Sunscreen Recall Lawsuits

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Some sunscreens contain benzene

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It is a well-established scientific fact that sun exposure is linked to skin cancer. Sunscreen is a popular way to block the ultraviolet radiation associated with skin damage and protect against cancer. But evidence is emerging that certain types of sunscreens contain benzene, an industrial chemical that’s a known human carcinogen.

Dozens of sunscreen products recently tested positive for benzene—a chemical also found in gasoline and paint thinners—leading to demands for product recalls and questions about the safety of sunscreen chemicals. These new findings suggest that people who use sunscreen in an effort to avoid skin cancer may actually be increasing their risk of developing other types of cancers. Regular exposure to benzene, even at very low levels, is a major risk factor for blood tissue cancers such as leukemia, myeloma, and lymphoma.
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If you used a sunscreen that contained benzene, and have been diagnosed with cancer, you may be able to file a sunscreen cancer lawsuit.  Contact a Sunscreen Cancer Lawyer today.

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What is the ingredient/chemical in sunscreen that causes cancer?

​Laboratory testing performed by Valisure found that dozens of sunscreen and after-sun care products contain the industrial chemical benzene.

The toxicity of benzene has been documented for more than 100 years. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies benzene as “carcinogenic to humans.” The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) also classified benzene as a human carcinogen. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates sunscreens and considered them drugs, classifies benzene as a “Class 1 solvent” that should not be used in the manufacture of drug substances and drug products.

Can sunscreens containing benzene give you cancer?

​Sunscreen that contains benzene could cause cancer. Although no specific studies have been performed on benzene sunscreens and cancer, samples of popular sunscreen brands tested by Valisure detected benzene. Valisure cites Dr. Christopher Bunick, Associate Professor of Dermatology at Yale University, who says that, “There is not a safe level of benzene that can exist in sunscreen products.”

When sunscreen containing benzene is applied to the skin, the body absorbs it and the chemical enters the bloodstream, where it can cause cancer. When sunscreen containing benzene is applied to the skin, the body absorbs it and the chemical enters the bloodstream, where it can cause cancer. IARC notes that benzene exposure is linked to acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), multiple myeloma, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

​Is there benzene in sunscreen?

Not all sunscreens contain benzene. However, Valisure’s research indicates that many popular sunscreen brands do contain benzene. These brands include:

• Neutrogena
• Sun Bum
• CVS Health
• Fruit of the Earth
• Raw Elements
• SunBurnt
• Goodsense
• Banana Boat
• TopCare
• Everyday
• EltaMD
• Babyganics
• Walgreens
• Raw Elements
• Coppertone
• Max Block
• Solimo
• Equate
• La Roche-Posay
• Aveeno
• Up & Up

​Valisure analyzed nearly 300 unique batches from dozens of sunscreen brands and detected benzene in 78 product batches, including 26 products with benzene levels between 0.1 parts per million (ppm) and 2 ppm, and 14 products with benzene levels over 2 ppm. “Even benzene at 0.1 ppm in a sunscreen could expose people to excessively high nanogram amounts of benzene,” Dr. Christopher Bunick told Valisure.

Which sunscreen has no benzene?

​The sunscreens that Valisure tested do not list benzene as an active ingredient. Therefore, Valisure concludes, benzene-positive sunscreens may have somehow been contaminated. But many batches of sunscreen that Valisure tested contain no detectable benzene, including brands by the following manufacturers:

• Equate
• Neutrogena
• Up & Up
• Supergoop!
• Banana Boat
• Revlon
• Sun Bum
• Hawaiian Tropic
• Max Block
• Aveeno

Notably, many of the brands with sunscreen products on this list also make sunscreens that tested positive for benzene. You can see the full list of sunscreen batches for which benzene was not detected here.

Benzene is a common active ingredient in sunscreens. The FDA says that oxybenzone is safe, but environmental and health groups have concerns over the chemical.
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The Environmental Working Group (EWG) calls oxybenzone “the most worrisome sunscreen active ingredient.” It’s been shown to cause allergic skin reactions, behave like an endocrine disruptor (i.e., interfere with normal hormone function), and is potentially more harmful to children. A rat study from the National Toxicology Program links oxybenzone to “equivocal evidence of carcinogenic activity.” And beginning in 2021, Hawaii is banning sunscreen products containing oxybenzone due to concerns that the ingredient damages coral reefs.

Call a Sunscreen Cancer Lawyer today about a Sunscreen Recall Lawsuit

​Sunscreen is supposed to prevent skin cancer—not cause it. Serious questions remain about how benzene ended up in these products and what the manufacturers knew, or should have known, about cancer causing ingredients in sunscreen. What’s certain is that a known human carcinogen has no place in any product, never mind one that is intended to be applied every day, for a lifetime.

​Did you use a sunscreen that, unbeknownst to you or your doctor, contains benzene? Have you been diagnosed with cancer? A sunscreen cancer lawyer is ready to review your claim and let you know how we can help. Get in touch with a  sunscreen cancer lawyer for a no-cost, no-obligation case review today.

Call a Sunscreen Cancer Lawyer if you used a sunscreen containing benzene and developed cancer about a Sunscreen Cancer Lawsuit

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