Some Popular Sunscreens Contain Cancer-Causing Chemical, Study Finds

MIAMI (CBSMiami) - An online pharmacy and lab are asking the FDA to recall some popular sunscreens and after-sun products after tests it conducted showed they contained a known cancer-causing chemical.

Tests by Valisure show dozens of popular sunscreens and after-sun products contain Benzene, a chemical tied to blood cancers.

Benzene is a known carcinogen and was found in 27% of the sprays and lotions tested. That includes products sold by Neutrogena, Banana Boat, and CVS.

"The problem with Benzene, is that it can cause leukemia, anemia, things like this," said CBS chief medical correspondent Jon Lapook.

Lapook, said one of the things the FDA will look into is how the chemical is getting into the products.

"There is no manufacturer that's intentionally adding it to the sunscreen product. Somehow it's in there as a contaminate. It's not clear how it gets in there. Is it one of the ingredients that got contaminated? Is it the process of making the lotion or the after-sun product that creates it? We're not sure," said Lapook.

Johnson and Johnson, the maker of Neutrogena products, told CBS News, "Benzene is not an ingredient in any of our personal care products."

CVS said the products they sell are safe and, "are in the process of reviewing and evaluating information in and related to Valisure's petition, and will respond accordingly."

The maker of Banana Boat said, "Our sun care products undergo rigorous testing to ensure safety and quality and meet all FDA regulations.

Not all the products from those brands were found to contain Benzene.

David Light, the founder and CEO of Valisure, believes the issue is manufacturing contamination affecting specific batches. While the source of the contaminant is unknown and more of the products tested passed than failed, Light urged manufacturers and consumers to take the matter seriously.

"Benzene is one of the most studied and concerning human carcinogens known to science. Its association with forming blood cancers in humans has been shown in numerous studies at trace levels of parts per million and below. The presence of this known human carcinogen in products widely recommended for the prevention of skin cancer and that are regularly used by adults and children is very troubling," Light said in the company's statement.

He is also urging the FDA to better define its standards for contamination, and "address current regulatory gaps regarding benzene in both drug and cosmetic products."

Valisure is encouraging people to send in their own samples of sunscreen and sun care products for evaluation.

The company also made their FDA petition public, which includes a list of the batches with detected benzene levels.  The products can be found on pages 12 to 15.

Valisure stressed to consumers that they should not avoid using sunscreen and should continue to do so.

Click here for list of sunscreen and sun care products tested by Valisure and found not to contain benzene.