Edgewell Personal Care Company, the makers of Banana Boat sun care products, have voluntarily recalled some batches of sunscreen after an internal review found traces of benzene in them.
Why it matters: Benzene is a known chemical carcinogen, meaning it can cause cancer in humans.
- According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Long-term exposure to high levels of benzene in the air can cause leukemia, cancer of the blood-forming organs.”
What they’re saying: According to Banana Boat’s official site, the company announced the recall out of “an abundance of caution.”
- “To date, Edgewell has not received any adverse events related to this recall ... (we) are advising consumers to stop using the affected product immediately and appropriately discard,” the company said.
- Banana Boat says that benzene is not an ingredient used in its products. “The trace amounts of benzene were caused by the propellant that distributes product in the packaging, according to the press release,” NBC News reported.
Which bottles of sunscreen were recalled? According to Good Housekeeping, the three recalled batches of Banana Boat Hair & Scalp Sunscreen Spray SPF 30, 6-ounce include those with the below lot codes and expiration dates, which can be found at the bottom of the can:
- Lot code 20016AF with an expiration date of December 2022.
- Lot code 20084BF with an expiration date of February 2023.
- Lot code 21139AF with an expiration date of April 2024.
Flashback: Well-known beauty brand Johnson & Johnson recalled five sunscreen products after traces of benzene were detected in July 2021, Deseret News reported.