give clear advice, says Dr. Teras. “However, like exposure to any harmful chemical, the most careful path is to avoid or minimize the exposure,” she says. “Consumers who are concerned about these findings should absolutely consider alternatives.”
The obvious step is to avoid aerosol dry shampoos; in other words, skip those that come in a pressurized can and consider those that have a manual dispensing system, such as shaking, squeezing, and dusting powder onto your roots. While they may not be as super-fine as their aerosolized counterparts or deliver the same even distribution, it may be a worthwhile swap. (We love 2022 Best of Beauty winner I Dew Care Tap Secret Mattifying Dry Shampoo Powder.)
But, ultimately, the goal is for the system to change, with more oversight and intervention — since aerosols can be (and often are) made without any benzene contamination at all. “There is a huge supply chain and manufacturing problem because a lot of the propellants and things used to make the aerosols seem to be contaminated with benzene,” Dr. Bunick says. “But it doesn’t have to be that way.”
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