On May 25th 2021, the Valisure Lab LLC. tested many sunscreen products from various manufacturers and found them to be contaminated with a toxic carcinogen, Benzene. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) defines benzene as a carcinogen and lists “inhalation, skin absorption, ingestion, skin and/or eye contact” as exposure routes. The FDA recognizes Benzene as a class 1 solvent which “should not be employed in the manufacture of drug substances, excipients, and drug products because of their unacceptable toxicity or their deleterious environmental effect.” – FDA Guidance for Industry
Valisure mentions that Benzene is a dangerous solvent and should not be contained in any cosmetic product, but if it is present, it may have been introduced during the manufacturing process. In some cases, Valisure found inconsistent rates of contamination across different batches of the same product.
Valisure analyzed 294 unique batches from 69 different companies. Significant variability from batch to batch was observed, even within a single company…Benzene contamination was detected in sprays, gels, and lotions with both chemical and mineral-based formulations.
Valisure Sunscreen Study
The World Health organization has stated that since Benzene is a known carcinogen, and there is no safe level for exposure (WHO). Long term exposure to Benzene has been correlated to excessive risk of acute myeloid leukemia and an excess risk of myelodysplastic syndromes (Annual Reviews), other forms of Leukemia albeit less directly linked has also been contributed to Benzene exposure.
List of Sunscreen contaminated with Benzene
To read the Valisur LLC full citizen petition with complete list of products which underwent chemical testing, please visit: Valisure Citizen Petition
| Brand Name | Type | Description | SPF | Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient(s) | Benzene Avg ppm | % St Dev |
| Neutrogena | Spray | Ultra Sheer Weightless Sunscreen Spray, SPF 100+ | 100+ | Avobenzone 3%, Homosalate 15%, Octisalate 5%, Octocrylene 10%, Oxybenzone 6% | 6.26 6.77* | 7% |
| Neutrogena | Spray | Ultra Sheer Weightless Sunscreen Spray, SPF 70 | 70 | Avobenzone 3%, Homosalate 15%, Octisalate 5%, Octocrylene 4%, Oxybenzone 6% | 5.96 | 7% |
| Neutrogena | Spray | Ultra Sheer Weightless Sunscreen Spray, SPF 70 | 70 | Avobenzone 3%, Homosalate 15%, Octisalate 5%, Octocrylene 4%, Oxybenzone 6% | 5.76 | 5% |
| Sun Bum | Gel | Cool Down Gel | N/A | N/A (Cosmetic Product) | 5.33 5.49* | 3% |
| Neutrogena | Spray | Ultra Sheer Weightless Sunscreen Spray, SPF 70 | 70 | Avobenzone 3%, Homosalate 15%, Octisalate 5%, Octocrylene 4%, Oxybenzone 6% | 5.30 | 2% |
| Neutrogena | Spray | Beach Defense Oil-Free Body Sunscreen Spray – SPF 100 | 100 | Avobenzone 3%, Homosalate 15%, Octisalate 5%, Octocrylene 10%, Oxybenzone 6% | 5.20 5.59* | 5% |
| CVS Health | Spray | After-sun Aloe Vera Soothing Spray | N/A | N/A (Cosmetic Product) | 4.71 4.55* | 1% |
| Neutrogena | Spray | Invisible Daily Defense Body Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 60+ | 60+ | Avobenzone 3%, Homosalate 10%, Octisalate 5%, Octocrylene 10% | 4.65 5.27* | 4% |
| Neutrogena | Spray | Ultra Sheer Weightless Sunscreen Spray, SPF 100+ | 100+ | Avobenzone 3%, Homosalate 15%, Octisalate 5%, Octocrylene 10%, Oxybenzone 6% | 4.11 6.00** | 15% |
| Neutrogena | Spray | Beach Defense Oil-Free Body Sunscreen Spray – SPF 100 | 100 | Avobenzone 3%, Homosalate 15%, Octisalate 5%, Octocrylene 10%, Oxybenzone 6% | 4.01 4.00* | 4% |
| CVS Health | Spray | After-sun Aloe Vera Soothing Spray | N/A | N/A (Cosmetic Product) | 3.58 3.93* | 4% |
| Neutrogena | Spray | Beach Defense Spray Body Sunscreen SPF 50 | 50 | Avobenzone 3%, Homosalate 10%, Octisalate 5%, Octocrylene 10% | 3.52 3.71* | 3% |
| Neutrogena | Spray | Beach Defense Oil-Free Body Sunscreen Spray – SPF 100 | 100 | Avobenzone 3%, Homosalate 15%, Octisalate 5%, Octocrylene 10%, Oxybenzone 6% | 3.08 2.64* | 2% |
| Fruit of the Earth | Gel | Aloe Vera Gel | N/A | N/A (Cosmetic Product) | 2.78 2.94* | 6% |
| Brand Name | Type | Description | SPF | Active Pharmacutical Ingredient(s) | Benzene Avg ppm | % St Dev |
| Neutrogena | Spray | Invisible Daily Defense Body Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 60+ | 60+ | Avobenzone 3%, Homosalate 10%, Octisalate 5%, Octocrylene 10% | 1.99 1.66* | 8% |
| Neutrogena | Spray | Ultra Sheer Weightless Sunscreen Spray, SPF 100+ | 100+ | Avobenzone 3%, Homosalate 15%, Octisalate 5%, Octocrylene 10%, Oxybenzone 6% | 1.44 1.06* | 6% |
| Raw Elements | Lotion | Eco Formula Sunscreen Lotion SPF 30 | 30 | Zinc Oxide 23% | 1.35 1.31* | 9% |
| CVS Health | Spray | After-sun Aloe Vera Soothing Spray | N/A | N/A (Cosmetic Product) | 0.90 1.04* | 3% |
| Neutrogena | Spray | Ultra Sheer Weightless Sunscreen Spray, SPF 70 | 70 | Avobenzone 3%, Homosalate 15%, Octisalate 5%, Octocrylene 4%, Oxybenzone 6% | 0.87 | 9% |
| CVS Health | Gel | After-sun Aloe Vera Moisturizing Gel | N/A | N/A (Cosmetic Product) | 0.81 0.98* | 2% |
| Neutrogena | Spray | Ultra Sheer Weightless Sunscreen Spray, SPF 100+ | 100+ | Avobenzone 3%, Homosalate 15%, Octisalate 5%, Octocrylene 10%, Oxybenzone 6% | 0.77 | 4% |
| SunBurnt | Gel | Advanced After-Sun Gel | N/A | N/A (Cosmetic Product) | 0.75 0.87* | 2% |
| Neutrogena | Spray | Ultra Sheer Weightless Sunscreen Spray, SPF 100+ | 100+ | Avobenzone 3%, Homosalate 15%, Octisalate 5%, Octocrylene 10%, Oxybenzone 6% | 0.73 | 9% |
| Goodsense | Lotion | Sunscreen Lotion SPF 30 | 30 | Avobenzone 3%, Homosalate 10%, Octisalate 5%, Octocrylene 10% | 0.71 | 4% |
| Neutrogena | Spray | CoolDry Sport Water-Resistant Sunscreen Spray SPF 70 | 70 | Avobenzone 3%, Homosalate 15%, Octisalate 5%, Octocrylene 4%, Oxybenzone 6% | 0.66 | 5% |
| Neutrogena | Spray | Ultra Sheer Body Mist Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Spray | 30 | Avobenzone 3%, Homosalate 8%, Octisalate 5%, Octocrylene 8% | 0.49 | 18% |
| Banana Boat | Spray | Kids Max Protect & Play Sunscreen C- Spray SPF 100 | 100 | Avobenzone 3%, Homosalate 10%, Octisalate 5%, Octocrylene 10%, Oxybenzone 6% | 0.41 0.43* | 7% |
| Neutrogena | Spray | Beach Defense Oil-Free Body Sunscreen Spray – SPF 100 | 100 | Avobenzone 3%, Homosalate 15%, Octisalate 5%, Octocrylene 10%, Oxybenzone 6% | 0.41 | 8% |
| Neutrogena | Spray | Ultra Sheer Weightless Sunscreen Spray, SPF 100+ | 100+ | Avobenzone 3%, Homosalate 15%, Octisalate 5%, Octocrylene 10%, Oxybenzone 6% | 0.37 0.38* | 2% |
| Banana Boat | Spray | UltraMist Deep Tanning Dry Oil Continuous Clear Spray SPF 4 | 4 | Homosalate 3.0%, Octocrylene 1.0% | 0.36 | 18% |
| Banana Boat | Spray | Kids Max Protect & Play Sunscreen C- Spray SPF 100 | 100 | Avobenzone 3%, Homosalate 10%, Octisalate 5%, Octocrylene 10%, Oxybenzone 6% | 0.19 | 11% |
| Neutrogena | Spray | Ultra Sheer Weightless Sunscreen Spray, SPF 70 | 70 | Avobenzone 3%, Homosalate 15%, Octisalate 5%, Octocrylene 4%, Oxybenzone 6% | 0.18 | 10% |
| Neutrogena | Spray | Ultra Sheer Body Mist Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 45 | 45 | Avobenzone 3%, Homosalate 15%, Octisalate 5%, Octocrylene 2.35%, Oxybenzone 6% | 0.15 | 12% |
| Banana Boat | Spray | Ultra Sport Clear Sunscreen Spray SPF 100 | 100 | Avobenzone 3.0%, Homosalate 10.0%, Octisalate 5.0%, Octocrylene 10.0%, Oxybenzone 6.0% | 0.15 | 4% |
| Neutrogena | Lotion | Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Water Resistant Sunscreen SPF 70 | 70 | Avobenzone 3.0%, Homosalate 15.0%, Octisalate 5.0%, Octocrylene 2.8%, Oxybenzone 6.0% | 0.13 | 73% |
| Neutrogena | Spray | CoolDry Sport Water-Resistant Sunscreen Spray SPF 50 | 50 | Avobenzone 2.7%, Homosalate 9%, Octisalate 4.5%, Octocrylene 6%, Oxybenzone 4.5% | 0.13 | 4% |
| TopCare Everyday | Lotion | Ultimate Sheer Sunscreen Lotion SPF 70 | 70 | Avobenzone 3%, Homosalate 10%, Octisalate 3%, Octocrylene 7%, Oxybenzone 6% | 0.12 0.16* | 6% |
| EltaMD | Spray | UV Aero Broad-Spectrum Full-Body Sunscreen Spray, SPF 45 | 45 | Zinc Oxide 9.3%, Octinoxate 7.5% | 0.11 0.17* | 18% |
| EltaMD | Spray | UV Aero Broad-Spectrum Full-Body Sunscreen Spray, SPF 45 | 45 | Zinc Oxide 9.3%, Octinoxate 7.5% | 0.11 | 9% |
| Banana Boat | Spray | Kids Max Protect & Play Sunscreen C- Spray SPF 100 | 100 | Avobenzone 3%, Homosalate 10%, Octisalate 5%, Octocrylene 10%, Oxybenzone 6% | 0.11 | 19% |
| Brand Name | Type | Description | SPF | Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient(s) | Benzene Avg ppm | % St Dev |
| Live Better by CVS Health | Spray | Body Mineral Spray Sunscreen SPF 50 | 50 | Titanium Dioxide 3.5%, Zinc Oxide 7.25% | < 0.1 | 5% |
| CVS Health | Lotion | Ultra Sheer Broad Spectrum Sunscreen Lotion SPF 100 (050428415528) | 100 | Avobenzone 3%, Homosalate 15%, Octisalate 5%, Octocrylene 10%, Oxybenzone 6% | < 0.1 | 1% |
| Ethical Zinc | Lotion | Natural Clear Zinc Sunscreen SPF 50+ | 50+ | Zinc Oxide 22.0% | < 0.1 | 25% |
| Banana Boat | Spray | Protective Dry Oil Clear Sunscreen Spray with Coconut Oil SPF 15 | 15 | Avobenzone 1.5%, Homosalate 5.0%, Octocrylene 3.5% | < 0.1 | 11% |
| Babyganics | Spray | Kid’s Sunscreen Continuous Spray – SPF 50 | 50+ | Octisalate 5%, Zinc Oxide 15% | < 0.1 | 24% |
| Walgreens | Lotion | Sport Lotion Sunscreen SPF 50 | 50 | Avobenzone 3%, Homosalate 10%, Octisalate 4.5%, Octocrylene 8% | < 0.1 | 12% |
| Banana Boat | Spray | Ultra Defense Ultra Mist Clear Sunscreen Spray SPF 100 | 100 | Avobenzone 3%, Homosalate 10%, Octisalate 5%, Octocrylene 10%, Oxybenzone 6% | < 0.1 | 11% |
| CVS Health | Lotion | Ultra Sheer Lotion Broad Spectrum Sunscreen SPF 45 | 45 | Avobenzone 3.0%, Homosalate 10.0%, Octisalate 5.0%, Octocrylene 2.8% | < 0.1 | 3% |
| Raw Elements | Lotion | Eco Formula Sunscreen Lotion Tin SPF 30 | 30 | Zinc Oxide 23% | < 0.1 | 11% |
| Coppertone | Spray | Whipped Sunscreen Lotion Spray SPF 50 | 50 | Avobenzone 3%, Homosalate 9%, Octisalate 4.5%, Octocrylene 9% | < 0.1 | 10% |
| CVS Health | Lotion | Ultra Sheer Broad Spectrum Sunscreen Lotion SPF 100 (050428415528) | 100 | Avobenzone 3%, Homosalate 15%, Octisalate 5%, Octocrylene 10%, Oxybenzone 6% | < 0.1 | 7% |
| CVS Health | Lotion | 70 Beach Guard Sun Sunscreen SPF 70 | 70 | Avobenzone 3%, Homosalate 10%, Octisalate 5%, Octocrylene 4.5%, Oxybenzone 4% | < 0.1 | 70% |
| Max Block | Lotion | Sunscreen Lotion 4 Fl Oz Broad Spectrum Water Resistant SPF 30 | 30 | Avobenzone 3%, Homosalate 7.5%, Octisalate 5%, Octocrylene 5% | < 0.1 | 70% |
| Walgreens | Lotion | Broad Spectrum Sport SPF 50 Sunscreen | 50 | Avobenzone 3%, Homosalate 10%, Octisalate 4.5%, Octocrylene 8% | < 0.1 | 10% |
| CVS Health | Lotion | Ultra Sheer Broad Spectrum Sunscreen Lotion SPF 100 (050428415528) | 100 | Avobenzone 3.0%, Homosalate 15.0%, Octisalate 5.0%, Octocrylene 10.0%, Oxybenzone 6.0% | < 0.1 | 4% |
| TopCare Everyday | Lotion | Sport Sunscreen Lotion SPF 70 | 70 | Avobenzone 3%, Homosalate 10%, Octisalate 3%, Octocrylene 7%, Oxybenzone 6% | < 0.1 | 27% |
| Max Block | Lotion | Sport Sunscreen Lotion Water Resistance Blue 30 SPF | 30 | Avobenzone 3%, Homosalate 7.5%, Octisalate 5%, Octocrylene 5% | < 0.1 | 7% |
| Walgreens | Lotion | Sunscreen Sport SPF 50 | 50 | Avobenzone 3%, Homosalate 10%, Octisalate 4.5%, Octocrylene 8% | < 0.1 | 10% |
| Max Block | Lotion | Sunscreen Lotion 4 Fl Oz Broad Spectrum Water Resistant SPF 30 | 30 | Avobenzone 3%, Homosalate 7.5%, Octisalate 5%, Octocrylene 5% | < 0.1 | 51% |
| Max Block | Lotion | Sunscreen Lotion 4 Fl Oz Broad Spectrum Water Resistant SPF 30 | 30 | Avobenzone 3%, Homosalate 7.5%, Octisalate 5%, Octocrylene 5% | < 0.1 | 7% |
| Banana Boat | Spray | Kids Sport Sunscreen Lotion Spray SPF 50 | 50 | Avobenzone 3%, Homosalate 10%, Octisalate 5%, Octocrylene 6% | < 0.1 | 19% |
| TopCare Everyday | Lotion | Ultimate Sheer Sun Lotion Sunscreen SPF 55 | 55 | Avobenzone 3%, Homosalate 10%, Octisalate 5%, Octocrylene 7% | < 0.1 | 9% |
| Solimo | Lotion | Sheer Face Sunscreen Lotion SPF 55 (842379152474 UPC Description) | 55 | Avobenzone 3%, Homosalate 12%, Octisalate 5%, Octocrylene 10% | < 0.1 | 6% |
| Max Block | Lotion | Sport Sunscreen Lotion Water Resistance Blue 30 SPF | 30 | Avobenzone 3%, Homosalate 7.5%, Octisalate 5%, Octocrylene 5% | < 0.1 | 39% |
| Walgreens | Lotion | Sunscreen Sport SPF 50 | 50 | Avobenzone 3%, Homosalate 10%, Octisalate 4.5%, Octocrylene 8% | < 0.1 | 10% |
| Neutrogena | Lotion | Sheer Zinc Dry-Touch Face Sunscreen SPF 50 | 50 | Zinc Oxide 21.6% | < 0.1 | 8% |
| CVS Health | Spray | Sport Clear Spray Sunscreen SPF 100+ | 100+ | Avobenzone 3%, Homosalate 15%, Octinoxate 2%, Octisalate 5%, Octocrylene 10%, Oxybenzone 6% | < 0.1 | 39% |
| La Roche- Posay | Spray | Anthelios Sunscreen Lotion Spray SPF 60 | 60 | Avobenzone 2.68%, Homosalate 9.60%, Octisalate 2.88%, Octocrylene 5.38%, Oxybenzone 3.46% | < 0.1 | 79% |
| Banana Boat | Spray | Simply Protect Kids Sunscreen Spray SPF 50+ | 50 | Avobenzone 3%, Homosalate 9%, Octisalate 4.5%, Octocrylene 6% | < 0.1 | 7% |
| Equate | Lotion | Kids Broad Spectrum Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 50 | 50 | Titanium Dioxide 3.1%, Zinc Oxide 4.0% | < 0.1 | 13% |
| CVS Health | Spray | Sheer Mist Spray Broad Spectrum Uva/Uvb Cont. Spray Sunscreen SPF 70 | 70 | Avobenzone 3%, Homosalate 15%, Octisalate 5%, Octocrylene 4%, Oxybenzone 6% | < 0.1 | 15% |
| Max Block | Lotion | Sport Sunscreen Lotion Water Resistance Blue 30 SPF | 30 | Avobenzone 3%, Homosalate 7.5%, Octisalate 5%, Octocrylene 5% | < 0.1 | 5% |
| Neutrogena | Spray | Ultra Sheer Weightless Sunscreen Spray, SPF 70 | 70 | Avobenzone 3%, Homosalate 15%, Octisalate 5%, Octocrylene 4%, Oxybenzone 6% | < 0.1 | 9% |
| Sun Bum | Lotion | Oxy Free Zinc Oxide Sunscreen Lotion – SPF 50 | 50 | Homosalate 10%, Octisalate 5%, Octocrylene 10%, Zinc Oxide 7% | < 0.1 | 24% |
| Aveeno | Lotion | Baby Continuous Protection Sensitive Skin Sunscreen Lotion Broad Spectrum SPF 50 | 50 | Zinc Oxide 21.6% | < 0.1 | 58% |
| Sun Bum | Spray | After Sun Cool Down Aloe Vera Spray | N/A | N/A (Cosmetic Product) | < 0.1 | 6% |
| Walgreens | Gel | After Sun Gel | N/A | N/A (Cosmetic Product) | < 0.1 | 2% |
| Up & Up | Gel | Clear Aloe Vera Gel | N/A | N/A (Cosmetic Product) | < 0.1 | 16% |