Just yesterday, Johnson & Johnson has voluntarily recalled five aerosol sunscreen products from the market. This came after detecting benzene, a cancer-causing chemical, in some samples.
According to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), benzene is classified as a human carcinogen, a substance that could possibly cause cancer depending on the level and extent. It is a widespread environmental contaminant brought about by tobacco smoke, car exhausts, paints, dyes, and suchlike, and can be absorbed by inhalation, through the skin or orally.
Based on exposure modelling and the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) framework, daily exposure to benzene in the affected aerosol sunscreen products at the levels detected during testing would not be expected to cause dire health consequences.
Source: Neutrogena & Aveeno
However, to err on the side of caution, the following five will be recalled:
- NEUTROGENA® Beach Defense® aerosol sunscreen
- NEUTROGENA® Cool Dry Sport aerosol sunscreen
- NEUTROGENA® Invisible Daily™ defense aerosol sunscreen
- NEUTROGENA® Ultra Sheer® aerosol sunscreen
- AVEENO® Protect + Refresh aerosol sunscreen
“While benzene is not an ingredient in any of our sunscreen products, it was detected in some samples of the impacted aerosol sunscreen finished products,” the company said.
Johnson & Johnson is still investigating the cause of this issue, but for now, they advise consumers to stop using these specific products and discard them appropriately.
If you use any of these aerosol sunscreen products and have questions, concerns or experience related problems, contact your physician or healthcare provider immediately.
Featured Image Credits: Pexels
