Sunscreen recall: All the brands affected including Neutrogena and Aveeno

‘Use of these products would not be expected to cause adverse health consequences’

Johnson & Johnson-Sunscreen Recall (Copyright 2021The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Johnson & Johnson has recalled a number of sunscreen products that have been found to contain cancer-causing chemicals.

The company announced this week that five of its products – Aveeno Protect + Refresh aerosol sunscreen, and Neutrogena sunscreens: Beach Defense aerosol; CoolDry Sport aerosol; Invisible Daily Defense aerosol; and UltraSheer aerosol – were being recalled after some samples were found to contain benzene.

The company claimed that it was voluntarily recalling the products and was acting out of an “abundance of caution”, saying in a statement that the “use of these products would not be expected to cause adverse health consequences”.

Benzene is a highly flammable, widely used chemical that’s present throughout the environment. It can cause cancer with repeated exposure at high enough levels. It also can damage the immune system and prevent cells from functioning properly, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The chemical’s effects vary by whether a person accidentally inhales or ingests it or gets it on skin and clothing. Symptoms range from dizziness and irregular heartbeat to convulsions and, at very high levels, death.

The pharma giant is battling some 9,000 lawsuits over its talcum powder, which involve claims the talcum powder has caused ovarian cancer. The corporation denies those allegations, saying rigorous testing and purification processes ensure its talc is clean.

However it was recently ordered to pay $4.7bn (£3.6bn) to 22 women who claim the company’s products caused them to develop the cancer.

The company’s recent statement over the recall added that people should use an alternate sunscreen to protect themselves from the skin cancer melanoma.

The recall includes all can sizes and all levels of sun protection factor, or SPF The products were distributed nationwide through retailers.

The health care giant said the benzene was found after testing by the company and an independent laboratory. It is investigating how the chemical got into the products.

J&J said it’s working to get all lots of the five products removed from store shelves. It urged consumers to stop using the sunscreens immediately and said customers can get a refund by calling J&J’s Consumer Care Center at 1-800-458-1673. More information is available at the websites for Neutrogena and Aveeno.

Additional reporting by Associated Press