Traces of cancer-causing chemicals have led the parent company of Banana Boat Hair & Scalp sunscreen products to expand its recall to a fourth batch.
Edgewell Personal Care Company announced on Friday it is voluntarily expanding its recall to a fourth batch of Banana Boat Hair & Scalp Spray SPF 30 after tests found trace levels of benzene, according to the FDA.
The products in question have expiration dates of December 2022, February 2023, September 2023, and April 2024. The company said it would refund purchases of the affected products.
“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,” said the company, according to Fox Business.
The FDA said that the levels found in the defective products “would not be expected to cause adverse health consequences.”
Benzene is a carcinogen, and exposure to the chemical can occur through inhalation, orally, and through the skin. Exposure can result in different cancers, including leukemia, blood cancer of the bone marrow, and other life-threatening blood disorders, according to the FDA.
The products in question were sold nationwide through different retailers and online.
Edgewell said it has “notified its retailers to remove any remaining recalled product from shelves.”
The company said there have been no reported adverse events related to the recall.
Per the FDA, “[d]aily exposure to benzene in the recalled products would not be expected to cause adverse health consequences according to an independent health assessment using established exposure modeling guidelines.”
Several companies have had to announce recalls due to evidence of benzene in their products in recent years.
Proctor & Gamble recalled 32 of its aerosol spray products across numerous brands in its portfolio in December 2021, according to NPR. In October of last year, Unilever issued a recall of its dry shampoo products found in the company’s numerous brands after detecting trace levels of the harmful chemical.
Deodorant brands Sure and Brut also issued recalls in February 2022 for aerosol versions after discovering “unexpected levels” of benzene from the propellant that sprays the product, according to U.S. News & World Report.
