La Roche-Posay, Proactiv, Walgreens skin care products voluntarily recalled over potentially cancer-causing chemical
Acne creams from retailers including Walgreens, La Roche-Posay and Proactiv have been voluntarily recalled due to elevated levels of a potentially cancer-causing agent.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a recall notice Tuesday for several lots of six products, including Walgreens Acne Control Cleanser, Proactiv Skin Smoothing Exfoliator, SLMD Benzoyl Peroxide Acne Lotion and La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo Dual Action Acne Treatment.
The FDA said the products are being recalled for "possible benzene contamination."
Benzene is a chemical used often to make a range of products in the U.S. including detergents, dyes and drugs, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Long-term exposure to high levels of benzene in the air can cause leukemia, or cancer of the blood-forming organs, according to the CDC.
In its recall notice, the FDA stressed that the skin care products being voluntarily recalled carry a "very low" risk of causing cancer.
"Even with daily use of these products for decades, the risk of a person developing cancer because of exposure to benzene found in these products is very low," the notice stated.
The FDA's recall is also only at the retail level, meaning the agency is asking retailers to remove the recalled products from store shelves and online marketplaces.
Consumers who may have purchased the recalled products are not being instructed to take any action, according to the FDA.
The recalled products have expiration dates ranging from April 2025 to March 2026. The full list of recalled products and lot numbers can be found here.
A spokesperson for La Roche-Posay told ABC News in a statement the company is removing the impacted units of its Effaclar Duo Dual Action Acne Treatment from retailers.
"At La Roche-Posay, product safety is our highest priority. While our Effaclar Duo Acne Spot Treatment has a long-standing history of safe and effective use, recent testing revealed minimal traces of benzene in one lot of the product. Although these trace levels do not pose a safety risk, we are committed to upholding the highest quality standards," the spokesperson said. "Therefore, in close coordination with the FDA, we have proactively decided to remove the limited remaining units of the current formula of Effaclar Duo from retailers. This decision also enables a seamless transition to our new and improved Effaclar Duo formula, which has been in development since 2024 and will be available to consumers soon."
A spokesperson for Alchemee LLC, the maker of Proactiv, also said it is complying with the recall and is offering customers a refund or replacement.
"Alchemee, LLC, the maker of Proactiv products, is initiating a voluntary recall of two (2) lots of Proactiv Emergency Blemish Relief and one (1) lot of Proactiv Skin Smoothing Exfoliator. These three lots are being voluntarily recalled after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") provided information to Alchemee regarding test results for benzene content of samples in these lots," the spokesperson said in a statement. "For those who purchased these products directly from www.proactiv.com, customers can contact Proactiv Customer Care to return the product for a refund or replacement. For purchases made from other sites or retail stores, please contact the site or store you purchased from for assistance with product returns and refunds or replacements."
Walgreens said it is also complying with the recall, telling ABC News in a statement, “Our suppliers, working in conjunction with the FDA, initiated two voluntary recalls, impacting a limited number of units. This was done out of an abundance of caution and the safety of our customers remains our top priority.”
SLMD did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment.
