Recently, I came across information regarding a carcinogenic contaminant found in sunscreen products. If skin cancer from sun rays wasn’t enough, now we have to worry about blood cancers too.  The carcinogenic contaminant found is called benzene. It is not an “ingredient” added into sunscreen and aftercare sprays, rather, it is a byproduct of the manufacturing process. While the exact source of benzene remains under investigation, its negative health effects are well known. Benzene damages DNA and chromosomes in blood cells causing leukemia and multiple myeloma. 

This situation is particularly alarming because it is backed by vast, highly specific evidence. Valisure, an independent quality-assurance lab, tested 292 batches and found benzene in 78. Moreover, 14 samples contained benzene at over 2 parts per million (PPM). For context, OSHA caps the exposure limit at no more than 0.1 PPM over an 8 hour period.  

Find Out if this Carcinogenic Contaminant is Found in Your Sunscreen

Take a look at pages 12 and 13 of this document which lists the products containing the most benzene. Compare this list to what you have at home for the recall or the recycling bin.

A previous post of mine describes dangerous sunscreen “ingredients” that should be avoided, however, they do not pose the same risk as the byproduct benzene. This post is intended to get the word out, however, my next one will give you more insight into this issue. In the meantime, if you need a sunscreen that doesn’t contain harmful ingredients or this carcinogenic contaminant, check out the list I have on my Amazon shop.

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Photos by Photo by Coco Tafoya and Girl with red hat on Unsplash