The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a new warning that over-the-counter acne treatments have the potential to cause rare but sometimes life-threatening allergic reactions, Time.com reported.

Health officials said popular brands such as Proactiv, Neutrogena, MaxClarity, Oxy and Clean & Clear, as well as any other product that contains the ingredients benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid, can be dangerous. The acne treatments in question come in many forms, including gels, lotions, face washes and cleansing pads.

Docs say symptoms of an adverse reaction to the treatments are often similar to an allergy attack, including tight throat, shortness of breath, wheezing, low blood pressure and sudden collapse. Other users reported getting hives or facial swelling after using the anti-pimple products.

The warning points out that allergic reactions are rare—during the past 40 years, there have been only 131 reports of adverse reactions to the face-washes, with about 42 percent occurring within 24 hours of use. But 44 percent of these cases resulted in hospitalization.

The FDA announced the adverse incidents to inform consumers of the potential risks and to urge acne treatment companies to include new warning labels on their products. The labels would tell users to avoid the risk by first testing a small amount of the product on the body three days before using it.

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