But an internal FDA document showed the agency classified the benzene levels in Johnson & Johnson sunscreens as “life threatening.” The agency didn’t share that information with consumers at the time. The document came to light through a public records request.

Federal law doesn’t give the agency power to force a recall. Instead, companies use their own discretion to decide when to pull contaminated products off shelves.

After Valisure discovered benzene in widely used benzoyl peroxide acne products like Proactiv and Clearasil in March, the FDA and consumer-goods makers said the lab didn’t test the products in real-world conditions. Valisure has said its testing meets international standards and it gets its test results checked by another lab.