Johnson & Johnson recalled sunscreens/Photo courtey of The New York Times
On July 14, Johnson & Johnson issued a voluntary recall on several of its sunscreens under the Neutrogena and Aveeno brands. The company’s request that consumers stop using the products is due to the discovery of benzene, a known carcinogen.
The company has an unfortunate run, it seems. Last month, NewsOnxy reported
that Johnson & Johnson was the target of a class-action lawsuit when several women claimed that their OGX hair products caused hair loss and scalp irritation.Earlier this year, with the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, the company’s one-shot variety was found to cause rare and deadly blood clots.
On Monday, the Food & Drug Administration announced that it was adding a warning to the company’s vaccine due to the risk of developing Guillain-Barré, a disease where the body’s immune system attacks the nerves.
Back in 2018, it was reported that Johnson & Johnson knew for decades that their baby powder contained asbestos. They lost several lawsuits to the tune of billions of dollars when thousands of women sued because of cancer caused by using the product.
Now, with the sunscreen recall, the company has yet another blemish to its legacy brand.
But, what is benzene, and why was a known carcinogen used in a product that so many consumers use to protect themselves, ironically, from getting a form of cancer?
“Benzene is a well-known carcinogen. To make TNT (a bomb material), you need a benzene ring. But, it’s in a lot of products,” said Texas-based biochemist Linda Akinkunmi. “The problem is that sometimes in the manufacturing process, all the benzene is not filtered out properly and ends up in products like sunscreen.”
The company has urged consumers to stop using the products and call the customer service hotline for information on requesting a refund.
Fortunately, NewsOnyx readers can find sunscreen brands created for us by us.