Sunscreen is supposed to keep you safe from cancer — so when a carcinogen (a substance that is known to cause cancer) is detected in a popular sunscreen, well, the irony is simply not funny.
Popular sunscreen brand Banana Boat has voluntarily recalled its Hair & Scalp Defense sunscreen after low levels of the cancer-causing chemical benzene were detected during an internal review.
According to Edgewell Personal Care Company, the maker of Banana Boat sunscreens, only three batches of the sunscreen spray are affected by the recall.
The three batches have a UPC label of 0-79656-04041-8 and fall under the lot codes 20016AF, 20084BF, and 21139AF, with the expiration dates of December 2022, February 2023, and April 2024, respectively.
Here’s the recall notice from the company:
“An internal review found that some samples of the product contained trace levels of benzene. While benzene is not an ingredient in any Banana Boat products, the review showed the unexpected levels of benzene came from the propellant that sprays the product out of the can,” according to the recall notice.
“Importantly, no other batches of Hair & Scalp (either before or after these batch codes) and no other Banana Boat products are in the scope of this recall and may continue to be used by consumers safely and as intended,” the company wrote.
The company said benzene, which is classified as a human carcinogen by FDA, is not a component of Banana Boat sunscreen but was found at an unexpected level in the propellant that sprays the product from the can.
Long-term exposure to benzene can affect the blood and bone marrow, leading to cancer, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The company said benzene exposure can occur by inhalation, orally, or through the skin.
More details of this report from The Daily Wire:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describes benzene as a colorless or light-yellow liquid chemical at room temperature with a sweet odor and highly flammable. It evaporates quickly into the air, only slightly dissolves in water, stays afloat on top of water.
An independent health assessment from the manufacturer claims daily exposure to benzene in the recalled products would not be expected to cause adverse health consequences.
Officials said the manufacturer had not yet received any adverse events related to the recall.
Edgewell distributed the sunscreen products nationwide through various retailers and online and has notified its base to remove any remaining recalled products from the shelves. Those who have purchased the product from the specific recalled batches are entitled to a refund.
“Consumers should stop using the affected product immediately and appropriately discard,” officials said.
Edgewell said consumers with questions regarding this recall should contact Edgewell Personal Care at 1-888-686-3988 Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Time, or visit www.bananaboat.com
“Consumers should contact their physician or healthcare provider if they have any questions, concerns, or have experienced any problems related to using these aerosol sunscreen products,” the press release said.
The same recall announcement was made by Johnson & Johnson back in July 2021, when the brand recalled most of its Neutrogena and Aveeno spray sunscreens from U.S. stores after detecting benzene in some samples.
Sources: DailyWire, NPR, Fda.gov
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