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NEED TO KNOW
- Neutrogena’s Makeup Remover Ultra-Soft Cleansing Towelettes have been recalled by the company that owns the brand due to concerns over a potential bacterial contamination
- The FDA has classified the recall as a Class II risk, meaning it may cause temporary “health consequences”
- The recall is in effect in four states
A popular Neutrogena product has been recalled due to a potential bacterial contamination.
An internal investigation by Kenvue Brands LLC, the company that owns Neutrogena, revealed the brand’s Makeup Remover Ultra-Soft Cleansing Towelettes tested positive for a bacteria known as pluralibacter gergoviae, per information released by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The FDA has classified the risk level of the recall as Class II, meaning that use of the product “may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences,” though “the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote,” per the FDA’s website.
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The recall, which was issued on Sept. 19, is in effect in Texas, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida, per the FDA.
The lot code number for the wipes is 1835U6325A.
In a statement to PEOPLE, Kenvue said that “the health and safety of the consumers who use our products is our top priority.”
“Despite meeting release specifications, one lot of the Neutrogena Makeup Remover Ultra-Soft Cleansing Towelettes, 50 [count] may have been impacted by procedural deficiencies observed during manufacturing,” Kenvue continued, adding that the company voluntarily recalled the product “out of an abundance of caution.”
Pluralibacter gergoviae is a bacteria that has been linked to respiratory diseases, urinary tract infections, eye infections and sepsis, particularly in immunocompromised people, according to Melbec Microbiology, a microbiology testing company that specializes in cosmetics. It has become a growing concern in the cosmetics industry due to its resistance to a number of common preservatives, per the company.
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This recall isn’t the first of its kind this year.
New Jersey-based skincare company DermaRite Industries LLC announced the recall of several of their products, including hand soaps, skin creams and hair products on Aug. 8 due to the presence of Burkholderia cepacia, which can cause “life-threatening infections.”
DermaRite issued an expansion of the recall, including more than 30 additional products on Aug. 27, according to a press release.
In March, the FDA also issued a voluntary recall of six widely available acne treatments, stating that the products had “elevated levels” of benzene, a known carcinogen.