This includes testing of raw materials and finished product batches ( 21 CFR 211.165) prior to release to ensure they meet appropriate specifications for identity, strength, quality, and purity. This contamination may be related to inactive ingredients such as carbomers (thickening agents), isobutane (a spray propellant), or other drug components made from hydrocarbons.įDA reminds drug manufacturers they are required to establish scientifically sound and appropriate specifications and test procedures to assure drug components (active and inactive ingredients) and finished drug products conform to appropriate quality specifications (21 CFR 211.84, 21 CFR 211.160). Certain hand sanitizers and aerosol drug products have been recalled due to benzene contamination. Benzene is a known human carcinogen that causes leukemia and other blood disorders. To learn more or schedule a consultation, call (337)456-3282 or contact our practice online.FDA is evaluating the root cause of benzene contamination in certain drugs and alerting drug manufacturers to the risk of benzene contamination from drug components and other potential risk factors. Kevin Duplechain offers a full range of cosmetic procedures, including injectables and non-surgical aesthetician treatments. We also recommend consulting with your medical aesthetician or dermatologist to identify products from trusted skincare lines that will be well-suited to your skin’s overall needs.Ībout Dr. Replace contaminated sunscreen with products that you can trust, referencing Valisure’s “safe” list for products with no detectable benzene.Follow your local guidelines to dispose of these cans safely. all recalled Johnson and Johnson products) are considered to be hazardous waste if the sunscreen has not been completely used up. Lotion or gel sunscreens and after-sun products can be emptied and the containers recycled (if applicable), but aerosol containers (i.e. If your products may be contaminated, safely dispose of them.Check to see if your sunscreen is one of the products recalled by Johnson and Johnson for possible benzene contamination.Check to see if your sunscreen(s) were either on the Valisure list of products contaminated with benzene or the list of sunscreens with no detectable benzene.What should I do about benzene contamination in sunscreen?Ĭheck your sunscreen containers against the Valisure and Johnson and Johnson lists in order to be sure you are using a daily sunscreen that is not thought to contain benzene: Still, they recalled these products as a precaution because benzene is known to be dangerous, and benzene was not intended to be part of these products. The company notes that, at the levels detected, humans would likely suffer no harm even with daily use. In July, Johnson and Johnson voluntarily recalled a number of its aerosol spray sunscreens, including all Neutrogena® Ultra Sheer® aerosol products, citing very low levels of benzene detected in some of the products. Why did Johnson and Johnson recall some of its sunscreens? For example, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) limits the amount of benzene that gasoline can contain and, separately, the allowed amount in drinking water. Multiple organizations regulate benzene contamination levels in mass-produced chemicals. Any benzene found in sunscreen is most likely due to contamination that occurred during the manufacturing process.īenzene has been linked to blood cancers, and in large quantities, it is unsafe for human exposure still, humans are regularly exposed to trace amounts of benzene in products like gasoline, cigarette smoke, and even glue. What is benzene contamination in sunscreen? How dangerous is benzene?īenzene is not an ingredient in sunscreen, but rather a chemical that is used in the manufacturing process for products like pharmaceutical drugs and synthetic materials. Thankfully, the list of benzene-contaminated sunscreens is published online, as well as a much longer list of sunscreens that were found to contain no detectable benzene at all. But a May 2021 statement from Valisure, an independent lab, warned the public that cancer-causing benzene was detected in 78 of 294 drug-store sunscreens it tested, leading many of us to ask, how can I be sure that my daily sunscreen is safe?Īn independent lab detected benzene, a known carcinogen, in dozens of popular drug-store sunscreens. You’ve likely heard that you need to be wearing sunscreen every day, both to keep your skin looking young and to protect you from ultraviolet (UV) radiation that can lead to skin cancer.
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