People are used to seeing recalls for foods like bologna or carrots. But the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently recalled more than 67,000 cases of Power Stick deodorant, citing “deviations from Current Good Manufacturing Practice” regulations.
How did deodorants fall victim to recalls? It’s not clear exactly what happened, said Leila Deravi, an associate professor of chemistry and chemical biology at Northeastern University, but deodorants and antiperspirants are classified as non-prescription drug products and have to go through certain manufacturing processes.
Somewhere along the line, it’s likely the process fell through in the case of this recall.
Why the FDA recalled Power Stick deodorants
“You can have a cosmetic, which just enhances appearances,” explained Deravi who runs her own skincare company and teaches a class on the chemistry of personal care products. “And then there’s non-prescription drug products like sunscreens, anti-perspirants, dandruff shampoos. … These are things that would elicit a physiological change or benefit. For anti-perspirants, there is a chemical reaction. They don’t just mask your odor, they occlude your sweat glands to minimize sweating.”
Read more at Northeastern Global News.
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