Good looks: Banana Boat Recollects Its Sunscreen Sprays Because of Benzene Contamination

Banana Boat is recalling one of its sunscreen sprays due to benzene contamination. On July 29, Banana Boat’s parent company, Edgewell Personal Care Company, released a statement explaining why it issued a voluntary recall. 

Before you get ready to chunk every Banana Boat sunscreen spray you own, the company discovered that only three batches of the Banana Boat Hair & Scalp Sunscreen Spray SPF 30 had traces of the carcinogen. “While benzene is not an ingredient in any Banana Boat products, an internal review found that some samples of the product contained trace levels of benzene,” an Edgewell Personal Care spokesperson shares in a statement with Allure. “We are conducting this voluntary recall out of an abundance of caution.”

For those unfamiliar, benzene is a cancer-causing chemical that can be found naturally in volcanoes and forest fires as well as in crude oil, gasoline, and cigarette smoke, according to the CDC’s website. Though it’s not used to formulate any sunscreen, traces of benzene have been found in other brands’ sunscreens as well. In the summer of 2021, Johnson & Johnson issued a recall for a few sunscreens from Neutrogena and Aveeno after Valisure, an independent research lab, discovered the carcinogen in 78 of the 300+ sunscreens and after-sun care products they were testing. 

Edgewell Personal Care Company provided the lot codes and expiration dates for the affected sprays, so consumers can check their bottles — you can find the lot codes on the bottom of the can. If your can’s lot code and expiration dates are 20016AF and December 2022, 20084BF and February 2023, or 21139AF and April 2024, you should dispose of it immediately. In addition, all sunscreen sprays from these batches are being removed from retailer shelves. 

Consumers with a contaminated sunscreen spray can receive reimbursement, so you can head to bananaboat.com to find out how. If consumers have any other questions they can contact Edgewell Personal Care Company at (888) 686-3988 anytime between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET from Monday through Friday. 

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