Benzoyl Peroxide, Benzene, and You

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Critical Science

Lyle Burgoon

27 episodes

9 months ago

Critical Science is focused on a few things I (Dr. Lyle Burgoon) love -- critical thinking (which I don't do enough of at home, ask my family), science, and applied ethics. And ya know what -- even scientists, who are supposed to be trained to be critical thinkers, often mess it up (I'm certainly not perfect). In each episode I try to combine these two passions of mine. Sometimes, we'll explore a topic in the news in a slightly more critical way. Other times we might explore how a lack of critical thought has led to some minor, and sometimes major, problems. But ultimately, I want us to explore critical thinking more deeply. How do we do this critical thinking thing, anyway? What do we need to watch out for? And how does critical thinking align with the scientific method as it's actually practiced by real scientists? And we'll tackle tough subjects like applied ethics challenges and scientific integrity questions. My hope is that through this journey we'll learn and grow into better critical thinkers -- together.

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Benzoyl Peroxide, Benzene, and You

Critical Science

21 minutes 6 seconds

1 year ago

Benzoyl Peroxide, Benzene, and You

Summary

In this episode, Dr. Lyle discusses benzoyl peroxide and the recent concerns raised by Valashur about the presence of benzene in benzoyl peroxide products. He explains that Valashur has a history of testing products for impurities and notifying the FDA. However, the benzene was only found in products that were exposed to high heat for extended periods, which is not how they are supposed to be stored. Dr. Lyle emphasizes that one molecule of benzene is not toxic and that there are thresholds for toxicity. He also highlights the importance of educating the public about the science and not relying on activist talking points.

Takeaways

Benzene was found in benzoyl peroxide products that were exposed to high heat for extended periods, which is not how they are supposed to be stored.

One molecule of benzene is not toxic, and there are thresholds for toxicity.

It is important to educate the public about the science and not rely on activist talking points.

Follow the manufacturer's instructions for storing and using benzoyl peroxide products.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to benzoyl peroxide

00:30 Valashur's testing and FDA involvement

01:24 Benzene presence in benzoyl peroxide

03:23 No safe level of benzene exposure

04:06 Toxicity of one molecule of benzene

05:05 Thresholds for toxicity

06:04 Long history of benzoyl peroxide use

06:29 Detection of impurities over time

07:56 Educating the public about thresholds

08:25 Activist talking points

09:23 DNA repair mechanisms

10:24 Xeroderma pigmentosa and DNA damage

11:24 Homeostasis and cell signaling

12:22 Dose-response curves

13:20 Oncotic necrosis and cell death

14:48 Relevance of Valashur's study

19:00 Following manufacturer's instructions

19:53 Take-home messages

References:

https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/10.1289/EHP13984

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