Johnson & Johnson Recalls Of Specific NEUTROGENA® And AVEENO® Aerosol Sunscreen Products For Benzene Contamination
Sunscreen usage is essential for public health, and the scorching summer heat compels us all to grab for our sunscreens. However, before applying that product to your skin, check to see whether it is included in a voluntary recall by sunscreen companies Neutrogena and Aveeno.
Johnson & Johnson announced the recall of five aerosol sunscreen products after the discovery of low amounts of benzene in certain samples, a chemical related to blood malignancies such as leukemia.
Which sunscreens were recalled?
J&J voluntarily recalled all four Neutrogena spray sunscreens and one Aveeno spray this week “out of an abundance of caution”:
- Neutrogena® Beach Defense® aerosol
- Neutrogena® Cool Dry Sport aerosol
- Neutrogena® Invisible Daily™ defense aerosol
- Neutrogena® Ultra Sheer® aerosol
- Aveeno® Protect + Refresh aerosol
What to know about benzene?
Benzene is categorized as a human carcinogen, a chemical that, depending on the amount and duration of exposure, has the potential to cause cancer. Benzene is found in abundance in the environment. Humans worldwide are exposed to a variety of contaminants on a regular basis, both inside and outdoors. Benzene may be absorbed in different degrees through inhalation, cutaneous absorption, and oral absorption.
Daily exposure to benzene in these aerosol sunscreen products at the levels found in our tests would not be anticipated to have any significant health effects, based on exposure modeling and the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) methodology. We are recalling all batches of these particular aerosol sunscreen products out of an excess of caution.
“While benzene is not an ingredient in any of our sunscreen products, it was detected in some samples of the impacted aerosol sunscreen finished products,” J&J reported in a statement. “Consumers should stop using these specific products and appropriately discard them.”
The sunscreen recall is another setback for Johnson & Johnson, which has recently been hit with lawsuits over opioid medications, baby powder, and vaginal mesh implants.
