Contaminated Sunscreen Lawyers

Your Sunscreen May Put You At Risk For Cancer

Sunscreen is crucial for protecting your skin from harmful radiation. Now several name brands have issued recalls after their sunscreens were revealed to contain benzene, a type of cancer-causing chemical. Exposure to benzene can cause leukemia and other blood disorders.

An independent lab tested nearly 300 samples of sunscreen and after sun products. 78 samples tested positive for benzene. Johnson & Johnson and CVS voluntarily stopped sales of contaminated products.

However, because the contamination originated in the batches of sunscreen instead of specific brands, there could still be sun care products in stores that contain high levels of benzene and are dangerous for consumers.

Melanoma is one of the most common forms of cancer in the United States, and the best way to protect yourself is to wear sunscreen. But if manufacturers do not take steps to protect consumers from contaminated sunscreen, their selfishness could cost lives.

If you have been diagnosed with cancer after being exposed to contaminated sunscreen, please do not hesitate. Call Hensley Legal Group today, or click the contact buttons below for a free no-obligation consultation about your sunscreen recall lawsuit.

Which Sunscreen Products Have Been Recalled?

Johnson & Johnson, parent company of Neutrogena and Aveeno, recalled these products “out of an abundance of caution”:

• Neutrogena® Beach Defense® aerosol
• Neutrogena® Cool Dry Sport aerosol
• Neutrogena® Invisible Daily™ defense aerosol
• Neutrogena® Ultra Sheer® aerosol
• Aveeno® Protect + Refresh aerosol

In their statement, Johnson & Johnson told consumers to discard these specific products and halt use immediately. Specific lots of those sunscreens can be found here.

CVS has also stopped selling CVS Health After Sun Aloe Vera and CVS Health After Sun Aloe Vera Spray, which both tested positive for benzene. Another CVS product that tested positive for benzene, After-sun Aloe Vera Moisturizing Gel, remains on the shelf.

These Contaminated Products Were Not Recalled

Despite health warnings, some brands have refused to recall their contaminated sunscreen.

Three Banana Boat products – Kids Max Protect & Play Sunscreen C-Spray SPF 100, UltraMist Deep Tanning Dry Oil Continuous Clear Spray SPF 4 and Ultra Sport Clear Sunscreen Spray SPF 100 – had contaminated samples but were not recalled.

Samples from these products also tested positive for benzene:

• Eco Formula Sunscreen Lotion SPF 30
• Advanced After-Sun Gel by Sun Burst
• Sunscreen Lotion SPF 30 by SunBurnt
• Sunscreen Lotion SPF 30 by Goodsense
• Ultimate Sheer Sunscreen Lotion SPF 70 by TopCare Everyday
• UV Aero Broad-Spectrum Full-Body Sunscreen Spray, SPF 45 by EltaMD

Why is Benzene in Sunscreen?

Let’s be clear: benzene is not supposed to be in your sunscreen.

Benzene is a chemical that naturally occurs in emissions from forest fires and volcanoes, but is most commonly found in gasoline emissions and cigarette smoke. It has many uses in the manufacturing industry and is extremely toxic. It can cause several types of cancer if exposed to the bloodstream, whether through inhalation, ingestion, or absorption through the skin.

The FDA does allow products to contain a certain level of benzenes in certain cases as long as they do not go over two parts per million (ppm).

But benzene is not an ingredient for sunscreen. And the FDA has determined that it should not be used in standard pharmaceutical production at all because of its toxicity to humans. Officials aren’t sure how the batches of sunscreen were contaminated at this time.

Some of the samples contained over three times the FDA limit, and yet not every brand that tested positive for benzene has pulled their products from the shelves. Brands are not doing their part to keep buyers safe from defective sunscreen.

If you have been diagnosed with cancer after using a sunscreen that has been contaminated with benzene, please call us as soon as possible.

Is My Sunscreen Contaminated?

Unfortunately there is no easy way to tell if your sunscreen has been contaminated with benzene. We still don’t know why the batch was contaminated, and the FDA does not require sunscreen to be tested for benzene.

Unless your sunscreen is recalled by the manufacturer, you may have no idea that you are being exposed to a known cancer-causing chemical.

Manufacturers should be held responsible when their products hurt people. If you have been diagnosed with cancer after using contaminated sunscreen, a defective product lawsuit can help you seek compensation for your damages including medical costs, lost wages, and reduced quality of life.

The sooner you contact an attorney, the better. A qualified defective product lawyer can ensure all documentation is submitted on time, and can get your sunscreen tested so it can be linked to your cancer diagnosis.

Getting started with your claim is completely free. Please call or contact Hensley Legal Group today to get started on your claim.