Why Brand Company Sunscreens are Being Recalled

11 min readAug 2, 2021

The scorching inferno of summer’s heat is wreaking havoc around parts of the country, while many wildfires burn at a rapid rate. Life is starting to happen again post-Covid finally, and many of us are itching to go out and have fun in the summer sun.

So, of course, those of us that are skincare lovers and have morning and nighttime skincare regimes know that we can’t leave home without our sunscreen to keep our skin from burning, sun damaging, and the most dreaded side effect going in the sun unprotected, premature aging, ugh!!

Before you cover yourself with your favorite sunscreen, you need to find out Why Brand Company Sunscreens are Being Recalled, and make sure to check if your sunscreen or suncare products are part of the recent significant recall plastered all over social media and the news.

How Did All This Start?

Recently, a survey conducted by Valisure, a viral pharmacy, discovered a carcinogen known as benzene in 78 sunscreen and sun care products.

Valisure has asked the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) to issue the recall based on their findings.

Five sunscreens manufactured by Neutrogena and Aveeno have prompted their parent company, Johnson, and Johnson, to recall their tainted sunscreen products. This, in turn, convinced Aveeno and Neutrogena to issue a voluntary recall of some of their products.

According to the National Cancer Institute, exposure to the carcinogen benzene can increase your risks of getting blood disorders and leukemia.

Why Clean Beauty and Skincare Products are So Important

Pure, clean skincare and beauty products are so much safer for you to use, period. When you use these types of products, you do not have to worry about parabens, phthalates, known carcinogens, or other toxins being in your products.

Also, you will not find preservatives in clean and pure beauty and skincare products. Here are more reasons why clean beauty is so important. Clean beauty stops your skin from absorbing unsafe products.

If you are really into clean and pure products, you will recognize the ingredients, or know what to look for that is considered toxic and know not to use these types of products.

Clean and green beauty is gaining a lot of hype because it simply makes sense. Pure, Clean, and Green Beauty is a Universal approach to skincare and beauty, period.

Benzene, What is it?

Let’s understand why these sunscreen and sun care protectors were recalled. Benzene, what is it, what does it do, and why is it harmful? In a nutshell, can be colorless or can be yellow at room temperature, which has a sweet smell to it and can be extremely flammable. This solvent in the chemical and pharmaceutical industry can be artificially made or naturally made. Then what is the big concern and deal about benzene?

There is the fact that benzene is known to cause cancer. Benzene is classified in Group 1 carcinogen types by the World Health Organization. This proves credible evidence and a link to damage to DNA associated with benzene use causing cancers. Also, benzene is classified as a Category 1 solvent by the FDA (The Federal Drug Association. Benzene must not be used in drug products (if it is unavoidable).

What Products Have Been Recalled?

All products, lots, and batches are listed from the four Neutrogena products mentioned below. A voluntary recall was issued by Johnson and Johnson, one Aveeno product on the part of caution. Neutrogena® Beach Defense® aerosol

Johnson and Johnson claim that benzene is not in any of their sunscreen products; however, it was detected in a few samples of Aveeno aerosol.

Neutrogena® Cool Dry Sport aerosol
Neutrogena® Invisible Daily™ defense aerosol
Neutrogena® Ultra Sheer® aerosol
Aveeno® Protect + Refresh aerosol.

Is it Known How the Benzene Got into the Sunscreen?

It is unclear how the harmful and toxic benzene got into the finished sunscreen and sun care products. Some experts believe that contamination must have occurred during the production process of these products.

Is the FDA Doing Anything About This?

Regarding Valisure’s petition, the FDA is assessing the information they were given and will conduct their own investigation and testing processes.

Valisure will continue to track sunscreen production and marketing to ensure that consumers can have safe sunscreens and sun care products.

Are There Any Ways That I Can Tell If I Have Contaminated Sunscreen?

Since the contamination was intermittent and likely happened accidentally, sadly, there is no way for customers to check their sunscreen products or pick a sun care product by looking at the label and know if it is benzene-free.

A consumer can petition to get new regulations and more thorough testing for sun care products for hazardous carcinogens and toxins.

Are There Any Benefits to Having Sun Exposure and Using SPF?

Yes, there are a few great benefits to using SPF. Catching a few rays of the sun can be good for you and your health. Sun exposure serves as a great source of Vitamin D and can increase your energy and may even help you get better quality sleep. Say what? That does not sound correct.

Too much sun exposure, on the other hand, we all know is NOT suitable for us. Therefore, it is essential to include a good quality SPF in your skincare routine and apply it every 2 hours daily, yes, in the winter and even on cloudy days.

Should Everyone Wear Sunscreen?

Wearing sunscreen is crucial for everyone alike, women, men, even children 6+ months. It does not matter if you tan easily; you should still wear sunscreen to avoid sun damage.

Are There Any Tips for Shopping for Sunscreen?

There are so many sunscreens and sun care products on store shelves nowadays that it can be overwhelming to choose. The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends that you select a sunscreen that you are happy with.

Things to consider are how it smells and how it feels on your skin. If you are a #skincarejunkie, then you and I both know that there is a lot more to look for, like, whether it’s vegan, organic, non-toxic, cruelty-free, and made with all-natural ingredients.

One more thing to consider when shopping around for a sunscreen suited for your skincare needs is that you need to pay attention to the fact that there are two types. The two types are chemical and physical sunscreen. Both are proven to be effective and safe to use. However, chemical sunscreens may irritate the skin due to two ingredients, avobenzone, and octisale.

With benzene showing up in sunscreen at the peak of summer, it may leave some of us lost about what to do for sun protection. Some experts are concerned that consumers will stop using sunscreen altogether and take their chances. However, this is a terrible idea. You can increase your chances of getting Melanoma, one of the deadliest skin cancers if you choose to stop using sunscreen out of fear,

Just use common sense when it comes to protecting your skin from the sun’s harmful UV rays. Wear a shirt, bathing suit cover-up, sunglasses, floppy hats, and ultraviolet protecting clothes, all of which help block the sun’s harmful rays, and select your times for being in the sun wisely. The sun’s most intense rays are from 10 a.m.to 4 p.m.

Make Better Ingredient and Sun Care Protection Choices

People are becoming more concerned with using non-toxic products in their households, especially since this sunscreen recall. What can we do to ensure we are making the best skin ingredient choices while keeping our skin protected? Here are some extra tips when it comes to shopping for a safe yet effective SPF.

Read the Label Before Choosing Your Sunscreen
Learn the Pros and Cons of Mineral and Chemical Sunscreens
Know the Difference Between Oxybenzone and Avobenzone
Why Broad-Spectrum Matters When Picking a Sunblock
Check for Your Sunscreen’s Water Resistance

Become Conscious of Clean Beauty and The Things Associated with it.

What Does Clean Mean?

Safe for people and the planet, clean means that a beauty product should have considered human and environmental health, using a non-toxic element as a baseline and plant-based ingredients for active results. Much like eating clean rejects the idea of processed foods and focuses on nourishing, plant-based products that deliver all the vitamins and antioxidants needed for a healthy immune and digestive system, the same is true for clean skincare.

What Does Green Mean?

The word green should mean that the product does not harm the environment. For instance, a reef-safe sunscreen with biodegradable packaging would be labeled green. However, this is a wishy-washy term with no proper definition and is usually used as an umbrella for any product that claims to protect the planet’s resources.

What Does Organic Mean?

Personal care products certified to be at least 95 percent organic will bear an official USDA Organic Seal. However, the certification is expensive, so many smaller brands will independently label organic elements on packaging, despite not carrying an official seal. Products bearing the USDA Organic Seal must also comply with handling and manufacturing specifications, and the use of GMOs is prohibited. To avoid pesticides, the clean beauty industry has begun to use organic, plant-based ingredients in products wherever possible.

What Does Non-Toxic Mean?

Water and oxygen can be toxic in the wrong dose. So when a beauty product is labeled non-toxic, it likely means that the ingredients have not been shown to cause adverse health effects at the levels found inside the formula and for the intended use. This is true of every beauty product currently sold in the United States. In the clean beauty space, non-toxic means that a product shouldn’t include any ingredient that’s been deemed toxic at any dose by a third-party resource like the European Union or Environmental Working Group.

What Does Sustainable Mean?

Sustainable goes hand in hand with green. It means that the ingredients on the inside of the package — including how those ingredients were sourced — and the packaging itself should not be harmful to the planet. When you use any product, the ingredients go down the drain and into the water system.

Many conventional beauty products are made from petroleum jelly and are packaged in plastic; both created from the oil industry. Indeed, sustainable ingredients are those that are ethically sourced and proven to be safe for the environment, with sustainable or no-waste packaging being defined as glass packaging, biodegradable packaging, or post-consumer recycled packaging,

What Does Vegan Mean?

A beauty product is vegan if it doesn’t contain any animal by-products or ingredients sourced from animals. Common non-vegan ingredients found in clean beauty products include beeswax, honey, lanolin, and fat. Many people associate vegan with clean, but this is not the case. A product can be vegan and still contain chemical ingredients of concern.

What Does Cruelty-free Mean?

A beauty product is cruelty-free if it has not been tested on animals anywhere along the manufacturing line or before being sold. It can also mean that any animal-derived ingredients were not extracted at the expense of an animal’s welfare (like natural-fiber makeup brushes). A beauty product can be cruelty-free but not vegan, and vice versa.

Nonie of Beverly Hills Has Best Solution to End Your Sunscreen Hunt!

Looking for an SPF with all-natural ingredients? At Nonie of Beverly Hills, look no more because we got you covered. Our AHA 15 SPF Sunblock Moisturizer is nourishing and not sticky like others in the market. Check out some of it super features:

It’s an all-natural vitamin-enriched sunblock with SPF 15. It includes Vitamins A, B, C & E to help revitalize and moisturize your skin for those hot summer days. Our SPF is freshly handmade weekly with Alpha Hydroxy Acids derived from fresh fruits.
Top-Notch UVB Protection. Our AHA 15 SPF can block 93% of the sun’s UVB rays. This helps reduce the chances of discoloration of your skin since it is properly protected.
A Vegan Approved Sunscreen- The formulation for our SPF is 100% vegan, free of parabens, alcohol, detergent, animal derivatives or by-products, mineral oil, perfume, or petrochemicals. There in only one natural presentative in our AHA 15 SPF, grapefruit seed extract.

Alpha Hydroxy Skincare products absorb beautifully into the skin you can think of as a superfood due to its vitamins and nutrients.

Here at Nonie, all our products are produced from an array of the highest quality all-natural ingredients, juices, plant oils, and plant proteins with ingredients such as:

Coconut Oil, Wheat Germ Oil, Orange & Lemon Oils, Coconut Emulsifier, Orchid Oil, Organic Apple Cider Vinegar and much more. To see our full ingredients list, click here.

Look to Nonie of Beverly Hills for All Your Clean and Natural Skincare Needs

Now we know Why Brand Company Sunscreens are Being Recalled. Simply put, natural skincare products are better for the environment and your skin period. Why? Since natural skincare products forego the use of such ingredients, and so do not necessitate mining. And because they use only natural ingredients, they cause no harm to the surrounding plants and animals.

All our skincare products at Nonie of Beverly Hills consider all these things and delivers nothing but the freshest skincare products that are safe and healthy for your skin and the environment.

Read the Who We Are Section to understand our products better if you are not already familiar with us!

Rest assured that you are only applying nothing but the best ingredients to your skin when you buy from Nonie of Beverly Hills.

Many people believe passionately that natural, organic ingredients are better for the skin, and we can’t agree more.

We sell other skincare products besides sunscreen. From our AHA Cleanser, AHA Tonic, AHA Body Lotion, to our Eye Cream, we got everything your need to have healthy and radiant skin this summer while being protected.

Have a look at our website and see which AHA product(s) will take care of your skin’s unique needs.

By: Merri Wong

A Message From Christine. Nonie’s Licensed Aesthetician

“To the amazing Nonie of Beverly Hills family, friends, and future customers, I’m Christine Jackson, a licensed Aesthetician and on the Nonie of Beverly Hills skincare products team. As everyone has seen on the news in the last few days, the over-the-counter and mass-market sunscreens contain carcinogenic ingredients.

I have been preaching that to my clients for over fifteen years now and science is finally catching up. I want to assure you that we only use plant-based sourced products at Nonie of Beverly Hills. Our Zinc Oxide is found in the earth’s crust as a natural mineral zincite. Titanium dioxide is titanium oxide, a naturally occurring mineral existing in several crystalline forms. Because the particle size is so small, nono-titanium dioxide does not reflect visible light, but does absorb UV light enabling a transparent barrier that protects your skin from harmful UV rays, burn, and aging.

We at Nonie of Beverly Hills will always continue to create and bring the most natural and purest ingredients in all our products, that’s our promise and commitment to you.

Thank you!”