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CVS, Rite Aid and Walgreens have suspended the sale of certain Neutrogena and Aveeno brand sunscreens after Johnson & Johnson announced that it will recall the products for containing benzene , a chemical that could be carcinogenic in large quantities.
Pharmacy chains are recalling five Johnson & Johnson sunscreens after a lab study found the sunscreens contained low levels of benzene . According to a warning from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), this chemical “could cause cancer depending on the level and degree of exposure.”
CVS has also stopped the sale of CVS Health After Sun Aloe Vera and CVS Health After Sun Aloe Vera Spray and is working with its supplier “to take appropriate additional action,” a CVS spokesperson said in a statement.
CVS said it is committed to “ensuring that the products we offer are safe, perform as intended, comply with regulations and satisfy customers,” the statement continues.
For its part, Rite Aid confirmed that the chain is in the process of “removing the affected products from its shelves.” Walgreens is also doing the same, according to a company spokesperson.
What are the affected products?
The products being recalled are packaged in aerosol cans and are the Spray sunscreen Aveeno Protect + Refresh, and four versions of Neutrogena sunscreen: Beach Defense Aerosol, CoolDry Sport Aerosol, Invisible Daily Defense and UltraSheer Aerosol .
So far the Johnson & Johnson company is investigating how the chemical reached the products that shipped nationwide and is working to recall all batches of the five products on the store shelves.
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