Banana Boat Sunscreen Recall: Issuance Expanded Over Cancer Concerns

Edgewell Personal Care is expanding its previous voluntary recall of certain Banana Boat sunscreens. The products are being pulled from shelves over concerns about the presence of benzene.

The recalls affect Banana Boat Hair & Scalp Spray SPF 30, according to the announcement on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website. The current recall includes one more batch of the product in addition to the three included in the original issuance on July 29, 2022, adding the ones with lot codes "20301CF."

This means that the recall now affects the Banana Boat Hair & Scalp Spray SPF 30 with lot codes "20016AF" (expiration December 2022), "20084BF" (Expiration February 2023), "21139AF" (Expiration April 2024) and the additional batch with lot code "20301CF" and expiration date of September 2023. These products came in 6-ounce aerosol cans and have the UPC code 0-79656-04041-8.

The sunscreens are being recalled due to concerns about the presence of benzene — a colorless or light-yellow chemical that's among the substances identified by the National Toxicology Program as "known human carcinogens."

Although it's not one of the ingredients of the product, or any Banana Boat product for that matter, a review detected "unexpected levels" of the chemical "from the propellant that sprays the product out of the can," according to the announcement.

The chemical is produced via both natural and man-made processes, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) explained. People can get exposed to benzene in various ways such as orally or through the skin, though it's said to be "primarily" by breathing in air that contains it that people tend to get exposed to it.

Exposure to benzene is said to increase one's risk of developing certain cancers such as leukemia as well as other blood disorders. So far, the company has not received reports of adverse events related to the recall.

"Humans around the world have daily exposures to it indoors and outdoors from multiple sources," the announcement noted. "Daily exposure to benzene in the recalled products would not be expected to cause adverse health consequences."

Consumers may look for the lot codes of the product at the bottom of the can. The recalled products were said to have been distributed "nationwide" in the U.S. through retailers as well as online.

Those who are in possession of the products affected by the recall are being advised to stop using them "immediately" and to discard them "appropriately." The company is offering reimbursement for those who bought the affected products.

Those with questions or who would like to request a reimbursement may contact the company at 1-888-686-3988 or get more information here.

"We know that you love our products, and we are conducting this recall out of an abundance of caution," the announcement on the Banana Boat website noted. "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."