American sunscreen brand Coppertone has decided to recall five of its aerosol sunscreen products after it found benzene, a cancer-causing chemical, in some batches of its products.
12 lots of Pure & Simple SPF 50, Pure & Simple Kinds SPF 50, Pure & Simply Baby SPF 50, Sport Mineral SPF 50, travel-size Coppertone and Sport Spray SPF 50 have been recalled.
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The company however clarified that daily exposure levels that are believed to be detected in the recalled products likely would not cause “adverse health consequences”, NPR reported.
“Out of an abundance of caution, we are recalling certain lots of these specific aerosol sunscreen spray products,” the company statement said.
Coppertone has also said it has not received any reports of “adverse events” due to the recalled products till Friday, underlining that the recall decision was totally voluntary.
The Food and Drug Administration has issued an advisory for the consumers, urging them to stop using the recalled products, which were made between January 10, 2021, and June 15, 2021.
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Benzene is classified as a human carcinogen and is commonly found in the air in both urban and rural areas, according to a report by the American Cancer Society, though its level is extremely low.
Benzene can go into the body through the air we breathe and it may be swallowed too. It can also enter the body through the skin. The FDA said that depending on the level and degree of exposure, it could result in an increased risk of cancers — including leukemia and blood cancer of the bone marrow, along with other blood disorders, the NPR report said.
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Johnson & Johnson had also recalled some of its products in July like Neutrogena and Aveeno aerosol sunscreen and said that consumers should stop using them.