Facebook has recalled parts of its new Oculus Quest 2 headsets after customers complained they were causing skin rashes.

The ACCC’s Product Safety Australia has issued a recall notice for the foam facial interfaces included with Quest 2 headsets, or sold separately as replacements, manufactured between 6 July 2020 and 4 January 2021 and accompanying headsets with serial numbers beginning with ‘1WMVR’ or ‘1WMHH’ and fourth from last character ‘0’.

According to the notice, substances found in the manufacture of the foam parts may cause skin problems.

“Some users may experience non-allergic skin irritation (redness, bumps or swelling) where the Quest 2 foam interface rests on the face.

“This irritation is different from the normal pressure marks people sometimes experience after a VR session,” the notice says.

Oculus is replacing the affected parts; in a statement on its support blog, it stressed that a “comprehensive investigation” found no contaminants in its manufacturing process.

“We identified a few trace substances that are normally present in the manufacturing process which could contribute to skin discomfort, and while these were already at levels below the industry standard, out of an abundance of caution we changed our process to reduce them even further.

“We’ve confirmed with expert dermatologists and toxicologists that these levels are considered extremely low,” the company said.

Customers are advised to contact Oculus Support if they experience problems.