• News
  • Film and TV
  • Music
  • Tech
  • Features
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Weird
  • Community
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
Sunscreen Recalled Due To Cancer-Causing Chemical

Home> News

Published 11:28 31 Jul 2022 GMT+1

Sunscreen Recalled Due To Cancer-Causing Chemical

Edgewell Personal Care submitted the recall announcement to the United States Federal Drug Administration

Emily Brown

Emily Brown

Customers in the United States are being encouraged to get rid of certain batches of suncream after a test revealed they contained trace levels of a cancer-causing chemical named benzene.

Edgewell Personal Care Company, which has its headquarters in Shelton, Connecticut, voluntarily issued a nationwide recall following the test which was conducted as part of an internal review.

The company parents brands including Wilkinson Sword, Bull Dog and Hawaiian Tropic, but the recall relates specifically to the suncream company Banana Boat.

The recall relates to three batches of Banana Boat suncream.
Colleen Michaels/Alamy Stock Photo

Advert

In an announcement submitted to the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday (29 July), Edgewell recalled three batches of Banana Boat Hair & Scalp Sunscreen Spray SPF 30 due to the presence of benzene.

The chemical is colourless or light-yellow liquid at room temperature, and is a natural component of crude oil.

It's used mainly as a solvent in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, but is a human carcinogen, meaning exposure to it can cause leukemia and blood cancer of the bone marrow, as well as blood disorders.

Edgewell has stressed benzene is not an ingredient in any Banana Boat products, but said 'unexpected levels' of the chemical came from the propellant that sprays the product out of the can.

Advert

Banana Boat sunscreen was recalled.
Edgewell Personal Care

The recall, which is being conducted with the FDA, involves six ounce Banana Boat Hair and Scalp Sunscreen Spray SPF 30 with lot codes 20016AF (expiration date December 2022), 20084BF (expiration date February 2023), and 21139AF (expiration date April 2024). The codes can be found at the bottom of the cans.

Edgewell made clear these are the only batches that were found to contain the chemical, saying: "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."

Exposure to benzene can occur by inhalation, and Edgewell points out humans around the world 'have daily exposures to it indoors and outdoors from multiple sources'.

Advert

"Daily exposure to benzene in the recalled products would not be expected to cause adverse health consequences according to an independent health assessment using established exposure modelling guidelines," the company explained.

Edgewell assured other Banana Boat products are not affected.
Cultura Creative RF/Alamy Stock Photo

At the time of the announcement, Edgwell said it had not received 'any adverse events' related to the recall, but it encouraged customers to 'stop using the affected product immediately' and to 'appropriately discard' the suncreams.

Banana Boat is set to reimburse customers who bought the affected products, while those with questions relating to the recall can contact Edgewell Personal Care at 1-888-686-3988 Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm EST, or visit www.bananaboat.com for more information.

Advert

If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact Macmillan’s Cancer Support Line on 0808 808 00 00, 8am–8pm seven days a week 

Featured Image Credit: Banana Boat/ Aleksandar Tomic / Alamy

Topics: US News, Health, Cancer

Emily Brown
Emily Brown

Emily Brown is UNILAD Editorial Lead at LADbible Group. She first began delivering news when she was just 11 years old - with a paper route - before graduating with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University. Emily joined UNILAD in 2018 to cover breaking news, trending stories and longer form features. She went on to become Community Desk Lead, commissioning and writing human interest stories from across the globe, before moving to the role of Editorial Lead. Emily now works alongside the UNILAD Editor to ensure the page delivers accurate, interesting and high quality content.

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

5 hours ago
8 hours ago
9 hours ago
10 hours ago
  • 5 hours ago

    Amazon Prime series with near-perfect RT score is labeled 'one of the best' by Stephen King

    The series starring Titus Welliver has been branded 'one of the most underrated TV shows'

    Film & TV
  • 8 hours ago

    People horrified after hearing tech billionaire Peter Thiel’s ‘sociopathic’ response about the future of humanity

    People have been creeped out by how he answered a simple question

    News
  • 9 hours ago

    Doctor issues warning over hidden symptoms of Lyme disease as tick bites near record highs in US states

    Parts of the US have seen a sudden uptick in tick bites

    News
  • 10 hours ago

    ‘World’s top couple’s therapist’ reveals the one surprising behavior in people’s relationships that ‘scares her’

    The psychologist said this one thing in other couples doesn't seem real

    News
  • Man, 45, who developed lung cancer despite never smoking cigarette shares his only 'silent' symptom
  • Doctor warns that frequent bodily function millions are walking around with could be common cancer symptom
  • Symptoms and causes of rock star's 'aggressive' cancer as his family shares devastating diagnosis
  • Twin study reveals shocking cancer link after one had tattoos and the other didn’t