Kao USA has issued a Pluralibacter gergoviae shampoo recall for selected batches of Oribe Serene Scalp Densifying Shampoo in the US and Canada after detecting pluralibacter gergoviae bacteria in the product. Consumers with the affected bottles were told to stop using them.
The recall covers 8.5 oz and 33.8 oz sizes made between 21 February 2026 and 26 February 2026. The affected lot codes are YR010556 for the 8.5 oz size, YR010566 for the 33.8 oz size, and YR010576 for the 33.8 oz size.
Kao USA and FDA
Kao USA said it is working with the FDA to voluntarily recall the affected lots from its warehouses. It also asked retail and salon partners to remove the affected lots from use and sale and return them for safe disposal. The company provided the Kao Professional Hair Technical Hotline at 800-333-2442 for adverse events, replacements, and questions.
The bacteria detected poses little medical risk to healthy people, but the recall carries more weight for consumers with weakened immune systems, chronic illnesses, or those undergoing surgical procedures. The bacterium has been linked to respiratory diseases, urinary tract infections, eye infections, and sepsis, which makes the affected lots a more serious concern for those groups than for healthy users.
Oribe Serene Scalp Densifying Shampoo in US and Canada
The recall applies only to selected batches, not every bottle sold under the product name. For consumers, the practical step is straightforward: check the lot code on the bottle, stop use if it matches YR010556, YR010566, or YR010576, and follow the company’s disposal and replacement process through the hotline.
How many units or retail locations are included in the recall is not stated. That leaves the lot codes and manufacturing window as the only way for consumers to sort out whether a bottle belongs to the affected run.
