NEW JERSEY – All lots of Neutrogena and Aveeno aerosol sunscreen products have been voluntarily recalled, announced Johnson & Johnson. According to a company announcement, internal testing identified low levels of benzene in some product samples. Benzene is classified as a human carcinogen, a substance that could potentially cause cancer depending on the level and extent of exposure.
Consumers should therefore stop using these specific products, stated the FDA.
The products being recalled are:
NEUTROGENA® Beach Defense® aerosol sunscreen,
NEUTROGENA® Cool Dry Sport aerosol sunscreen,
NEUTROGENA® Invisible Daily™ defense aerosol sunscreen,
NEUTROGENA® Ultra Sheer® aerosol sunscreen, and
AVEENO® Protect + Refresh aerosol sunscreen.
These products are no longer available on Neutrogena or Aveeno websites. However, the products were distributed nationwide.
“Benzene can be absorbed, to varying degrees, by inhalation, through the skin, and orally,” said Johnson & Johnson in a statement. “Based on exposure modeling and the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) framework, daily exposure to benzene in these aerosol sunscreen products at the levels detected in our testing would not be expected to cause adverse health consequences.”
“Out of an abundance of caution, we are recalling all lots of these specific aerosol sunscreen products. 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. We are investigating the cause of this issue, which is limited to certain aerosol sunscreen products,” the company stated.
Consumers may contact the JJCI Consumer Care Center 24/7 with questions or to request a refund by calling 1-800-458-1673.