By Amber Brenza
Six more acne products have been voluntarily recalled for contamination with benzene, a known carcinogen, the Food and Drug Administration announced Tuesday.
The products—sold under the brand names Walgreens, Proactive, SLMD, and Zapzyt—have all been pulled from store shelves following testing of 95 acne products containing benzoyl peroxide, initiated by the Food and Drug Administration.
The expanded recall comes after L’Oreal voluntarily recalled its La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo Dual Action Acne Treatment earlier this week, also due to benzene contamination.
Which Acne Products Have Been Recalled?
According to the FDA, the following acne treatment products have been voluntarily recalled at the retail level.
| Product | Lot Number(s) | Expiration Date |
| La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo Dual Action Acne Treatment | MYX46W | April 2025 |
| Walgreens Acne Control Cleanser | 23 09328 | September 2025 |
| Proactiv Emergency Blemish Relief Cream Benzoyl Peroxide 5% | V3305A; V3304A | October 2025 |
| Proactiv Skin Smoothing Exfoliator | V4204A | July 2025 |
| SLMD Benzoyl Peroxide Acne Lotion | 2430600 | March 2025 |
| Walgreens Tinted Acne Treatment Cream | 49707430 | March 2026 |
The FDA also noted that another product, Zapzyt Acne Treatment Gel, was voluntarily recalled by its manufacturer, due to elevated levels of benzene during its own testing.
Why Were These Acne Products Recalled?
These acne products were recalled over the presence of benzene, a known cancer-causing chemical.
According to the FDA, benzene is a chemical that can form in nature and from human activities. In the case of acne products, benzoyl peroxide can degrade into benzene in certain conditions.
The FDA conducted its own testing of acne products following third-party testing results submitted to the agency that raised concerns about elevated benzene levels in these products.
The agency tested 95 acne products and found that the six products listed above contained elevated levels of benzene—more than 90% of the products tested had undetectable or extremely low levels of benzene.
The full results of the FDA’s testing will be available in the coming months, the agency said.
The FDA noted that, although elevated levels of benzene were detected in those six products, “the risk of a person developing cancer because of exposure to benzene found in these products is very low.”
What to Do if You Have These Acne Products at Home
These voluntary recalls were conducted at the retail level, which means products are being removed from store shelves and online marketplaces.
The recall does not specifically instruct consumers to do anything with products currently in their possession, the FDA said.
However, some of the recalled products are nearing their expiration dates—in that case, the FDA recommends people check their products and throw away any that may be expired.
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