As you know by now, Black skin needs sunscreen too, but before you lather up and head into the sun, make sure the product you are using hasn’t been recalled. Edgewell Personal Care Co. has recalled three batches of its Banana Boat Hair & Scalp Sunscreen Spray SPF 30 because trace levels of benzene were found in some samples during an internal review.
What is benzene?
Benzene is a human carcinogen. Exposure can happen through inhalation, orally or through the skin, potentially leading to leukemia, cancer of the bone marrow and blood disorders, according to the company.
Though this sunscreen product is not meant to contain benzene, it may have come from the propellant that sprays the product out of the can.
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Is your product affected?
The recall is voluntary and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is aware of it, the company says.
Specific batches are affected by the recall, which does not apply to other batches of the product. No other Banana Boat products are part of the recall.
The products are packaged in aerosol cans and were distributed throughout the United States to retailers and online. Retailers have been alerted to the recall.
Banana Boat says it will reimburse consumers who have purchased a recalled product.
Consumers can determine whether their cans of sunscreen have been recalled by looking for the lot codes on the bottom of the can and comparing it to the recalled product list.
The following three batches of Banana Boat Hair & Scalp Spray SPF 30 in 6-ounce size were recalled: