Edgewell Personal Care Company, the corporation behind many popular personal care products, late last week expanded a previous recall of Banana Boat sunscreen due to traces of benzene. 

What You Need To Know

  • Edgewell Personal Care Company late last week expanded a previous recall of Banana Boat sunscreen due to traces of benzene

  • The company in late July of last year identified three batches of Banana Boat Hair & Scalp Sunscreen Spray SPF 30 with “trace levels of benzene”

  • On Jan. 27, the company expanded its advisory to include one additional batch of impacted products with the lot code 20301CF and an expiration date of September

  • Individuals who breathe in high levels of benzene may experience symptoms including drowsiness, dizziness, a rapid heartbeat, headaches, tremors, confusion and unconsciousness

The company in late July of last year identified three batches of Banana Boat Hair & Scalp Sunscreen Spray SPF 30 with “trace levels of benzene” following an internal review, noting that the company does not use the chemical in its products, but that a review showed the “unexpected levels of benzene came from the propellant that sprays the product out of the can.” 

The original recalled batches had expiration dates of December 2022, February 2023 and April 2024, and were all six-ounce sizes of the product. The lot codes for those recalled products were 20016AF, 20084BF and 21139AF. 

On Jan. 27, the company expanded its advisory to include one additional batch of impacted products with the lot code 20301CF and an expiration date of September. The affected product is also a six-ounce bottle of the Banana Boat Hair & Scalp Spray SPF 30. 

In a statement, the Food and Drug Administration said “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.” 

Benzene, a widely used chemical in the United States, can be both manmade and naturally found in the environment. Natural benzene comes from forest fires or volcanoes and is found in cigarette smoke and crude oil; a number of industries use benzene to make other products like lubricants, dyes and synthetic fibers, per the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Individuals who breathe in high levels of benzene may experience symptoms including drowsiness, dizziness, a rapid heartbeat, headaches, tremors, confusion and unconsciousness. Direct benzene exposure to the eyes or skin can cause both tissue injury and irritation. 

Prolonged exposure to the carcinogen can lead to cancers of the bone marrow and blood, as well as leukemia, though Edgewell to date “has not received any adverse events related to this recall.”

Edgewell will offer reimbursement for consumers who purchased products with impacted lot codes.