After trusting the benefits of sunscreen for decades, news that several sunscreen brands had benzene, a chemical linked to blood cancers such as leukemia, left many consumers curious as to whether or not sunscreen is the safest way to protect their skin from UV rays.
Christie Clinic dermatologist Will Miller, PA-C, said sunscreen is still the best bet.
“Please don’t let these benzene findings in sunscreen deter you from wearing sunscreen,” he said. “Sunscreen is absolutely crucial to protecting your skin from the dangerous effects of the sun. Sun damage can lead to skin cancers as well as photoaging of the skin.”
A May 2021 report from Valisure in which 294 products from 69 companies were tested showed that 27-percent of samples “contained detectable benzene and some batches contained up to three times the conditionally restricted FDA concentration limit of 2 parts per million (ppm).”
With its findings, Valisure petitioned the FDA to recall or to request recalls of the products that are 0.1 per million and above. Companies like Johnson & Johnson pulled some of their Neutrogena — Beach Defense aerosol sunscreen, Cool Dry Sport aerosol sunscreen, Invisible Daily Defense aerosol sunscreen and Ultra Sheer aerosol sunscreen — and Aveeno Protect + Refresh aerosol sunscreen products from the shelves. CVS also pulled their products that were on Valisure’s petition from their floor.
Miller added that many of those products were aerosol-based.
“Benzene is not a desired or intentional ingredient in sunscreen,” Miller said. “It is believed that it was a contaminant found in the sunscreens as a result of the manufacturing process or created through a chemical reaction. It is most commonly used in plastics, resins, fibers, rubbers, dyes, drugs, and pesticides. It is also found in cigarette smoke.”
Miller said that brands such as Banana Boat, Coppertone and Coola were found to be “safe and have minimal, if any, benzene.”
He also highly recommends EltaMD, which Christie Clinic carries.
“EltaMD’s investigation found no benzene in their products. Of note, we also suggest SPF30 or greater and broad-spectrum sunscreen,” he said.
Natural sunscreens with ingredients like zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, which physically block the sun’s dangerous rays, are also safe, especially for people with certain skin conditions who hope to avoid certain chemicals, Miller said.
“Literature shows the massive benefit of wearing sunscreen and the protective effects that it has on the skin,” Miller added. “Alongside seeking shade and full skin coverage, sunscreen continues to provide great benefit. Avoidance of benzene-containing products is easy enough. Please take my recommendations for products above and always remember to practice safe sun.”
