A Popular Spray-On Sunscreen Is Being Recalled & It May Contain A Cancer-Linked Chemical

Three batches of Banana Boat sunscreen spray are being voluntarily recalled due to a chemical that can cause cancer, the sunscreen's manufacturer says.

Edgewell Personal Care Company says some of its Banana Boat Hair & Scalp Sunscreen Spray SPF 30 may contain traces of benzene, a chemical that can increase the risk of cancer after repeated exposure. The company issued a voluntary nationwide recall for the sunscreen in the U.S. on July 29.

Edgewell says it found "trace levels" of benzene in some samples during an internal review.

"While benzene is not an ingredient in any Banana Boat products, the review showed that unexpected levels of benzene came from the propellant that sprays the product out of the can."

Benzene is considered a human carcinogen, according to the U.S. CDC. Breathing it in, ingesting it or allowing it to touch your skin can lead to several life-threatening illnesses, including leukemia, blood cancers and blood disorders.

Only three batches of the hair & scalp spray SPF 30 sunscreen were named in the recall.

To find out if you have one of the affected batches, look for the UPC 0-79656-04041-8 and the following lot codes and expiration dates:

• 20016AF / December 2022
• 20084BF / February 2023
• 21139AF / April 2024

All other products are still considered safe for customers to continue to use, according to the company's release.

For more details and advice on what to do if you have an affected can of sunscreen, you can visit the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's recall page.

The product was distributed through multiple retailers and online. The company has advised the retailers to remove any remaining products from shelves to halt distribution.

Edgewell says it has not recorded any adverse reactions from the product to date.

"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," said the press release.

This article's right-hand cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.