Banana Boat Sunscreen Recall: Products, lot code and everything to know amid benzene fear

Edgewell Personal Care Company has issued a nation-wide recall of three batches of Banana Boat Hair & Scalp Sunscreen Spray SPF 30. According to an internal review, trace levels of benzene were found in some samples of the product.

While Banana Boat products do not contain benzene as an active ingredient, they seem to have come from the propellant that sprays the product out of the can.

The company released an announcement on its official website which read:

Banana Boat is voluntarily recalling three production batches of Banana Boat Hair and Scalp Sunscreen SPF 30 aerosol sprays due to trace levels of benzene.We know that you love our products , and we are conducting this recall out of an abundance of caution.

It continues:

Importantly no other batches of Hair and Scalp (either before or after these batch codes) and no other Banana Boat products are in the scope of this recall and may continued to be used by consumers safely and as intended.

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What do we know about the recalled Banana Boat product?

Edgewell has asked retailers to remove recalled products from their shelves (image via getty images/ Aliaksandra Ivanova)

As informed by the company, only products with the lot code 20016AF, 20084BF, and 21139AF with an expirary date of April 2024 and earlier have been recalled. Products contaminated with benzene are sold in aerosol cans. Edgewell has notified its retailers across the United States to remove any remaining recalled products from shelves.

The company has also offered to reimburse consumers who have purchased a product marked with one of the lot codes. The lot code can be found at the bottom of the can.

Consumers who have purchased the affected product are advised to stop using it with immediate effect and discard it appropriately.

Consumers with questions regarding this recall may contact Edgewell Personal Care at 1-888-686-3988 Monday through Friday, 9 am to 6 pm ET. Consumers may also visit the official website for more information on the recalled product and how to avail reimbursement.

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Health effects of Benzene exposure explored amidst sunscreen recall

Benzene is a colorless or light yellow chemical used in industries along with other chemicals to produce paint, glue, detergent and furniture wax. It is identified as highly carcinogenic. Exposure to benzene can occur orally through inhalation or contact with the skin, causing cells to not work properly.

The seriousness of benzene poisoning depends on the amount, length of time and route of exposure, and any pre-existing health conditions of the exposed person. Major long-term health effects of benzene exposure (exposure for more than a 1 year) can be related to the blood. It can damage the bone marrow, causing a decrease in the production of red blood cells leading to anemia.

Exposure to high levels of benzene in the air can lead to leukamia, a type of blood cancer. It can also compromise the immune system, causing a decrease in the production of white blood cells, leading to infections. Among women, exposure for months can cause irregular menstrual cycles and decrease in their ovary size.

According to Edgewell, they have not yet received any adverse effects complaints related to the recall. Additionally, based on independent health assessments using exposure modeling guidelines, daily exposure to benzene using the recalled product should not cause any adverse health effects.

The recall is more cautionary in nature than a major health hazard.