Why an acne cream could hide an unexpected risk?

A recent study involves acne creams in danger (Illustrative Image Infobae)

(HealthDay News) — Las acne creams widely used can be contaminated with a carcinogen known, even if they remain room temperaturewarns a recent study.

Creams containing benzoyl peroxide (BPO, for its acronym in English) can end up containing high levels of benzene while they are in the store shelf or in a medicine cabinet, researchers found after testing 111 products from major US retailers

Tested brands that contain benzoyl peroxide include Clearasil, Clean & Clear, Neutrogena, Proactiv, Up & Up and store brand equivalents.

Benzoyl peroxide degrades into the carcinogen benzene over time when stored at room temperature, at elevated temperatures, and when exposed to ultraviolet rays from sunlightthe researchers reported in the Oct. 7 issue of the journal Journal of Investigative Dermatology.

This is the first time that benzoyl peroxide products have been shown to degrade into benzene at normal temperatures, they noted.

“Our research shows that BPO products can generate benzene at typical room and store shelf temperatures, while “Cold storage significantly reduces this formation,” the researcher pointed out, the Dr. Christopher Bunick, associate professor of dermatology at the Faculty of Medicine of the Yale University en New Haven, Connecticut.

Researchers tested 111 benzoyl peroxide products in the United States (Illustrative Image Infobae)

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPAfor its acronym in English) classifies benzene as a human carcinogen known, noting that it specifically increases the risk of leukemia.

Benzoyl peroxide acts as an agent anti-bacterial and is found in remedies over-the-counter and prescription creams for acne and rosacea.

For the new study, researchers purchased dozens of acne creams at major retail stores in California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, New York and Texas.

“The 111 BPO pharmaceutical products tested at major US retailers appear to be substantially contaminated with benzene when tested shortly after being purchased off the shelf,” they concluded.

About a 34 percent of products analyzed contained benzene concentrations above the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s conditional limit of 2 parts per million for drugs, the results show.

But there are no safe levels of exposure to benzenethe researchers noted. The FDA says that benzene has a “unacceptable toxicity” and that its conditional limit is for “unavoidable” levels of benzene contained in pharmaceutical products “with significant therapeutic advance.”

The researchers’ tests revealed benzene concentrations in the products as high as 35.3 parts per million. The tests also showed that the Cooling can slow degradation of benzoyl peroxide into benzene, the researchers noted.

Benzoyl peroxide degrades under common environmental conditions (Illustrative Image Infobae)
Benzoyl peroxide degrades under common environmental conditions (Illustrative Image Infobae)

These findings suggest the need for recommend refrigeration of BPO products throughout the supply chain, from manufacturing to use on the part of the patient, to limit exposure to benzene,” Bunick said in a magazine news release. “Until formulations are developed to prevent benzene formation, refrigeration can serve as a practical solution to minimize unnecessary exposure”.

He Dr. Richard Gallo, professor of dermatology University of California, in San Diego, said that “this carefully conducted analysis should put to rest the question of whether benzene is present in skin care products containing BPO.”

“Now it is important that more studies be carried out to determine whether the presence of this potential carcinogen in BPO medications translates into an increased risk of cancer,” added Gallo, who was not involved in the study.

More information: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has more information about benzene.

SOURCE: Elsevier, press release, October 9, 2024

*Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter

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