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Johnson & Johnson announced on Wednesday that it was recalling five of its sunscreens after a few samples were found contain low levels of benzene, a chemical which can cause cancer on repeated exposure.
The affected products, packaged in aerosol cans, are Aveeno Protect + Refresh Spray Sunscreen and four versions of Neutrogena Sunscreen: Beach Defense Spray Sunscreen, CoolDry Sport Spray Sunscreen, Spray Sunscreen Invisible Daily Defense and UltraSheer Spray Sunscreen.
The recall includes all box sizes and all levels of Sun Protection Factor, or SPF. The products were distributed nationwide by retailers.
Traces of benzene have been detected in dozens of popular sunscreens and after-sun products, according to tests conducted by online pharmacy and Valisure lab, CBS News reported last month.
Benzene, a known carcinogen, was found in 78 of the nearly 300 sprays and lotions tested – around 27% – including products sold by Banana Boat and CVS, according to Valisure
The health giant said it was investigating how the chemical got into products.
David Light, founder and CEO of Valisure, believes the problem is manufacturing contamination affecting specific batches. While the source of the contaminant is unknown and more products tested have succeeded than failed, Light urged manufacturers and consumers to take the issue seriously.
“Benzene is one of the most studied and most serious human carcinogens known to science. Its association with the formation of blood cancers in humans has been shown in numerous studies at trace levels of parts per million and below. The presence of this known human carcinogen in products widely recommended for the prevention of skin cancer and which are regularly used by adults and children is very disturbing, ”Light said in the company statement.
J&J said he is working to have all batches of the five products removed from store shelves. He urged consumers to immediately stop using sunscreens and said customers can get a refund by calling J&J’s consumer support center at 1-800-458-1673. More information is available on the Neutrogena and Aveeno websites.
J&J said in a statement that “the use of these products should not have adverse health consequences” and that it has voluntarily decided to recall them “out of caution”. The statement added that people should use other sunscreen to protect themselves from cancerous melanoma of the skin.
Benzene is a highly flammable and widely used chemical that is present throughout the environment. It can cause cancer if repeatedly exposed to high enough levels. According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it can also damage the immune system and prevent cells from functioning properly.
The effects of the chemical vary depending on whether a person accidentally inhales or ingests it, or puts it on skin and clothing. Symptoms range from dizziness and irregular heartbeat to seizures and, at very high levels, death.
J&J, who is based in New Brunswick, New Jersey, said it informed the Food and Drug Administration of the recall.
Valisure encouraged people to send in their own samples of sunscreen and sunscreen products for evaluation. The company also released its petition to the FDA to recall the products, which includes a list of lots with detected benzene levels. The products can be found on pages 12 to 15.
Below is a list of sunscreens and sunscreen products that have been tested by Valisure and that do not contain benzene.
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