Top 5 Articles of the Week: March 9-14

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1. L'Oréal Issues Voluntary Recall of Benzoyl Peroxide Products Over Benzene Concerns

This week,L’Oréal announced it is recalling all lots of its acne treatment Effaclar Duo in the US due to concerns over benzene contamination. The product, sold under the La Roche-Posay brand, contains benzoyl peroxide (BPO).

Valisure, an independent testing laboratory, first reported benzene contamination in several BPO-containing acne products more than a year ago, urging the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to take action.

2. Expert Insights Into L'Oréal’s Voluntary Recall of Benzoyl Peroxide Products

With L’Oréal announcing it is recalling all lots of its acne treatment Effaclar Duo in the US due to concerns over benzene contamination. The product, sold under the La Roche-Posay brand, contains benzoyl peroxide (BPO).

Christopher Bunick, MD, PhD, associate professor of dermatology and physician-scientist at Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut, and editor in chief of Dermatology Times, discussed the news just announced today live at the 2025 American Academy of Dermatology Annual Meeting

Bunick’s key message to clinicians is that recalls stem from findings that benzoyl peroxide can degrade into benzene, a known carcinogen. While the full extent of health risks remains unclear and no direct causative link has been established, the recalls highlight a need for greater formulation stability in benzoyl peroxide products.

3. BREAKING NEWS: Benzene Found in Various Acne Products; Valisure Files Petition With FDA to Recall Treatments

Roughly 1 year ago, high levels of the cancer-causing chemical benzene were found in various benzoyl peroxide (BPO) acne products from major brands, including Proactiv, Clinique, Clearasil, and more.

At the time, Valisure LLC, an independent testing laboratory, filed a petition with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), requesting a recall of treatments affected by elevated levels of the carcinogen in order to allow regulators to investigate.

4. Dermatology Conferences and Meetings Calendar: 2025

Dermatology Times has asked our readers to share with us what conferences and meetings they are looking forward to or planning to attend in 2025. Using these responses, we have compiled a list of dermatological meetings taking place this year.

5. Tattoo Ink Risks, MultiFrax Laser, and the Impact of GLP-1 Medications on Skin Health

“PRX is a topical collagen biostimulator that has been out in Europe for a while. It's now come to the United States in the past year. It has a 33% TCA. It has hydrogen peroxide and about a 5% kojic acid. And together, the TCA, because of the hydrogen peroxide, penetrates, but not as much, and so you don't wind up with the hyperpigmentation you might see in a 33% TCA in somebody with my skin tone otherwise,” said Jeanine Downie, MD, FAAD, in an interview with Dermatology Times at the 2025 American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida.

Downie, a board-certified dermatologist at and founder of Image Dermatology in Montclair, New Jersey, presented “Pearls From the Masters of Dermatologic Surgery” at AAD on March 7.

In her session, Downie discussed critical updates on tattoo ink safety, new dermatologic technologies, biostimulators, and emerging trends in aesthetics and longevity science.