Two designer perfumes have been recalled over a banned chemical linked to fertility risk and harm to unborn children.

Hello by Lionel Richie and Hot by United Colours of Benetton, both sold by discount chain Savers Health and Beauty, have been recalled in a notice from the Office for Product Safety and Standards.

The products contain butylphenyl methylpropional (BMHCA), also known as lilial, a synthetic floral fragrance classified as toxic to reproductive health.

The chemical, which mimics a lily of the valley scent, was used in many cosmetics and household products until March 2022, when it was banned in the UK and EU.

According to the notice, BMHCA can harm the reproductive system and the health of unborn children, and may cause skin sensitisation.

The Office for Product Safety and Standards said: “Affected products have been recalled by Savers Health and Beauty. Customers should return any of the above products purchased at a Savers store to the place of purchase, where they will be issued a full refund.

“Only products purchased in Savers Health and Beauty stores with the barcodes listed are affected by this recall. If you are unsure if you have one of the above products, please contact Savers Health and Beauty on help@savers.co.uk.”

The initial warning about the items was issued last month, with products recalled from customers on Wednesday.

Savers said in a statement that it would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Affected products include Hello by Lionel Richie Femme and Homme in 30ml, 50ml and 100ml sizes, and Benetton Hot 100ml EDT.

Xella Health has closed more than US$3.7m in pre-seed financing as it prepares to launch a women’s precision health platform in spring 2026.

The company, which says it is approaching a 10,000-person waitlist, combines multi-omic diagnostics, longitudinal data (tracked over time) and clinician-led guidance to help women understand their biology across fertility, hormonal health, chronic conditions, early cancer detection and preventative care.

Xella says it is pioneering the use of menstrual fluid alongside peripheral blood to access biological signals that have historically been ignored.

The company claims this approach can provide insights into the root causes of menstrual irregularities and chronic pelvic pain, scores for egg quality and quantity, miscarriage risk, specific perimenopause stage, HRT personalisation guidance, genetic predispositions for reproductive cancers and whole-body ageing insights.

Kelly Lacob, co-founder and chief executive of Xella, said: “Our mission is to give women the answers and care they have always deserved.

“Xella is building the infrastructure to decode female biology–getting to the root cause of conditions that uniquely, differently or disproportionately affect women, many of which suffer from an unacceptably poor standard of care today.

“Every woman who comes to Xella works with a dedicated clinician-coach, supported by AI, to ensure that the complex data we analyse translates into meaningful, actionable health outcomes rather than more noise. This funding allows us to accelerate product development and prepare for our first launch.”

The company was co-founded by Lacob alongside Adriana Dantas, chief operating officer, and Jesus Ching, chief technology officer.

The funding round was led by Precursor Ventures, with participation from Capital F, Ulu Ventures and other funds, as well as angel investors across healthcare, diagnostics and consumer technology.

Ashtan Jordan, principal at Precursor Ventures, said: “Xella is rethinking women’s health from the ground up—starting with the insight women need to make sense of their own biology over time.

“The team is building with a rare combination of scientific depth, product intuition, and empathy for the lived realities of women, which is exactly what’s required to create a trusted, enduring platform in healthcare.”

The capital will be used to finalise product development, expand partnerships and support the company’s market launch.