Banana Boat Sunscreen Recalled Due To Cancer Risk

Banana Boat Hair & Scalp Sunscreen Spray SPF 30 is being recalled due to it containing the cancer-causing chemical benzene.

By Brian Scheid | Published

banana boat sunscreen

The popular brand of sunscreen Banana Boat has issued another round of recalls of some of their aerosol products. This is an expanded recall from the one the company announced back in July of 2022 when it was discovered that some samples of their product contained traces of benzene. Benzene exposure has the potential to create a risk of Leukemia and blood cancer of bone marrow as well as other blood disorders.

According to Fox4, “Roughly one year ago, Sure and Brut-branded deodorants and antiperspirant aerosol sprays distributed across North America were also recalled after officials discovered “unexpected levels” of benzene that came from propellant that sprays the product out of the can.” Banana Boat sunscreen has discovered the same issue with the propellent that it uses to disperse its product from the container.  Even though there have not been any specific events that have been attributed to the use of these products, any prolonged exposure to benzene is a human health hazard and should be avoided as much as possible. 

This issue was also the main contributing factor that led Procter and Gamble company to recall over 30 of its aerosol spray products from various brands back in December 2021.  Banana Boat has asked retailers to remove the Banana Boat Hair & Scalp Sunscreen Spray SPF 30 from their shelves immediately. The company is also offering a full refund to any consumers that may have purchased any of the affected products and have it stored somewhere in their households.   

Unfortunately, these products were distributed nationwide and sold via online retailers so it is not a localized issue and there could be affected products in any corner of the United States. The other concern is that Sunscreen Spray is one of those products that often is purchased and stored in say a beach bag and is out of sight and out of mind. When summertime comes back around most people will pull out their beach bag or pack the bag with supplies in their medicine cabinet and head out to enjoy a day in the sun using the leftovers of whatever sunscreen spray, they found from the year before.

If you happen to come across someone using the Banana Boat Hair and Scalp Sunscreen Spray SPF 30 or one of the products that were covered in the initial Banana Boat recall in July 2022, then you would want to inquire when they purchased that product. If the answer is prior to those recall dates you will not want to use this product on your skin as well as inform the owner of the product about the dangers of the traces of benzene that the canister contains. This recall announcement has a posted notice on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website for future reference if you happen to come in contact with this product.