Discussion»Statements»Rosie's Corner» DO YOU USE SUNSCREEN? Aveeno has recalled its Aveeno and Neutrogena sunscreens due to traces of benzene found in them. Benzene is bad?
Benzene can do more that just cause cancer. Benzene can be harmful if touched, swallowed or inhaled! Benzene is produced naturally by volcanoes and forest fires, and is also a byproduct of cigarette smoke. Breathing Benzene can cause serious complications including leukemia and nerve damage. The main way people are exposed is by breathing in air containing benzene. Benzene can also be absorbed through the skin during contact with a source such as gasoline. Gasoline fumes also contain Benzene. Benzene poisoning can be lethal because it causes the cells in the body to work incorrectly. Benzene exposure can cause bone marrow cells to not produce red blood cells or it can cause the white blood cells of your immune system to fail.
Thanks, Shuhak ... I never knew that about Benzene.
btw - they took iodine powder/crystals off the shelves in the 60s-70s for a similar reason. People were using it to make homemade sunscreen - and absorbing harmful chemicals through their skin.
When I was working, I had to lock up the bottles of iodine as they were using it to make drugs. I have no clue how, but that's what the police told us during one of their sting operations.
Oh my goodness! And they found TRACES of it in sunscreen? How can that happen? Thank you for your very informative and helpful reply Shuhak. What kind of QC would allow that and how did it get discovered AFTER THE FACT? Think we'll ever know? AARRGGHH! Something else to worry about and distrust. Stuff you apply to your body or ingest should be safe right? :)
Every day we trust manufactures with our lives - the food we eat/drink, the clothes we wear, the lotions/perfumes we apply, the cars we drive, teh appliances and furniture we use (and more). We TRUST that this stuff is safe. Yet the list of recalled product is huge (you can go to "FDA.gov/safety", then click on "learn more" for the current list).
Research from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission indicates that defective or unsafe products cause 29.4 million injuries and 21,400 deaths eachyear! Is yout TV wired incorrectly? Is the lettuce in your meal contaminated with listeria? Will the airbags in your car go off when needed? Is your home really structurally sound? Will your lithium-ion battery suddenly explode? How do you know for sure? And if you're wrong?
HELP! I'M DROWNING here m'dear. Everything you write above is far too true. Is it due to lack of intelligence, caring, ability? We know when the standards are too high they get lowered. Eventually there are none. The FDA is supposed to be our watchdog in the henhouse and keep the wolves away. HAH! What a crock! QC/QA? Maybe they have departments that they refer to as that but when the slackers and laggard and mental midgets run them what do we expect? Ability, intelligence, character used to matter. Now it gets in the way of success. I'm gonna ask. Thank you for your disturbing reply. Not your fault. You calls 'em as ya sees 'em. GOD help us! :(
I work outside so I always wear it plus a sun hat. The sun block I use has no benzene in it and it is the best sun screen you can buy but I think it is worth every penny. I was just thinking that back when I was a teen some people would use cooking oil to help them tan plus they would put a few drops of iodine in it. Cheers!
I think the amount of benzene you'd find in sunscreen very, very small.
However, the Material Safety Data Sheet for benzene alone shows it is toxic, can cause skin damage, the fluid if aspirated would be very dangerous to the lungs; and it may be carcinogenic. An MSDS is written for trade users who might be in regular contact with the raw fluid; and holds the relevent saftey and first-aid advice.
(Source: Petro-Canada, one of its manufacturers.)
So whether the traces in those two sun-cremes would be harmful is another matter, but if you need use the stuff in large quantities I'd ask if the risk of skin-cancer from the sun is higher than that from the contaminated sun-screen.
More likely the manufacturers have withdrawn the products as a precautionary rather than preventative move.
Shuhak 