Does Dove Shampoo Contain a Carcinogen called Benzene? No, Here’s the Truth…

Dove shampoo produced and marketed by Hindustan Unilever does not contain benzene component

In this era of cosmetic culture, hair care and skin care have become an import part of our routine irrespective of the gender. Shampoo is an essential component of our hair care routines. Certain messages in the media often leave us feeling exposed or worried, as chemicals found in our everyday beauty products can be very harmful to our health. It’s common for us to struggle to discern the truth in these messages.

While monitoring social media, we came across a video in the Malayalam language claiming that Dove shampoo by Hindustan Lever had been recalled in the United States due to the presence of benzene, a cancer-causing compound. The individual featured in the video introduces himself as Dr. Jojo V Joseph, a consultant Oncology Surgeon at Kottayam Caritas Hospital.

The doctor also explains there is a report on the website of United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) (archived link) (the equivalent agency of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India – FSSAI) on the voluntary recall of the Dove shampoo by the Unilever company itself. He adds it is indifferent to observe, there is no mentions given on the FSSAI website in India about it. 

After a brief introduction on Dove shampoo example, he focusses on the chemical named benzene and what dangerous health conditions it can cause if it gets into the body. At the end of the video he calls for people to make their own choices to stop using products like Dove to prevent the serious conditions of benzene getting into the body. Several images of Dove shampoo bottles marketed by Hindustan Unilever Company in India and screenshots of the related news are shown during the video footage.

FB post

archived link

However, upon investigation of the video, we found that the message is misleading.

Fact check

The doctor mentions that he is referring to Dove dry shampoo. First of all, let’s understand what dry shampoo is and what is the difference between dry shampoo and normal shampoo in application. 

Dry shampoo is used instead of regular shampoo for convenience and it does not require washing with water. Even though it’s not a permanent replacement for regular shampoo, dry shampoo is a great option for removing excess oil and dirt from your scalp without water. You don’t need to wash your hair every day while using dry shampoo. 

However, dry shampoo can provide temporary vitality to hair, it is not a substitute for regular shampoo. Washing with normal shampoo leaves the hair clean and somewhat nourished, hydrated and moisturized. As the name indicates, continuous use of dry shampoo can dry out your hair. It may leave excess amount of dandruff in your scalp. Some dry shampoo brands contain dangerous components like talc, parabens and other common ingredients like ethanol which are highly toxic.

But regular shampoos are designed to nourish and strengthen strands, leaving with shine and health. With regular shampoo, drying and styling may seem a bit hassle, but less damage the follicles and roots.

Now let’s look at Unilever Company

Unilever PLC is a British multinational consumer goods company that was founded in London on September 2, 1929, following the merger of the British soap manufacturer Lever Brothers and the Dutch margarine manufacturer Uni. Unilever’s products include baby food, beauty products, bottled water, breakfast cereals, cleaning agents, spices, energy drinks, healthcare and hygiene products, ice cream, instant coffee, pet food, pharmaceuticals, soft drinks, tea, and toothpaste. It is the largest soap manufacturer in the world, and Unilever products are available in more than 190 countries.

Hindustan Unilever

Hindustan Unilever is a subsidiary of the global conglomerate Unilever. Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) is one of the top Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) businesses in India. The corporate headquarters of the company is in Mumbai. It is the Indian division of Unilever, the leading global consumer goods company.

Hindustan Unilever company has clearly mentioned on their website which Dove shampoo products are manufactured and marketed in India. It is clear that Hindustan Lever does not market any dry shampoo in India. After the company has confirmed the presence of benzene in its products in a limited batch it recalled the batch of Dove dry shampoo products from market in the United States on October 18, 2022. This incident has nothing to do with India’s Hindustan Unilever Company as it markets only Dove Liquid Shampoo in India.

Further we reached out Dr. Jojo V Joseph for more details. He clarified that he was focusing the dangerous effects of benzene and not Dove shampoo in general. He was actually using the Dove dry shampoo news from US as an example and not blaming the shampoo marketed by Hindustan Unilever Company in India.

Fact Crescendo reached to Hindustan Unilever Company for further clarification. Levercare expert Swapna explained to us that it is false propaganda against the Hindustan Unilever company and her clarification as follows:

“We completely understand your discomfort and would want to clarify, the product mentioned in recent news belongs to U.S. and Canada and is not manufactured or marketed by Hindustan Unilever Limited (Make and marketing information is mentioned on the back of the product you have). This recall is only specific to dry shampoos, and we are assuming you are using Dove liquid shampoos.

Hindustan Unilever Limited does not use ‘benzene’ itself as an ingredient in its products. These are 100% safe and do not pose any health risk to consumers.

Furthermore, we assure you that you can continue using our products without any hesitation for the intended results.”

Moreover we searched for news and reports if any, regarding the complaints in India about the chemicals added in Dove shampoo being harmful to health but could not find any. Unilever products manufactured and marketed in the United States and Canada are not owned by Hindustan Unilever.

Conclusion

Fact Crescendo found the claim made in the viral video to be false. Officials from Hindustan Unilever Company have clarified that Dove shampoo manufactured and marketed in India by Hindustan Unilever does not contain benzene. The presence of benzene was found in Dove dry shampoo by Unilever used in countries like America and Canada, but only in a limited batch in October 2022. It’s important to note that Hindustan Unilever is not manufacturing or marketing Dove Dry Shampoo in India.