Johnson & Johnson Recalls Neutrogena Aveeno Spray Sunscreens Everyday Health MenuNewslettersSearch Healthy Skin Johnson & Johnson Recalls Neutrogena Aveeno Spray Sunscreens The company reported that benzene, a potential cancer-causing agent, was found in the aerosol products and advised affected consumers to throw them away. By Angela HauptReviewed: July 16, 2021Fact-CheckedNeutrogena Ultra Sheer sunscreens, pictured, are among the products recalled by Johnson & Johnson earlier this week.Matt Slocum/AP PhotoIf you recently stocked up on sunscreen for summer, take a look at your products. Johnson & Johnson announced this week that it’s voluntarily recalling five of its Neutrogena and Aveeno spray sunscreens because the carcinogen benzene was detected in some samples. The recall is “out of an abundance of caution,” the company said in a statement, and daily use of the products “would not be expected to cause adverse health consequences.” Still, consumers should stop using the sunscreen and discard it; Johnson & Johnson is also working to have the products removed from stores. The sunscreens that have been recalled are:Neutrogena Beach DefenseNeutrogena Cool Dry SportNeutrogena Invisible DailyNeutrogena Ultra SheerAveeno Protect + Refresh “I think it was the right thing for them to do,” says Ryan Marino, MD, an emergency physician and medical toxicologist at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center in Ohio. “It's probably more erring on the side of safety than anything, but I fully agree with this recall. If you have the sunscreen, don’t use it.” Dermatologists urge consumers to continue using sunscreens that are not part of the recall, as they help prevent skin cancer and premature signs of aging. RELATED: 6 Steps for Choosing a Safe and Clean Sunscreen What Is Benzene Benzene is a potential cancer-causing chemical that’s found naturally in volcanoes and forest fires, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It’s also part of gasoline, crude oil, and cigarette smoke. Benzene is widely used in the United States, especially to make plastics, resins, rubbers, dyes, and pesticides. “It’s kind of everywhere in our environment, and in the air we breathe,” Dr. Marino says. “If you can minimize your exposure as much as possible, which in this case would be getting rid of those sunscreen products, then that is going to be a net positive.” Benzene is known to cause cancer, as documented in research studies in people and in lab animals. It most often causes leukemia and other blood cancers, according to the American Cancer Society. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Toxicology Program has reported that occupational exposure to benzene — for instance among chemical workers — can increase mortality from leukemia. “If you look at the studies, it was mostly people who had repeat, long-term exposures in workplaces,” says Angela Lamb, MD, an associate professor of dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. She stresses that people who have used the recalled sunscreen products shouldn’t panic: “Just move forward and don’t use it again.” RELATED: How to Prevent Skin Cancer How Did Benzene Get in the Recalled Sunscreen Benzene isn’t an ingredient in sunscreen; Johnson & Johnson is conducting an investigation into how the trace amounts ended up in its products. Dr. Lamb says the fact that the company caught the problem and is addressing it is reassuring. “I think hopefully this will be a fluke, and we should trust the process,” she says. “This shows that there is a process, and companies aren’t just going rogue — there’s oversight.” In May, an independent laboratory called Valisure announced that it had found benzene in 78 sunscreens and after-sun care products. “It is important to note that not all sunscreen products contain benzene and that uncontaminated products are available, should continue to be used, and are important for protecting against potentially harmful solar radiation,” the lab said at the time in a statement. On Thursday, product-safety lawyers filed a federal class-action lawsuit on behalf of consumers who had purchased the benzene-tainted Johnson & Johnson products. "It should not have taken the publication of a third party's tests to bring this critically important information to the public, and J&J's response so far is not enough,” Andy Birchfield, an attorney with the firm that filed the suit, said in a statement. “We will find out how long J&J knew about these concerns and why it took so long to take action.” RELATED: Potentially Toxic Chemicals PFAS Common in Makeup Products, Study Finds How to Choose a Safe Effective Sunscreen Given this news, how can you know you’re buying a safe sunscreen? Lamb suggests checking out resources like the Environmental Working Group, which offers a guide to the best, safest sunscreens. Her other tip is to focus on products that align with your values. For example, if you eat an organic diet, opt for organic sunscreen, or if you eat a vegan diet, choose a vegan product. That said, these labels aren’t necessary for sunscreen efficacy. What is, the American Academy of Dermatology notes, is using a sunscreen that is broad spectrum and at least SPF 30. Because the recalled sunscreens are aerosol sprays, you may want to opt for lotion as a precaution, but there’s no evidence other aerosols carry the same risk as the recalled products. Similarly, you may want to choose a mineral sunscreen over a chemical one (or vice versa). Both are approved by the FDA, but they function differently, the product website CeraVe notes. Specifically, mineral, or physical, sunscreens sit on top of the skin and shield you from the sun’s harmful rays. Products with the active ingredients zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are considered mineral sunscreens. Chemical sunscreens, on the other hand, allow rays to penetrate the skin before they can harm it, the website says. These typically contain active ingredients including avobenzone, oxybenzone, octocrylene, homosalate, octisalate, and octinoxate. Depending on your skin type, you may better tolerate one type over another. A study published in JAMA in January 2020 suggests that ingredients in chemical sunscreens are absorbed in the bloodstream and linger for an extended period, but the FDA notes more studies are needed to understand whether this is a concern. Bottom line: Except for the recalled sunscreens, sunscreen products are safe to use. And doing so will protect you from other health harms, Marino says. “We know that the sun and sun exposure is actually probably the number one carcinogen in the world.” RELATED: What Are the Complications of Skin Cancer? NEWSLETTERS Sign up for our Healthy Skin Newsletter SubscribeBy subscribing you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. 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