Banana Boat Sunscreens Contain Carcinogenic Petrochemical, Class Action Lawsuit Claims

Banana Boat sunscreens contain benzene, a known human carcinogen, but the company doesn’t advise consumers and won’t take it off shelves, a nationwide class action lawsuit alleges.

Plaintiff Maria Zapatero filed the class action lawsuit against the manufacturers of Banana Boat sunscreens Thursday in a Florida court, alleging violation of Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act and unjust enrichment. 

The defendants named in the class action are Energizer Holdings, Inc., Edgewell Personal Care Company, Edgewell Personal Care Brands, LLC, Edgewell Personal Care, LLC, Playtex Products, Inc. and Sun Pharmaceuticals, LLC.

Zapatero says the companies distribute, market and sell several over-the-counter sunscreen products under their brand name Banana Boat, and that several of the sunscreen products have been tested and found to contain benzene, a known human carcinogen. 

“The presence of benzene in Defendants’ Banana Boat sunscreen products was not disclosed in the products’ label, in violation of state and federal law,” the class action lawsuit says. 

In 2020, analytical pharmacy Valisure ran tests on a variety of the Banana Boat sprays and lotions and discovered that certain products contain benzene with values ranging from less than 0.1 parts per million (ppm), 0.10 ppm to 2 ppm, and more than 2 ppm, the claim states.

“For reference, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health recommends protective equipment be worn by workers expecting to be exposed to benzene at concentrations of 0.1 ppm,” the class action lawsuit says.

It says benzene is used primarily as a solvent in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, and that the major United States source of benzene is petroleum. 

On May 24 this year, Valisure filed a citizen petition with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) asking the agency to recall all batches of Banana Boat sunscreen products that contained 0.1 ppm or more of benzene. But so far, Valisure has not heard back from the FDA and Banana Boat products continue to be sold. 

Zapatero is looking to represent all U.S. consumers who purchased any lotion or spray Banana Boat sunscreen from June 17, 2017 to now.

She is seeking certification of the class, an order preventing the company from selling the products and forcing it to do a corrective ad campaign, damages, disgorgement of profits, fees, costs and a jury trial. 

This is not the only sunscreen company Valisure has asked to be censured for containing benzene. It asked the FDA to remove 78 sunscreens from the market after testing revealed they contained benzene. 

The 78 sunscreens tested included popular brands such as Neutrogena, Banana Boat, Babyganics, Aveeno, CVS Health and others.  

What do you think of news that many sunscreens may contain the petrochemical benzene? Let us know in the comments! 

The plaintiff is represented by R. Jason Richards of Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis & Overholtz, PLLC 

The Banana Boat Sunscreen Benzene Class Action Lawsuit is Zapatero et al., v. Energizer Holdings, Inc., et al., Case No. 1:21-cv-22232-XXXX, in the U.S. District Court Southern District of Florida Miami Division.

Read About More Class Action Lawsuits & Class Action Settlements:

• Neutrogena Sunscreen Contains Known Carcinogen, Class Action Lawsuit Alleges
• Do You Qualify: Toxic Makeup Class Action Lawsuit Investigation
• More Than 70 Sunscreens Should Be Recalled Over Cancer-Causing Ingredient, Says Lab