Urgent recall of popular product

Multiple dry shampoos and conditioners have been pulled from shelves across Australia over warnings they could contain benzene, a cancer-causing agent.

Procter & Gamble recalled items including Pantene and Waterl<ss (sic) brands made within certain time frames.

It follows a much larger recall of products in the US, where the consumer goods company was based.

People who bought the affected products should stop using them and throw them away, Proctor & Gamble said in a statement on Wednesday.

“While benzene is not an ingredient in any of our products, our review showed that unexpected levels of benzene came from the propellant that sprays the product out of the can,” the statement read.

“We detected benzene in aerosol dry shampoo spray products and aerosol dry conditioner spray products.”

Proctor & Gamble said the products were being recalled “out of an abundance of caution”, and that the levels of benzene found in the products “would not be expected to cause adverse health consequences”.

“However, in light of these findings, and out of an abundance of caution, we have issued a voluntary recall at the consumer level of aerosol dry shampoo spray products and aerosol dry conditioner spray products from Pantene and Waterl<ss,” it said.

People are being urged to check the production codes to see if they had an affected product.

Pantene and Waterl<ss products with different production codes were still safe to use, the company said.

Proctor & Gamble is offering full refunds to customers.

A full list of recalled products:

• Pantene Never Tell Dry shampoo 120g, with EAN 080878188727 – batch numbers 0065144504, 0280144504, 0310144504, 0330144504, 0364144504, 1008087818, 1008087881 and 1074144504
• Pantene Cheat Day Dry Shampoo Foam 169g, with EAN 080878190928 – batch numbers 0064144504, 0097144504, 0289144504, 1028144504, 1112144504 and 1145144502
• Waterl<ss Dry Shampoo No Residue for fine or oily hair 106g with EAN 080878190898 – batch numbers 0098144504, 0279144504, 0335144504, 0336144504 and 1008087819

• Waterl<ss Dry Shampoo No Residue for fine or oily hair 106g with EAN 037000543787 – batch numbers 0265144504, 0304144504 and 0356144504
• Waterl<ss Dry Shampoo Foam for thick or curly hair 150g with EAN 037000543794 – batch numbers 0056144504 and 0092144504
• Waterl<ss Dry Conditioner Weightless smooth 102g for fine Hair with EAN 037000543954 – batch numbers 0023144504, 0205144504 and 0247144504
• Waterl<ss Dry Conditioner instant moisture for thick hair 102g with EAN 037000543831 – batch numbers 0009144504, 0010144504, 0029144504, 0069144504 and 9298144504