Alcohol denatured: When used in the right quantities, this is a safe ingredient. Some people might find that alcohols are a little harsh on their skin, though. If this is the case for you, you may want to consider choosing a non-toxic, alcohol-free dry shampoo brand. Is it safe to use? – As the article states, we don’t recommend using Batiste as the safest dry shampoo. Since it’s an aerosol, it’s more likely to contain benzene, but even more than that, it contains fragrance and several other ingredients (listed above) that aren’t entirely safe. The EWG scores for these ingredients range from 3 to 5. On MADE SAFE’s Banned List, they are listed as banned “when not a naturally-occurring component of whole plant oil.” It’s important to keep in mind that benzene has not been added to these products intentionally; rather, it is a contaminant. This is why it’s practically impossible to tell whether or not a certain product contains benzene without someone actually testing it. In general, though, there is increasing concern about aerosol products of all kinds containing benzene—not just dry shampoo but also other things like spray sunscreen and deodorant. Batiste Ingredient Investigation

Top-selling dry shampoos including Not Your Mother’s and Church & Dwight Co.’s Batiste contain high levels of benzene, the cancer-causing chemical that led Unilever to yank its product from shelves in October, according to a new independent study. Benzyl benzoate: Often used as a fragrance ingredient and solvent, benzyl benzoate is a known irritant and allergen. This one is also on MADE SAFE’s Banned List and gets a score of 4-5 in EWG’s database. Benzene, which is at the center of the Batiste Dry Shampoo Class Action Settlement, is a well known odorless, and colorless chemical. Prolonged exposure to benzene carries serious health risks and consequences. Thus, the CDC and FDA recommend that consumers be aware of ingesting or consuming benzene in products, as well as the environment. For more about benzene, read the CDC's fact sheet on the chemical here. There is also an ongoing voluntary recall for certain dry shampoo products like Dove, Tresemme, Suave, Nexxus, and other dry shampoos and conditioners produced by Unilever that may contain benzene. Benzene is a known carcinogen, most specifically linked to leukemia. P&G sums it up pretty well in their statement:

BATISTE BARE DRY SHAMPOO

However, now that we have the test results from the Valisure independent lab testing, we now know that Batiste does indeed contain benzene. At this time, Batiste still has not been recalled, even though the Valisure petition is calling on the FDA to do a mandatory recall.

Valisure, a New Haven, Connecticut-based analytical laboratory, tested 148 batches from 34 brands of spray-on dry shampoo and found that 70% contained benzene. The chemical can cause certain blood cancers, such as leukemia. The company filed a petition Monday with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration seeking to have the products that contain the substance recalled. Isobutane: Also used in aerosol sprays, this is very similar to butane; it’s just is a bit different structurally and is odorless. It is also on MADE SAFE’s Banned List and gets a score of 6 on EWG’s Skin Deep database. No. You don’t have to worry about parabens or sulfates either. Is Batiste Dry Shampoo Phthalate-Free? Valisure’s analysis found extreme variation in sprays, even from the same can, “suggesting inconsistent product composition and/or aerosolization in some products,” the lab said in the petition. While Not Your Mother’s Clean Freak dry shampoo contained 143 parts per million of benzene in the first spray, the fourth spray contained 93 parts per million. Valisure’s findings, including a list of contaminated dry shampoos, can be found in the petition it filed with the FDA.the individual using the product (some people are much more sensitive to these ingredients than others) Some companies have pointed to propellants as the problem. Spray personal-care products, including dry shampoos, often contain propellants like propane and butane that are petroleum distillates made by refining crude oil. Benzene is a known contaminant of petroleum products. The propane and butane used in personal-care products are supposed to be purified so that no benzene is present. The FDA has confirmed propellants are a potential source of benzene contamination.