Canadians may want to check if they use a shampoo brand that’s part of an urgent recall in Canada and the United States.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced a recall on some lots of Oribe Serene Scalp Densifying Shampoo on July 1, 2026. The recall was issued by Kao USA, the parent company of Oribe, due to the detection of Pluralibacter gergoviae bacteria.
“Though Pluralibacter gergoviae bacteria pose little medical risk to healthy people, those with certain health issues, such as weakened immune systems, may be more susceptible to infection by the bacteria,” reads the notice from the U.S. FDA. “Regardless of health status, Kao USA is urging anyone who has affected products as specified below to discontinue use.”
According to the notice, the recall is limited to specific lots of the Oribe Serene Scalp Densifying Shampoo in 8.5 oz and 33.8 oz sizes.
Oribe Serene Scalp Densifying Shampoo (in 8.5 oz and 33.8 oz sizes), manufactured between Feb. 21, 2026 and Feb. 26, 2026, could be impacted.
Sephora
Smaller bottles of the high-end shampoo are sold in Canada at stores like Sephora, Walmart, and Amazon.
You can check if you have any impacted shampoos by looking at the lot codes for the 8.5 oz size (UPC 840035231242) on the bottom of the bottle, printed in black. It begins with the prefix “YR”: o YR010566 o YR010576.
The affected lot codes for the 33.8 oz size (UPC 840035231273) can also be found on the bottom of the bottle, printed in black and beginning with the prefix âYRâ: o YR010566 o YR01057.
“We are working with the FDA to voluntarily recall the affected lots of the product in question from our warehouses,” reads the notice. “We are also asking retail and salon partners to remove affected lots from use and/or sale and return them to us for safe disposal.”
As of Monday, July 6, there has been no recall issued by Health Canada.
To report any negative experiences with the use of the Oribe Serene Scalp Densifying Shampoo, arrange for a replacement, or if you have any questions, you can contact the Kao Professional Hair Technical Hotline at 800-333-2442 or email oribecomplaints@kao.com.
Check out the FDA’s full notice for more information.