Coppertone recalls five sunscreen products containing benzene

Coppertone is recalling five aerosol sunscreens sold by retailers nationwide after finding the carcinogenic chemical benzene in certain batches of products.

Consumers are advised to stop using the affected products, which were manufactured between January 10, 2021 and June 15, 2021, Coppertone said Thursday in a notice issued by the Food and Drug Administration.

The recall concerns 12 lots of Pure & Simple SPF 50, Pure & Simple Kinds SPF 50, Pure & Simply Baby SPF 50, Sport Mineral SPF 50, Coppertone travel size and Sport Spray SPF 50.

Coppertone has “not received any reports of adverse events related to this recall,” the brand, owned by German manufacturer Beiersdorf, based in Hamburg, said in a statement.

Classified as a human carcinogen, benzene may increase the risk of developing leukemia and other cancers, as well as life-threatening blood disorders, according to the recall notice.

Widely used in manufacturing, benzene is found in the environment and can cause cancer on repeated exposure, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Johnson & Johnson in July recalled five of its sun products found to contain benzene. Traces of the chemical were also found in dozens of popular sunscreen and after-sun in tests conducted by Valisure in early summer. The online pharmacy and the lab also found high levels of benzene in over 20 hand sanitizers earlier in the year.