The independent American lab Valisure said it detected high levels of the carcinogenic chemical benzene in some acne treatment products from brands including Estée Lauder, Clinique, Target Up & Up, and Clearasil owned by Reckitt Benckiser.

The New Haven lab in Connecticut said on Wednesday it also submitted a petition to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, urging the regulatory body to recall the products, conduct an investigation, and review industry guidelines.

This report led to a 3% drop in Estee Lauder's shares.

Valisure said benzene can form at "unacceptably high levels" in both benzoyl peroxide-containing acne treatment products and over-the-counter products.

Other products in which benzene was detected include Proactiv, PanOxyl, Walgreens acne soap, and Equate Beauty acne cream from Walmart.

Target, Estee Lauder, Walmart, and Reckitt companies did not respond to Reuters' requests for comment, nor did the FDA respond yet to Valisure's request.

The carcinogen has already been found in many consumer products, including sunscreens, hand sanitizers, and dry shampoo, leading to recalls of products made by companies such as Procter & Gamble and Johnson & Johnson.

But Valisure said the discovery of benzene in acne treatment products was "quite different" from other cases.

David Light, co-founder and president of Valisure, said, "The benzene we found in sunscreens and other consumer products was an impurity that came from contaminated ingredients; however, the benzene in benzoyl peroxide products comes from the benzoyl peroxide itself."

Valisure tests showed some products can form more than 800 times the maximum conditionally restricted concentration of benzene set by the FDA.

Valisure said high levels of benzene were found not only in acne products but also in the air around the incubated products, indicating that the carcinogen can leach from some packaging, posing a potential inhalation risk.