TikTokers are freaking out that some of their favorite beauty and skincare products that contain benzoyl peroxide, a long-running and common ingredient in acne treatment, could possibly be giving them cancer. This, understandably upset a lot of people who use items containing the compound to not only keep their faces gleaming but their armpits feeling fresh.
However, another user on the application is saying that all of the hullaballoo surrounding benzoyl peroxide solutions is just a bunch of prophets of doom getting their rocks off as they fantasize about people dying en masse just because they put some Neutrogena on their noses.
Lydia (@theegeminiglow) responded to a concerned TikToker who tossed out their Cerave cream, stating that she’s “going to be okay” and that anyone else who is concerned about benzoyl peroxide in their skincare products probably will be too.
She did say, however, that due to Amazon’s storage practices, which could lead to temperature fluctuations of skincare products, potentially affecting their quality, folks should stay away from purchasing beauty products from the online retailer.
“What am I supposed to use now that my fav facewash causes cancer,” the concerned follower Lydia responded to asks in a text overlay of the video while recording herself tossing out a tube of Cerave facial cleanser. The clip then clip cuts to @thegeminiglow speaking directly into the camera: “No hate to the poster, she just relayed information she saw on TikTok, but I’m Lydia. I’m a licensed esthetician,n and I have done my research on this topic, especially since this morning; I’ve woken up and it’s blown up. Your skin care is not gonna kill you: Here’s why.”
Lydia then went on to break down the freakouts people were having over benzoyl peroxide. “This is something that [has] literally popped up within the last 24 hours, but people are worried about benzoyl peroxide and benzene,” she said. “Benzene is a carcinogen, which means it is cancerous and can lead to causing cancer. But it was one of the reasons why some sunscreens were recalled a year, year or two ago? And I understand how people hear that and run with that information, but you need to know the nuances of this topic.”
The problem, she says, occurs when products containing benzoyl peroxide aren’t stored properly and are put in situations where they are being heated excessively, which could potentially cause the compound to release benzene. Lydia, however, believes that folks ultimately don’t have anything to worry about. “But long story short … is that it was proven by one study that when benzoyl peroxide products are heated up to around 150 degrees Fahrenheit, it releases more benzene, a carcinogen, but, these are only levels shown in that study,” she said. “Here are a few things that release more benzene into your system than sunscreen, even the highest contaminated sunscreen and highest contaminated benzoyl peroxide.”
She went on to say that city dwellers are probably exposed to more benzene on a daily basis than folks who are washing their faces with Panoxyl are. “If you live in a city, you’re getting more benzene and carcinogens in your system by just breathing versus your skincare,” she said. “When you pump your gas, you’re getting more benzene in your system than any contaminated skincare that they have put on these lists. And no matter your skin tone, if you go outside without sunscreen, you are facing more cancer risks than what you put on your skin.”
In her opinion as an aesthetician, she says that folks really shouldn’t worry about putting their favorite skincare products on their faces that they’ve been using for years, but does say that one practice they should adopt is to stop purchasing any and of all of their beauty and skincare products from Amazon.
“Obviously, products are still safe to use,” she said. “This is just one research study that is now fear-mongering and catching fire, but if you’re still worried about products and everything, here’s one tip to ease your mind: Stop buying from Amazon. Amazon is one of the worst culprits of keeping things in factories, keeping things in storage, keeping things in warehouses and not having AC, keeping it there for seven months before they ship it out to you. Go directly to the skincare websites or go in store because they have better storage units, they have better travel methods with skincare. Stop buying your skincare from Amazon if you’re still scared. And remember: When you apply something to your skin, it’s not like it’s getting injected into your bloodstream. Our bodies are a machine; it has a filter. Your skin is supposed to keep things out, so please don’t feed into the fear-mongering. You’re OK. I promise.”
@theegeminiglow #stitch with @Ab🤍 youre going to be okay! #skincare #esthetician #fyp #foryoupage #beautyindustry #benzoylperoxide #foryou #skincareviral #skintok #viralskincare ♬ original sound – Theegeminiglow
Several commenters on Lydia’s video thought all the folks who are quick to cry “the sky is falling” whenever they come across any type of mass product potential health scare are a bit hypocritical. “These ppl will be hitting their mango flavored vapes while being like ‘omg this face wash causes cancer!’ Bruh,” one wrote.
Another person wrote that despite hearing people panicking over the benzoyl peroxide warning, they still opted to not buy into the omg-so-scary hype and continued washing their faces as normal. “I saw the warning, saw my acne, and put on my cerave benzol facewash anyways cause id rather die with clear skin,” they stated.
And then there were folks who have been longtime users of products that contain benzoyl peroxide who said that they’ve never experienced any negative side effects, so videos from people claiming the compound causes cancer is kind of confusing for them to process. “I’ve been using the panoxyl 10% face wash for TEN YEARS and haven’t died yet, so I’m kinda conflicted LOL,” one wrote.
If you’re worried about using products that contain benzoyl peroxide, The Mayo Clinic has detailed instructions on how to apply it to one’s skin properly. There is no mention on the site’s information page that benzoyl peroxide has been linked to cancer.
Time magazine has reported that an independent testing facility has discovered acne skincare products were found to contain “elevated levels” of benzene, which is a carcinogenic chemical. Benzene has been linked to leukemia, and in the study conducted by this testing facility, Valisure, the products in question were said to have contained levels of benzene. Valisure writes, “Evaluating multiple methods had been useful in past drug product contaminations52 and was performed here as well to help ensure validity of these highly concerning results. GC-HRMS, HPLC and SIFT-MS were employed for the identification and quantification of benzene in selected benzoyl peroxide products and confirmed both the identity and levels of contamination beyond 2 ppm.”
That “2 ppm” limit pertains to the strict guidelines on the amounts of allowable benzene in consumer products as outlined by the FDA and EPA, according to Valisure: “FDA currently recognizes the danger of benzene and, as a result, has claimed it should not be used in the manufacture of any component of a drug product, and only if its use is ‘unavoidable’ should a strict concentration limit of 2 ppm apply.”
However, as Lydia says, it does seem that simply living and walking through a city also subjects individuals to benzene exposure on a daily basis, according to a Science Direct article. The article states, “Benzene personal exposure levels averaged 6.9 (SD = 2.1) and 2.3 (SD = 0.7) μg/m3 in winter and spring, respectively. Outdoor and indoor levels showed high correlation in winter and poor in spring. In winter the highest benzene personal exposure levels were for people traveling by more public transport, followed by users of only car and by users of only bus respectively.”
As with everything, if you’re worried that regularly using a product may adversely affect your health, consult with a doctor. The Daily Dot has reached out to Lydia and Amazon via email for further information.
Update 10:53am CT, Mar. 11, 2024:
In an email to the Daily Dot, a representative from Amazon’s PR team, Sam Stephenson, clarified that their buildings are, in fact, climate-controlled.
Stephenson linked to a blog post explaining how air conditioning is used to keep temperatures comfortable for employees to “avoid heat stress.”
“We’ve installed a variety of cooling measures in our buildings, including climate control systems and our state-of-the-art Building Management Systems, which constantly measure the temperature and heat index (temperature plus humidity) in our facilities and proactively alert employees when climate conditions change,” the blog reads.
The blog goes on to say that Amazon’s “heat mitigation practices meet or exceed state requirements and federal guidance.”
