Multiple batches of Banana Boat hair and scalp sunscreen has been voluntarily recalled. The manufacturer of Banana Boat, Edgewell Personal Care Company (NYSE: EPC), found trace amounts of the carcinogen benzene in testing samples during an internal review.
"We know that you love our products, and we are conducting this recall out of an abundance of caution," Banana Boat says on its site.
Exposure to benzene can lead to blood cancer, leukemia, and other life-threatening conditions, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC says that this dangerous substance has a sweet smell, evaporates quickly, and is highly flammable.
Edgewell wrote in a press release that customers could be exposed to benzene through inhalation, as well as through the skin, when using certain Banana Boat aerosol sunscreen cans. The company says Banana Boat Hair & Scalp Sunscreen Spray SPF 30 cans with one of three different expiration dates-December 2022, February 2023, and April 2024, should no longer be used by customers due to the risk of benzene exposure.
The products covered in the recall were purchases at retailers and online, across the U.S. Along with their expiration dates, they can also be identified using their lot code numbers, which can be found on Food and Drug Administration's recall announcement page, along with the company press release.
According to Banana Boat, no adverse effects have been reported by customers related to these products, and the recall is being conducted only "out of an abundance of caution".
"While benzene is not an ingredient in any Banana Boat products, the review showed that unexpected levels of benzene came from the propellant that sprays the product out of the can," the company wrote. "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."
The company has asked customers with affected sunscreen to "appropriately discard" the products, and is offering to reimburse purchases.