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Our Members Asked:
Which deodorants and antiperspirants are contaminated with benzene and which are not?
Answer:
Benzene, which has been linked to blood cancers, has been reported in spray deodorants and antiperspirants that were independently tested in 2021. Benzene was found in 44 out of 86 distinct products from 30 brands of spray deodorants and antiperspirants. It is likely that the benzene in these products arose from other ingredients they contain, such as butane, isobutane, or propane, which are propellants in sprays.
ConsumerLab's staff has analyzed the results of these tests and identified which products we think should be avoided and which are safest with regard to benzene contamination. Sign in as a member to see the findings, including subsequent product recalls and legal settlements.
Products tested include those from these brands: Arrid, Axe, Azzaro, Bath & Body Works, Brut, Calvin Klein, Davidoff, Degree, Designer Imports, Dove, Duke Cannon, Equate, Gold Bond, Guy Laroche, Hollister, Kenneth Cole, Land of the Free, Nautica, Powder Stick, Prince Matchabelli, Right Guard, Secret, Speed Stick, Suave, Sure, Summer's Eve, Soft & Dri, Tag, Old Spice, and Victoria's Secret.
Also see our article about benzene in sun care products.
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Susan22048
February 22, 2025Decided to try a safe deodorant to treat the funky smell of intertrigo. After considering your comments and research of the Environmental Working Group, I chose Dove (also top rated on Amazon for effectiveness). The decision would have been more difficult without Consumer Labs input.
Reply to this post…
jw21604
January 10, 2025Crystal works for me. Personal experience. I had a friend tell me she uses milk of magnesia which I used and personal experience- it works for me. I have no financial interest in either product.
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jw21603
January 10, 2025I use Crystal a salt that is a deodorant with no aluminum. It comes in a solid stick. It works for me.
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Patricia20976
October 29, 2024Please, is the alkylbenzeneosulphonate in my laundry detergent the same as benzene?
ConsumerLab.com
December 17, 2024Alkylbenzene sulfonates are not the same as benzene. This class of surfactants is produced with benzene as a starting material, but the properties of alkylbenzene sulfonates differ from that of benzene and when the compounds break down, benzene is not a byproduct (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780444516640500206).
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WAYNE16968
August 08, 2022Is benzyl alcohol related to benzene?
ConsumerLab.com
August 10, 2022Benzyl alcohol (also called benzenemethanol) is not the same as benzene. Benzyl alcohol can be used in cosmetic products in concentrations up to 10%. It is rapidly absorbed from the GI tract, metabolized in the liver, and eliminated from the body in the urine (https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1091581817728996). Benzene, on the other hand, gets broken down in the liver, and the byproducts are transported to the bone marrow and eventually lead to bone marrow toxicity (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1469747/).
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Rhett16921
December 17, 2021The WHO has a document describing some common sources of benzene exposure and risks of exposure. (https://www.who.int/ipcs/features/benzene.pdf ) It would be interesting to quantify amount of benzene in air or on skin when these dry sprays are applied and how that might compare to other known exposures. Also, I wonder if even dry sprays that were tested as “safer” might have higher and potentially hazardous benzene levels in different batches of the same products. And, as some other users have pointed out, is this systemic to many consumer products with propellants? Are there some common propellants that are “safe”?
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mary lou16918
December 04, 2021Does benzoic acid have any relation to benzene? It is in a non scented roll-on deodorant.
Mary Lou 5567
ConsumerLab.com
December 08, 2021Benzoic acid is added as a preservative (also in foods). It does not carry the risks of benzene -- although benzene is part of its molecular structure. It's not a safety concern in antiperspirants/deodorants as far as we are aware.
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Lonna
December 02, 2021I do appreciate ConsumerLab at least bringing, to a regular old soul like me, information that will help me make better choices for me and people that I love.
ConsumerLab.com
December 05, 2021Thank you for your kind words, we're glad you found the article to be helpful!
Sandra19364
April 22, 2024So do I! You are the very best resource for providing accurate information... God bless you 🙌❤️
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Scott16901
November 28, 2021Ban roll on was not tested?
ConsumerLab.com
November 28, 2021Only sprays were tested, as they are more likely to have this problem due to their propellants, as we note.
Molly16908
December 01, 2021I am interested in the roll-ons as well.
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TS
November 21, 2021I don't understand why there is concern about benzene in a few specific products such as deoderants, sunscreen, and most recently a recall on OdorEaters when there are mutliple peer reviewed professionally published reports by chemists about how common benzene is in the VOCs of many fragranced products. This seems like whack-a-mole.
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Velga16894
November 19, 2021If sprays are suspect for deodorants, wouldn't hair sprays also possibly be problematic?
ConsumerLab.com
November 19, 2021Yes, that's quite possible, although, unlike sunscreens and antiperspirants/deodorants, hair spray is not intended to be applied to the skin (where it can be absorbed), although it could still be inhaled.
Victoria16896
November 28, 2021Can’t spray your hair without getting it on your skin!
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Suzanne16881
November 08, 2021Hi there. Internal medicine M.D. here ( I remember well the definite Acute Leukemia, Aplastic Anemia, and Benzene links taught to us in medical school). Is there any more detailed information about the source of the benzene in the aerosols? Mention is made of Butane, etc. - is this the propellant used for the sprays? If so, what is the actual source of the Butane used by these companies? Thank You.
ConsumerLab.com
November 08, 2021Yes, it is believed the the propellants are the source of the benzene, but we don't know exactly how or why. If we learn more, we'll publish it.
Jeanne16882
November 19, 2021This makes me concerned about dry shampoo sprays! They use the various butanes as propellants, Batiste brand is in all major stores and has isobutane and others. Yikes! I use this product weekly….
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Ray16871
November 05, 2021I use Tom's of Maine Deodorant and their fluoride free toothpaste.
Louise16873
November 12, 2021I do too. I would like to see them tested.
Dan C
November 28, 2021Myself Tom. Would like to know how they rank
Mark16875
February 18, 2022Me too.
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Mary16869
November 04, 2021Lotrimin and Tinactin sprays were recalled in October due to the presence of benzene:
https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/bayer-issues-voluntary-recall-specific-lotriminr-and-tinactinr-spray-products-due-presence-benzene
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Ellie16864
November 04, 2021I use Secret in stick form. However, the tests were on the sprays. Can I consider the stick form to be without benzene?
ConsumerLab.com
November 05, 2021We don't know for sure, but it would seem less likely, as it does not contain the propellants that may be the source of the benzene.
Laura16865
November 07, 2021If the propellants are the source of the benzene, wouldn't it seem reasonable that stick form would be a lot safer. So many of the products reviewed are sprays.
ConsumerLab.com
November 07, 2021Yes, that is quite possible. And, to clarify, only sprays were tested, as noted in our article and the results table -- some of the brands may sound like sticks, but it was their spray products that were tested.
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Darla16853
November 04, 2021Butane comes out of the fracking process. Benzene is used in that process. I wouldn't be surprised if that is where it came from.
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Charlotte16839
November 04, 2021Do only sprays contain benzene and not the solids? Thank you
ConsumerLab.com
November 04, 2021Solids and roll-ons were not tested, but this may be more of a problem with sprays (and, possibly, the propellants in sprays, like butane), as was the case with sunscreens that were tested earlier this year, where high concentrations of benzene were more likely in sprays than in lotions.
Rosemary16841
November 04, 2021Is Butane and isobutane in deodorant sprays an issue?
ConsumerLab.com
November 05, 2021It is speculated that these, as well as propane, may be at issue for benzene contamination.
Katherine16849
November 09, 2021I am confused as to why only sprays were tested. Don't most people use stick deodorants? Is it because they do not contain benzene?
ConsumerLab.com
November 09, 2021As noted above, there is greater concern with benzene in sprays.
Sean16844
November 13, 2021This is crazy—thank you for testing. I never would’ve thought to worry about my deodorant.
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