If you recently picked up antiperspirant products while at the drugstore, you might want to double-check your purchase to make sure it's not part of Health Canada's latest recall.
On Monday, February 21, the government agency issued a recall for Brut Classic Deodorant packaged in aerosol cans, due to a "chemical hazard" from benzene, which is a human carcinogen.
"Immediately stop using and appropriately discard the recalled aerosol spray product," the agency told Canadians.
The notice involves the 154-gram containers of the product sold prior to the date of the recall. They have a UPC of 00827755070177.
The agency warns that exposure to the chemical via inhalation, orally or through the skin could cause leukemia, blood cancer and blood disorders, which they say can be "life-threatening."
While that does sound quite frightening, Health Canada also says regular exposure to benzene in the quantities present in the affected products would not generally be expected to impact your health that badly.
The product was manufactured in Canada and the company reports that 8,600 units of the affected items have been sold across the country.
In December 2021, Health Canada issued a recall on eight deodorants and antiperspirants from Old Spice and Secret, also due to benzene.
The affected products were 107-gram Old Spice Sweat Defense in Pure Sport Plus Dry Spray, Stronger Swagger Dry Spray and Ultimate Captain Dry Spray.
For Secret, the affected items were 107-gram products in Baby Powder 24 H, Dry Spray Lavender, Dry Spray Waterlily, Outlast Completely Clean Dry Spray and Outlast Protecting Powder Dry Spray.