Back in July, the FDA announced a Banana Boat sunscreen recall … now it’s even bigger. You’ll want to check your products to see if they’re part of the expanded sunscreen recall.
Although sunscreen is intended to protect people from skin cancer caused by overexposure to the sun, one of Banana Boat’s products has been found to contain a cancer-causing chemical.
We’ll tell you which products are affected by the sunscreen recall and how you can get a refund.
Make sure to bookmark our Product Recalls page to stay on top of all the 2022 recalls and get refunds.
Benzene — a harmful chemical — has been found in some Banana Boat products.
Edgewell, Banana Boat’s parent company, issued the voluntary recall July 29, 2022, after small amounts of a carcinogen called Benzene were found in their aerosol Banana Boat Hair & Scalp SPF 30 line.
According to the American Cancer Society, Benzene causes leukemia and similar blood cancers in both people and lab animals.
Only four batches of Banana Boat Hair & Scalp Sunscreen Spray are included in the recall.
The recall affects four production batches of 6-ounce Banana Boat Hair & Scalp Sunscreen Spray SPF 30 with the following UPC numbers and expiration dates:
- UPC#: 0-79656-04041-8, Lot Code 20016AF, expiration December 2022
- UPC#: 0-79656-04041-8, Lot Code 20084BF, expiration February 2023
- UPC#: 0-79656-04041-8, Lot Code 21139AF, expiration April 2024
- UPC#: 0-79656-04041-8, Lot Code 20301CF, expiration September 2023
The UPC is a 12-digit number located on the product’s bottom and under the barcode. The lot code and expiration date are at the bottom of the product. No other batches of Banana Boat Hair & Scalp Sunscreen Spray or any other Banana Boat products are included in this recall.
There haven’t been any reports of sickness from the recalled sunscreen.
Neither the FDA nor Edgewell have received any reports of illnesses from the sunscreen. Any consumers who want to report an incident with the products are able to fill out the FDA’s online reporting form.
Contact Banana Boat to request a refund.
So you won’t exactly be able to get a Banana Boat refund; the website doesn’t say they’ll give you a cash refund but “replacement coupons.”
Go to the official Banana Boat recall page and use their automated chat to submit a refund request.
In order to have your request considered, you’ll need to submit:
- Your name, address, email address, and phone number
- UPC number
- Lot code
- Purchase receipt
- Pictures of the affected products
You can also call 1-888-686-3988 to make a refund request. After Banana Boat reviews and approves your refund request, you’ll get your coupons mailed in six to eight weeks.
Note: Banana Boat says you won’t be able to get money back from the store where you brought the product.
Other sunscreens have been recalled due to benzene.
Benzene seems to be a recurring problem among sunscreen manufacturers. In May 2021 Johnson & Johnson initiated a voluntary sunscreen recall of 78 lots of Aveeno and Neutrogena sunscreen after testing detected small amounts of benzene.
In September 2021 Coppertone recalled five of their aerosol deodorants for the same reason.
Benzene is a harmful chemical that is widely used in different industries. The unexpected levels of Benzene found in these products came from the propellant that sprays the product out of the can. The government and international health organizations recognize it as a dangerous substance, and it’s important to try and avoid exposure to it as much as possible.
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