If you have acne, and are worried about benzene because corporate media is touting that an "independent" lab - which happened to be paid by a group representing lawyers who want to sue - found elevated levels of it, you can relax.

In 2018, an International Agency for Research on Cancer did discuss benzene, but the levels were 10,000X safe levels. And they do not ever show what causes cancer, all they do is target chemicals and look at rows and columns of data from surveys and other papers, and try to claim correlation.



Even less reason to be concerned is that since 2009, when noted anti-science activist Child Wild took charge of that group, their credibility is in the tank. If you want to believe hot tea, chewing gum, pickles, and weedkillers can cause human cancer, go for it, but it won't make any difference in your actual health.


The IARC disclaimer in their actual documents is far different than in media kits for the press, where "causing" and "risk" are common terms. They only look at "hazard", which will means 5 orders of magnitude in dose. You can't realistically drink 10,000 shots of Scotch but conflation of hazard and risk means you would think you will get cancer from even 1 dose in your entire life.

Why? Benzene is everywhere. Though not as ubiquitous as hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide, benzene is one the top 20 chemicals you can never escape. That is why  Clinique, Clearasil, etc. are wondering who these cranks are that did a supposed "independent" analysis but then began calling for bans at FDA. Labs don't do policy - if they are actual independent labs and not paid deniers for hire.

Benzoyl peroxide has been helping people who suffer from acne for 60 years but epidemiology needs no science - but smart people will ask, where are all the increased cancer cases if this is real?

The problem with this broad claim is that it masks the real problem - benzene is known to cause cancer. In cigarette smoke. In your lungs. Cigarette smoke is the problem, not ambient benzene. It does not apply to your acne medication, where it has the same risk of cancer as aloe vera. Yes, activists can claim that is a carcinogen because it is class 2B in an IARC monograph also.