Church & Dwight, the parent company of Batiste, has agreed to settle a $2.5m class action lawsuit that claims its dry shampoo products contain a potentially harmful level of benzene, a chemical known to cause cancer in humans. Now, customers who purchased one or more Batiste dry shampoo products may be able to cash in on the million-dollar lawsuit. In the lawsuit, plaintiffs claimed that Batiste dry shampoo was contaminated with benzene, a known human carcinogen linked to leukaemia and other blood-related cancers. While the manufacturer has denied allegations of contamination and “denies that it did anything wrong”, it has agreed to pay out the $2.5m settlement “to avoid the costs and distractions associated with continuing this case”. The company’s settlement means that customers can qualify for a refund based on the type and number of Batiste products they purchased. Those who bought Batiste Bare or Clean or Batiste Light Bare dry shampoo products before 30 May 2023 - and can provide proof of purchase - can receive a full refund for the products they purchased through cash payment or a voucher. Meanwhile, people who cannot provide proof of purchase may receive $2 per product up to five products, for a maximum payment of $10. Customers who purchased Batiste products that were not Bare dry shampoos can still receive a $2 product voucher for each purchased product up to five items, for a maximum total of $10. Those who wish to take part in the class action claim must submit a valid claim form by 15 November 2023. The form asks customers to submit their name, address, and email, as well as information about the products purchased and payment options to receive the refund. The final approval hearing for the settlement is currently scheduled for 16 October 2023. The Batiste dry shampoo class action lawsuit comes nearly one year after Unilever - the manufacturer for brands like Dove, Suave, and TRESemmé - recalled 19 dry shampoo aerosol products for “potentially elevated levels” of benzene. After conducting an internal investigation, the company identified the propellant used in its aerosol cans as the source for the high levels of benzene. However, Unilever added that daily exposure to benzene in dry shampoo products “would not be expected to cause adverse health consequences”. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), benzene is a chemical that can occur naturally in the environment – such as in crude oil or gasoline – and can be used to manufacture plastics, lubricants, dyes and detergents. Indoor and outdoor air also contains low levels of benzene due to tobacco smoke, motor vehicle exhaust, industrial emissions and or household paints. The major effect of long-term exposure to benzene is on the blood, which can lead to a decrease in red blood cells or anemia after a year or more of exposure to high benzene levels. The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has determined that benzene can also cause blood-related cancers, such as leukaemia. Last November, independent laboratory Valisure found that 70 per cent of samples across 34 brands of Unilever dry shampoo products contained “quantifiable” levels of benzene. “The detection of high levels of benzene in dry shampoos should be cause for significant concern since these products are likely used indoors, where benzene may linger and be inhaled for prolonged periods of time,” said David Light, chief executive officer of Valisure, in a statement. “These and other issues identified by Valisure, including the detection of benzene in body spray, hand sanitiser, and sunscreen products, strongly underscore the importance of independent testing and its need to be better integrated into an increasingly complex and vulnerable global supply chain.” The Independent has contacted Church & Dwight for comment. Read More High levels of cancer-causing chemical detected in dry shampoo, study finds Procter & Gamble recalls more than 30 dry shampoo and conditioner products Trader Joe’s recalls two types of cookies over concerns they may contain rocks How quitting smoking can boost your health and finances – as Government considers adding messages to cigarette packs Mother tried to cure son of disease by putting him in a hole as a child Is it ever safe to sunbathe?

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Group B streptococcus (GBS) is the most common cause of life-threatening infection in newborn babies, and it can kill within hours – yet the UK doesn’t routinely test pregnant women for it. The charity Group B Strep Support (GBSS) says an average of two babies develop a GBS infection every day in the UK, and while most recover, one baby dies as a result of the infection each week, and one baby a week survives with life-changing disabilities. GBSS says around two to four out of every 10 women in the UK will carry group B strep in their rectum, vagina, or intestines, although most of them won’t experience any symptoms. However, if a woman’s pregnant, group B Strep can affect her baby around the time of birth. Speaking to mark July’s Group B Strep Awareness Month, GBSS chief executive Jane Plumb, who set up the charity in 1996 with her husband Robert after their son, Theo, died from GBS infection aged 17 hours, stresses that raising awareness of Group B Strep can save babies’ lives and minimise the heartache the illness often causes. “Group B strep is the most common cause of severe infection, including sepsis and meningitis, in newborn babies, yet people are not routinely told about it during pregnancy. This isn’t good enough,” she says. Here’s what all parents-to-be and new parents should know about GBS… 1. It can cause meningitis, sepsis and pneumonia As the most common cause of infection in newborns, Plumb says GBS, which affects around 800 babies in the UK every year, can lead to serious conditions including meningitis, sepsis and pneumonia. As a result, around 50 babies will die every year, and 75 will survive with a long-term disability. “Group B strep awareness is a matter of life and death,” says Plumb. “By shining a spotlight on this silent infection, we can save precious lives and spare families from unnecessary heartache.” 2. GBS infections can be prevented in babies Most GBS infections in newborn babies can be prevented, says Plumb, by identifying women with risk factors. “One of the risk factors is carrying the bacteria during pregnancy,” she says, “and then intravenous antibiotics can be offered during labour to minimise the risk of the baby developing a group B strep infection.” 3. A mother carrying GBS doesn’t necessarily mean her baby will be infected GBSS says around 20-25% of women carry GBS in their vagina and/or lower intestines, but if a woman is carrying GBS when she gives birth, the risk of her baby developing early-onset GBS infection is about one in 400 if antibiotics aren’t given in labour, or around one in 4,000 if antibiotics are given. 4. It’s not just newborn babies that get GBS infections Although most GBS infections develop in the first two days of life, they can develop later, though they are rare after the age of three months, says Plumb. “Knowing the key signs is vital – every family needs to know about GBS,” she stresses. 5. Most women who carry GBS don’t have symptoms GBS carriage isn’t associated with symptoms, says Plumb, so most people who carry the bacteria won’t show any signs of it. 6. Antibiotics may be given to some women during labour The Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists recommends that if GBS is detected in a woman during pregnancy, or if she’s previously had a baby affected by GBS, she should be offered antibiotics in labour to reduce the risk of the baby being infected. 7. There’s no routine GBS testing in the UK The NHS doesn’t currently provide routine testing for GBS, although other high-income countries do. Plumb says UK National Screening, which sets screening policy in the UK, says there isn’t enough evidence to introduce antenatal GBS screening for all pregnant women in the UK, although a randomised control trial is due to report in 2025, and the evidence is then expected to be reviewed. Plumb says: “The evidence shows clearly that antenatal testing is better than a risk-factor strategy for preventing GBS infection in newborn babies, and GBSS think the UK should catch up its peers around the world by introducing this. Most high-income countries do so, including the USA, Canada, Hong Kong and most of Europe – why are we last on the list?” 8. Pregnant women can be tested privately GBSS says pregnant women can be tested privately for GBS, usually at between 35-37 weeks of pregnancy, at some clinics, or by doing a DIY test with a kit, which costs about £40. GBSS helpline 0330 120 0796. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Princess Diana’s ‘black sheep’ jumper predicted to sell at auction for up to £70,000 The best onstage fashion at Glastonbury Sarah, Duchess of York has operation for breast cancer: What to know about mammograms

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