This made me nauseous. I used Proactiv for a decade. I have two teens now and a 30 year old. Proactiv has been in my home for my whole adult life. My son has acne and we tried all the products to no avail. I now have him using a product that is not designed to treat acne but it is working beautifully. I have had ITP as a child and Breast Cancer as an adult along with Cardiac Arrest seemingly from one of the cancer meds. This all makes me so sick. My eldest now lives in A place where she gets her meat from local hunters and vegetables locally grown. Her health is so much better. I am throwing out right now all the other acne crap that I have had sitting in my home evidently poisoning me and my children. I also signed up to Valisure labs to get their newsletter. Thank you Dr. Malone.
Because benzoyl peroxide (BPO) naturally degrades into benzene over time, dermatologists often suggest switching to these safer, highly effective active ingredients:
Dermatology Times
Salicylic Acid (BHA): This oil-soluble acid penetrates deep inside pores to clear out dead skin cells and sebum, serving as an excellent daily alternative for acne management.
Azelaic Acid: A gentle multi-tasker that clears up acne-causing bacteria, reduces swelling, and prevents the dark marks or scarring left behind by old pimples.
Adapalene: A powerful, over-the-counter topical retinoid that regulates skin cell turnover to prevent pores from clogging in the first place.
Dermatology Times
Sulfur: A milder antibacterial and anti-inflammatory option that dries out active whiteheads without the intense chemical instability of BPO.
****************
Dry Shampoo Alternatives
Aerosol cans are the primary source of dry shampoo contamination due to unrefined petroleum propellants.
PureWow
Powder Dry Shampoos: Swapping out pressurized aerosol cans for loose powder formulas entirely eliminates the need for propellants. Look for clean oil-absorbers like rice starch, tapioca starch, or kaolin clay.
PureWow
Propellant-Free Pump Sprays: Some brands provide dry shampoos in non-aerosol, pump-action bottles, using mechanical pressure instead of chemical gases.
****************
You do not need to stop protecting your skin from the sun; you just need to choose products with a lower risk profile.
Mineral Sunscreen Lotions: Traditional squeeze-tube lotions and creams do not utilize butane or propane propellants, completely bypassing the main risk of benzene introduction. Independent testing shows that mineral-based filters (Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide) are significantly less likely to show any signs of trace contamination compared to chemical formulas.
Stick or Cream Deodorants: Opting for standard solid sticks, roll-ons, or deodorant creams completely eliminates the aerosol manufacturing vulnerabilities associated with body sprays.
Benzene has been detected as a contaminant in several consumer products, primarily aerosol sprays (dry shampoos, sunscreens, deodorants) and some acne treatments containing benzoyl peroxide, leading to voluntary recalls. While not a listed ingredient, benzene often enters products via contaminated propellants or during manufacturing of chemical ingredients like carbomers.
Unexpected Chemical Breakdown:
In the case of acne creams, benzene is not inside the tube when it leaves the factory. Instead, the active ingredient benzoyl peroxide (BPO) inherently degrades into benzene over time. This chemical breakdown accelerates drastically when the product is exposed to high temperatures, such as being left in a hot car or a humid bathroom.
Commonly Impacted Products:
Acne Treatments: Products containing benzoyl peroxide (e.g., Proactiv, SLMD, Walgreens Tinted Acne Treatment Cream) can break down into benzene over time, with recalls announced in 2024 and 2025.
Aerosol Personal Care: Sunscreens (Neutrogena, Aveeno, Banana Boat, Coppertone), dry shampoos/conditioners (Pantene, Aussie, Herbal Essences, Dove), and deodorants/body sprays (Old Spice, Secret, Sure, Brut) have faced recalls.
Other Consumer Goods: Foot sprays (Odor-Eaters), hand sanitizers, and after-sun gels.
Industrial Items: Glues, paints, furniture wax, and detergents.
There are so many legs to this report. First, most generics now consumed by Americans come from China and India who are low cost producers and there are major quality control issues some of which have been documented by the FDA, but there has been no major effort to shut down and stop contaminated drugs from coming into the US from marginal suppliers. When Hillary Clinton was Secretary of State, the FDA was moving to shut down an India producer and she stopped the effort.
Valisure documented the Zantac debacle. My friend died of stomach cancer as well as his son.
I was prescribed a generic antibiotic from India that caused side effects. My research of the FDA inspection reports showed the manufacturer in India was not following GMP's. Destroying records and more. Should have been shut down.
President Trump championed that Kodak should start producing generics in this country and he was deeply criticized for his efforts. Now TrumpRX is supporting the distribution of these generics from China and India. Selling directly to the patient and bypassing the community physician and pharmacist in the process. Monitoring of side effects will be absent. Will reduce the reporting of ADR's to the FDA. Lilly and others are selling directly to patients and by passing the community physician and pharmacist. Argument is it will reduce drug costs, but surveillance will disappear. Reports of GLP1 side effects keep climbing. It will now cause vertical integration from production to consumption of RX drugs to be controlled by Big Pharma. Our Congressman will not speak out on the issue because they stay in office by being funded by Big Pharma and other entities that control the regulatory process. That is why they stay silent on the autism issue.
The American Academy of Dermatologists should be front and center in sounding the alarm about Benzene contamination. They are not. They are not sounding the alarm that most of the sun blocking chemicals in sunscreens have never been tested for absence of carcinogenic properties. They do continually pump out warnings that Vitamin D can be harmful. It is not. They do prescribe Vitamin D2 which is poorly metabolized. They do not encourage studies that measure the blood value of D versus the risk of developing melanoma. Higher the blood value of D the lower the risk.
The only bright spot is that Mary Kaye produces a line of cosmetic products that address these issues. My Gail sold the products and at 80 years old her facial appearance was radiant.
Thank you Dr. Malone for another provocative article that has deep meaning and needs to be addressed. What say you Congressman. Big Pharma got your tongue?
Benzene is not being intentionally allowed as an ingredient in consumer products. It is strictly banned by regulatory agencies like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) for deliberate use due to its known toxicity.
Instead, benzene is slipping into products as an unintentional contaminant, manufacturing byproduct, or degradation loophole.
1. It is a Supply Chain Contaminant:
Aerosol sprays require propellants like butane, propane, or isobutane to force the product out of the can. These gases are refined from crude petroleum. Because benzene is also naturally present in petroleum, it is incredibly difficult to filter out completely during the refining process. If a manufacturer sources cheap or poorly refined propellants, benzene enters the product as an accidental impurity.
2. Legacy Manufacturing Exceptions:
The FDA previously permitted trace amounts of benzene (up to 2 parts per million) only if it was technically unavoidable during the manufacturing of essential chemical ingredients. For instance, certain carbomers (thickening agents used in lotions and gels) historically relied on benzene as a processing solvent. While the FDA finalized guidelines to phase out and eliminate these legacy benzene-containing carbomer standards, many products manufactured using older methods remained on store shelves.
If enforcement of the rules are lacking or the power to regulate and eliminate harmful products is not reality and the manufacturer knows this there is no incentive to improve! FDA doesn’t have the manpower or the policing power to control the manufactures that violate the GMP’s so they go and continue to do their thing without penalty!
If you mean me, I get plenty of D because of osteoporosis. I’ve been on a good dose for a long time. Before my husband became ill and we just had to feed him what tasted good, we were health freaks! Seriously. Thanks for your advice. I definitely need to get back on a healthier diet now that is no longer an issue. Working on it.
A a side note you will not believe the health books I gave away that he had in his book shelves. I kept one!
Thomas A Braun RPh, you just answered a gnawing question I had as I read this article. I had been using Mary Kay for several years. I stopped the sunscreen but wondered about the other products. I will be 80 in December and have less wrinkles than most my age. I use her time wise products but hate the cost!! I’m open to ideas.
Dr. Malone, out of concern for one of my grands, my daughter text he uses acutane. Any thoughts? I didn’t see it mentioned.
After high school in 1970 for a summer job I worked in a factory. They used a heated benzene tank with agitation to degrease and wash parts after they were machined. Not something I wanted to be near at all.
And here I thought (soon-to-be-former) Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. was monitoring the FDA during his tenure as Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. What a surprise!
Thank you for your continued efforts to educate the public on issues that are withheld from us, for the most part. Many of us know how invaluable your work is and appreciate it greatly. it was unfortunate that you felt a need to withdraw from your position with ACIP but I can understand. I know Robert must miss you! Best wishes for all your endeavors and keep fighting the good fight because we need more like you who have the courage and integrity to keep speaking truth to power.
Another case of regulatory incompetence and/or corruption. Although, citing Rosa DeLauro - the purple haired harridan from CT - doesn't prove much although a minor criticism of this damning indictment of the deep state clowns who preside over our food and drug safety.
Regarding acne, I remember years ago when I sometimes assisted the pharmacists as a drug store clerk being surprised by how many prescriptions were written for tetracycline for acne. Now, decades later, the once valuable antibiotic is virtually useless. Always wondered about that.
Hopefully Makary's replacement at the FDA won't buckle under to industry pressure. If you knowingly sell a product with many times the FDA limit for a harmful chemical, you are a criminal. Sorry, there's no getting around that and the officers who did so need to serve jail time.
I have been using HOCI, sprayed directly on my eye that had a stye that wasn't healing. I spray it a few times a day as well as DMSO gel applied directly on the stye. It is slowly healing, patience seems to be important as most are wanting fast results. Not that there can't be quick results too. We used the disinfectant HOCI instead of bleach for sanitizing our under sink reverse osmosis. I called the Curativa Bay number, and talked with a rep., he was interested, patient and not trying to sell me anything. I have used the animal solution for cleaning my cats ears and chin acne. Great product that I feel good using! (p.s. I went to the doc, what a joke. Antibiotic gel for the eye that even the doctor poo-pooed.)
Styes are really a skin issue rather than an eye issue. Most eye doctors will tell you to use warm soaks several times a day to help resolve the issue (look up warm soaks somewhere reputable). That is because increasing blood flow to the area of the stye allows your own body to clear up the problem. Initially, you have a skin infection with a stye, but it can eventually turn into inflammation without infection and you can get something called a chalazion that is basically a hard pocket of inflammatory cellular material that will only resolve slowly with warm soaks. If the chalazion doesn't go away after softening it with the warm soaks for some weeks, you can see an eye doctor to have it taken care of medically. More importantly, if your initial stye doesn't go away or seems to be expanding into more of the tissue around your eye and ballooning up your eyelid and causing redness and pain, they tell you that you need to see your doctor again to treat an actual infection. In rare cases, you can get cellulitis or a severe infection, and you need to act on that if the infection gets significantly worse and seems to be spreading. In almost all cases, these styes get smaller and will go away on their own. The antibiotic gel is prescribed only for secondary protection in most cases for minor styes. If you are persistent and do the warm soaks multiple times a day right from the start, you can usually get rid of these things fairly soon. Once they turn into a chalazion it takes longer. They will tell you that application of warm, moist heat (warm soaks) is the most effective treatment. Speaking from personal experience: take it or leave it. Also, if it doesn't resolve, go back because maybe it isn't a stye or a chalazion and maybe it is something that you should get removed.
Thanks for the info. This most likely was caused by bacteria from old mascara. It is slowly getting better, not worse and has never been painful. This approach of using HOC and DSMO has also increased my experience of safety with these products and I am doing a warm compress now as I have from the beginning. Better than having it lanced...
Yes, easy to get from makeup. I love HOCl and used it for cleaning during COVID, but it is perishable. At least it won't hurt you if put on your skin. And it works.
I ordered the different ones from Curativa Bay. One for face, one for animals and the spray disinfectant. I don't see an expiration date on any of them.
Thank you Dr. Malone for another great article. It’s frightening to realize the scope of chemicals everywhere and we wonder why we are sick all the time!
Just read/saw something that shows that Dawn dishwashing liquid (the one touted for use to clean all water fowl of toxic oil spillage), is full of carcinogens like blue dye. Dumb me, I bought 3 pack when it was on sale at Costco. Duhh.
Thank you for this important information. I am sending it to my family in case any grandsons are using it. I bought the HOCL you recommended for skin issues. I also have DMSO that I use for my neuropathy pain and spasms. I’m grateful that Valisure is doing the work that the FDA doesn’t. I’m also grateful you are not being muzzled by the ACIP committee membership that you once held; in case that was a concern. As I’ve said before, you are a warrior and now have a following that believes what you tell us. Thank you. We no longer trust the current FDA and CDC.
Great article. Benzene is in a lot of products, last I checked, many top sunscreens still have it in their formulas. I’ve always believed that it accounts for a large number of the basal/squamous cell diagnoses.
Yesterday pm, I read Chapter 13 in Sonia Elijah's new book (reviewed on this Substack), so I am just past a refresh on Kevin McKernan's findings of plasmid DNA contamination in the COVID jab vials, and ribosomal frame-shifting. The dismissal of such concerns amounts to more than mere regulatory negligence as far as I am concerned.
In the wake of RFK's talks about artificial dyes and their toxicities, I have noted that my aftershave lists Yellow No. 5 as an ingredient. I have wondered if such toxicity applies to topical application. Many aftershaves incorporate coloring of one sort or another; perhaps I should seek out a clear alternative (?)
This makes me suspicious of other products, specifically sunscreen, that contain various forms of benzene. Which of the following also produce benzene as a product of decomposition?
As I recall, in the 60s to make graphs of muscle rxns in dissected frogs and other lab experiments, the grad students used to smoke the paper in a closet by burning......benzene.
This is another obscene investigation into failure to protect the public by an agency that was supposedly designed for just this task. This is truly maddening. Why do we even need an FDA if they don’t protect the public? That work is now smoke and mirrors. Protecting the drug manufacturers is apparently their current modus operandi.
Did Dr Makary fix any of this nonsense during his tenure? Or is the FDA another bureaucracy that is impervious to continuous quality improvement?
It's been such a surprising 1.5 yrs with Pres. Trump.
Dr.Makary - Where did I read he bumped up against Trump's push for vaping? I'm seeing commercials now spouting ridiculously... Thank you Pres Trump for this SAFE way to smoke!
Vaping is not safe! Dr. Chris Exley (Alum expert), tells us, that it's worse than cigarettes. Of course, Pres. Trump is either willfully blind about the truths of it, or he is just ignorant about everything medical. I had hoped, prayed, he was honestly interested in what all Bobby K stood for, when he rallied with him.
Inhaling from a vap thingee, that IS made of aluminum is Waaay Bad, Verry NOT GOOD, Damage not reversible, for your lungs and therefore your BRAIN. It's all, or almost all of this turn AGAINST MAHA is related to Aluminum, isn't it. Alum adjuvants in vaccs. The Aluminum cabal is VERY powerful.
This made me nauseous. I used Proactiv for a decade. I have two teens now and a 30 year old. Proactiv has been in my home for my whole adult life. My son has acne and we tried all the products to no avail. I now have him using a product that is not designed to treat acne but it is working beautifully. I have had ITP as a child and Breast Cancer as an adult along with Cardiac Arrest seemingly from one of the cancer meds. This all makes me so sick. My eldest now lives in A place where she gets her meat from local hunters and vegetables locally grown. Her health is so much better. I am throwing out right now all the other acne crap that I have had sitting in my home evidently poisoning me and my children. I also signed up to Valisure labs to get their newsletter. Thank you Dr. Malone.
1. Benzoyl Peroxide Alternatives (Acne Treatments)
Because benzoyl peroxide (BPO) naturally degrades into benzene over time, dermatologists often suggest switching to these safer, highly effective active ingredients:
Dermatology Times
Salicylic Acid (BHA): This oil-soluble acid penetrates deep inside pores to clear out dead skin cells and sebum, serving as an excellent daily alternative for acne management.
Azelaic Acid: A gentle multi-tasker that clears up acne-causing bacteria, reduces swelling, and prevents the dark marks or scarring left behind by old pimples.
Adapalene: A powerful, over-the-counter topical retinoid that regulates skin cell turnover to prevent pores from clogging in the first place.
Dermatology Times
Sulfur: A milder antibacterial and anti-inflammatory option that dries out active whiteheads without the intense chemical instability of BPO.
****************
Dry Shampoo Alternatives
Aerosol cans are the primary source of dry shampoo contamination due to unrefined petroleum propellants.
PureWow
Powder Dry Shampoos: Swapping out pressurized aerosol cans for loose powder formulas entirely eliminates the need for propellants. Look for clean oil-absorbers like rice starch, tapioca starch, or kaolin clay.
PureWow
Propellant-Free Pump Sprays: Some brands provide dry shampoos in non-aerosol, pump-action bottles, using mechanical pressure instead of chemical gases.
****************
You do not need to stop protecting your skin from the sun; you just need to choose products with a lower risk profile.
Mineral Sunscreen Lotions: Traditional squeeze-tube lotions and creams do not utilize butane or propane propellants, completely bypassing the main risk of benzene introduction. Independent testing shows that mineral-based filters (Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide) are significantly less likely to show any signs of trace contamination compared to chemical formulas.
Stick or Cream Deodorants: Opting for standard solid sticks, roll-ons, or deodorant creams completely eliminates the aerosol manufacturing vulnerabilities associated with body sprays.
Benzene has been detected as a contaminant in several consumer products, primarily aerosol sprays (dry shampoos, sunscreens, deodorants) and some acne treatments containing benzoyl peroxide, leading to voluntary recalls. While not a listed ingredient, benzene often enters products via contaminated propellants or during manufacturing of chemical ingredients like carbomers.
Unexpected Chemical Breakdown:
In the case of acne creams, benzene is not inside the tube when it leaves the factory. Instead, the active ingredient benzoyl peroxide (BPO) inherently degrades into benzene over time. This chemical breakdown accelerates drastically when the product is exposed to high temperatures, such as being left in a hot car or a humid bathroom.
Commonly Impacted Products:
Acne Treatments: Products containing benzoyl peroxide (e.g., Proactiv, SLMD, Walgreens Tinted Acne Treatment Cream) can break down into benzene over time, with recalls announced in 2024 and 2025.
Aerosol Personal Care: Sunscreens (Neutrogena, Aveeno, Banana Boat, Coppertone), dry shampoos/conditioners (Pantene, Aussie, Herbal Essences, Dove), and deodorants/body sprays (Old Spice, Secret, Sure, Brut) have faced recalls.
Other Consumer Goods: Foot sprays (Odor-Eaters), hand sanitizers, and after-sun gels.
Industrial Items: Glues, paints, furniture wax, and detergents.
There are so many legs to this report. First, most generics now consumed by Americans come from China and India who are low cost producers and there are major quality control issues some of which have been documented by the FDA, but there has been no major effort to shut down and stop contaminated drugs from coming into the US from marginal suppliers. When Hillary Clinton was Secretary of State, the FDA was moving to shut down an India producer and she stopped the effort.
Valisure documented the Zantac debacle. My friend died of stomach cancer as well as his son.
I was prescribed a generic antibiotic from India that caused side effects. My research of the FDA inspection reports showed the manufacturer in India was not following GMP's. Destroying records and more. Should have been shut down.
President Trump championed that Kodak should start producing generics in this country and he was deeply criticized for his efforts. Now TrumpRX is supporting the distribution of these generics from China and India. Selling directly to the patient and bypassing the community physician and pharmacist in the process. Monitoring of side effects will be absent. Will reduce the reporting of ADR's to the FDA. Lilly and others are selling directly to patients and by passing the community physician and pharmacist. Argument is it will reduce drug costs, but surveillance will disappear. Reports of GLP1 side effects keep climbing. It will now cause vertical integration from production to consumption of RX drugs to be controlled by Big Pharma. Our Congressman will not speak out on the issue because they stay in office by being funded by Big Pharma and other entities that control the regulatory process. That is why they stay silent on the autism issue.
The American Academy of Dermatologists should be front and center in sounding the alarm about Benzene contamination. They are not. They are not sounding the alarm that most of the sun blocking chemicals in sunscreens have never been tested for absence of carcinogenic properties. They do continually pump out warnings that Vitamin D can be harmful. It is not. They do prescribe Vitamin D2 which is poorly metabolized. They do not encourage studies that measure the blood value of D versus the risk of developing melanoma. Higher the blood value of D the lower the risk.
The only bright spot is that Mary Kaye produces a line of cosmetic products that address these issues. My Gail sold the products and at 80 years old her facial appearance was radiant.
Thank you Dr. Malone for another provocative article that has deep meaning and needs to be addressed. What say you Congressman. Big Pharma got your tongue?
Benzene is not being intentionally allowed as an ingredient in consumer products. It is strictly banned by regulatory agencies like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) for deliberate use due to its known toxicity.
Instead, benzene is slipping into products as an unintentional contaminant, manufacturing byproduct, or degradation loophole.
1. It is a Supply Chain Contaminant:
Aerosol sprays require propellants like butane, propane, or isobutane to force the product out of the can. These gases are refined from crude petroleum. Because benzene is also naturally present in petroleum, it is incredibly difficult to filter out completely during the refining process. If a manufacturer sources cheap or poorly refined propellants, benzene enters the product as an accidental impurity.
2. Legacy Manufacturing Exceptions:
The FDA previously permitted trace amounts of benzene (up to 2 parts per million) only if it was technically unavoidable during the manufacturing of essential chemical ingredients. For instance, certain carbomers (thickening agents used in lotions and gels) historically relied on benzene as a processing solvent. While the FDA finalized guidelines to phase out and eliminate these legacy benzene-containing carbomer standards, many products manufactured using older methods remained on store shelves.
If enforcement of the rules are lacking or the power to regulate and eliminate harmful products is not reality and the manufacturer knows this there is no incentive to improve! FDA doesn’t have the manpower or the policing power to control the manufactures that violate the GMP’s so they go and continue to do their thing without penalty!
If you mean me, I get plenty of D because of osteoporosis. I’ve been on a good dose for a long time. Before my husband became ill and we just had to feed him what tasted good, we were health freaks! Seriously. Thanks for your advice. I definitely need to get back on a healthier diet now that is no longer an issue. Working on it.
A a side note you will not believe the health books I gave away that he had in his book shelves. I kept one!
No.
Thomas A Braun RPh, you just answered a gnawing question I had as I read this article. I had been using Mary Kay for several years. I stopped the sunscreen but wondered about the other products. I will be 80 in December and have less wrinkles than most my age. I use her time wise products but hate the cost!! I’m open to ideas.
Dr. Malone, out of concern for one of my grands, my daughter text he uses acutane. Any thoughts? I didn’t see it mentioned.
Boost D and B complex and improve diet.
Great article.
When I worked as a gas station regulator in the 90’s in CT, the benzene action level in drinking water was 1 part per billion. Hmmm.
A Midwestern Doctor on Substack touts DMSO as a safe, FDA-torpedoed medical Duct Tape - good for skin ailments.
After high school in 1970 for a summer job I worked in a factory. They used a heated benzene tank with agitation to degrease and wash parts after they were machined. Not something I wanted to be near at all.
Is there anything they're not poisoning us with?
Short answer. No!
And here I thought (soon-to-be-former) Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. was monitoring the FDA during his tenure as Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. What a surprise!
Thank you for your continued efforts to educate the public on issues that are withheld from us, for the most part. Many of us know how invaluable your work is and appreciate it greatly. it was unfortunate that you felt a need to withdraw from your position with ACIP but I can understand. I know Robert must miss you! Best wishes for all your endeavors and keep fighting the good fight because we need more like you who have the courage and integrity to keep speaking truth to power.
Another case of regulatory incompetence and/or corruption. Although, citing Rosa DeLauro - the purple haired harridan from CT - doesn't prove much although a minor criticism of this damning indictment of the deep state clowns who preside over our food and drug safety.
Regarding acne, I remember years ago when I sometimes assisted the pharmacists as a drug store clerk being surprised by how many prescriptions were written for tetracycline for acne. Now, decades later, the once valuable antibiotic is virtually useless. Always wondered about that.
Hopefully Makary's replacement at the FDA won't buckle under to industry pressure. If you knowingly sell a product with many times the FDA limit for a harmful chemical, you are a criminal. Sorry, there's no getting around that and the officers who did so need to serve jail time.
I have been using HOCI, sprayed directly on my eye that had a stye that wasn't healing. I spray it a few times a day as well as DMSO gel applied directly on the stye. It is slowly healing, patience seems to be important as most are wanting fast results. Not that there can't be quick results too. We used the disinfectant HOCI instead of bleach for sanitizing our under sink reverse osmosis. I called the Curativa Bay number, and talked with a rep., he was interested, patient and not trying to sell me anything. I have used the animal solution for cleaning my cats ears and chin acne. Great product that I feel good using! (p.s. I went to the doc, what a joke. Antibiotic gel for the eye that even the doctor poo-pooed.)
Styes are really a skin issue rather than an eye issue. Most eye doctors will tell you to use warm soaks several times a day to help resolve the issue (look up warm soaks somewhere reputable). That is because increasing blood flow to the area of the stye allows your own body to clear up the problem. Initially, you have a skin infection with a stye, but it can eventually turn into inflammation without infection and you can get something called a chalazion that is basically a hard pocket of inflammatory cellular material that will only resolve slowly with warm soaks. If the chalazion doesn't go away after softening it with the warm soaks for some weeks, you can see an eye doctor to have it taken care of medically. More importantly, if your initial stye doesn't go away or seems to be expanding into more of the tissue around your eye and ballooning up your eyelid and causing redness and pain, they tell you that you need to see your doctor again to treat an actual infection. In rare cases, you can get cellulitis or a severe infection, and you need to act on that if the infection gets significantly worse and seems to be spreading. In almost all cases, these styes get smaller and will go away on their own. The antibiotic gel is prescribed only for secondary protection in most cases for minor styes. If you are persistent and do the warm soaks multiple times a day right from the start, you can usually get rid of these things fairly soon. Once they turn into a chalazion it takes longer. They will tell you that application of warm, moist heat (warm soaks) is the most effective treatment. Speaking from personal experience: take it or leave it. Also, if it doesn't resolve, go back because maybe it isn't a stye or a chalazion and maybe it is something that you should get removed.
Thanks for the info. This most likely was caused by bacteria from old mascara. It is slowly getting better, not worse and has never been painful. This approach of using HOC and DSMO has also increased my experience of safety with these products and I am doing a warm compress now as I have from the beginning. Better than having it lanced...
Yes, easy to get from makeup. I love HOCl and used it for cleaning during COVID, but it is perishable. At least it won't hurt you if put on your skin. And it works.
I ordered the different ones from Curativa Bay. One for face, one for animals and the spray disinfectant. I don't see an expiration date on any of them.
Manufacturer should provide you with that, but you can research it online generally. How you store it matters.
Thank you Dr. Malone for another great article. It’s frightening to realize the scope of chemicals everywhere and we wonder why we are sick all the time!
Just read/saw something that shows that Dawn dishwashing liquid (the one touted for use to clean all water fowl of toxic oil spillage), is full of carcinogens like blue dye. Dumb me, I bought 3 pack when it was on sale at Costco. Duhh.
Great article! Now do Benadryl. After taking it, I experienced a blackout. My doctor said it was a known complication. Why is it still being sold?!
Thank you for this important information. I am sending it to my family in case any grandsons are using it. I bought the HOCL you recommended for skin issues. I also have DMSO that I use for my neuropathy pain and spasms. I’m grateful that Valisure is doing the work that the FDA doesn’t. I’m also grateful you are not being muzzled by the ACIP committee membership that you once held; in case that was a concern. As I’ve said before, you are a warrior and now have a following that believes what you tell us. Thank you. We no longer trust the current FDA and CDC.
Chlorine dioxide is also very ffective against acne and is very safe.
Thank you. Good to know!
I wish that I had known about chlorine dioxide when I was in high school!
Me too!
*effective
Great article. Benzene is in a lot of products, last I checked, many top sunscreens still have it in their formulas. I’ve always believed that it accounts for a large number of the basal/squamous cell diagnoses.
I posted here a list of the compounds in our sunscreens that I think contain benzene. I wonder if they are problematic.
Yesterday pm, I read Chapter 13 in Sonia Elijah's new book (reviewed on this Substack), so I am just past a refresh on Kevin McKernan's findings of plasmid DNA contamination in the COVID jab vials, and ribosomal frame-shifting. The dismissal of such concerns amounts to more than mere regulatory negligence as far as I am concerned.
In the wake of RFK's talks about artificial dyes and their toxicities, I have noted that my aftershave lists Yellow No. 5 as an ingredient. I have wondered if such toxicity applies to topical application. Many aftershaves incorporate coloring of one sort or another; perhaps I should seek out a clear alternative (?)
Thanks for the reminder, James. Found it - Doc M's summary of her book, chapter by chapter -https://www.malone.news/p/book-review-311-viral-takeover
This makes me suspicious of other products, specifically sunscreen, that contain various forms of benzene. Which of the following also produce benzene as a product of decomposition?
C12-15 alkyl benzoate
benzyl alcohol
oxybenzone
avobenzone
As I recall, in the 60s to make graphs of muscle rxns in dissected frogs and other lab experiments, the grad students used to smoke the paper in a closet by burning......benzene.
😳
This is another obscene investigation into failure to protect the public by an agency that was supposedly designed for just this task. This is truly maddening. Why do we even need an FDA if they don’t protect the public? That work is now smoke and mirrors. Protecting the drug manufacturers is apparently their current modus operandi.
Did Dr Makary fix any of this nonsense during his tenure? Or is the FDA another bureaucracy that is impervious to continuous quality improvement?
It's been such a surprising 1.5 yrs with Pres. Trump.
Dr.Makary - Where did I read he bumped up against Trump's push for vaping? I'm seeing commercials now spouting ridiculously... Thank you Pres Trump for this SAFE way to smoke!
Vaping is not safe! Dr. Chris Exley (Alum expert), tells us, that it's worse than cigarettes. Of course, Pres. Trump is either willfully blind about the truths of it, or he is just ignorant about everything medical. I had hoped, prayed, he was honestly interested in what all Bobby K stood for, when he rallied with him.
Inhaling from a vap thingee, that IS made of aluminum is Waaay Bad, Verry NOT GOOD, Damage not reversible, for your lungs and therefore your BRAIN. It's all, or almost all of this turn AGAINST MAHA is related to Aluminum, isn't it. Alum adjuvants in vaccs. The Aluminum cabal is VERY powerful.