Valisure, an online pharmacy known for testing every batch of medication they sell, announced this week that they petitioned the FDA to recall 40 batches of sunscreens and after-sun products tested for high levels of the chemical benzene.

This ingredient is getting a lot of news coverage currently. The company tested 294 batches from 69 companies and found benzene in 27%. Many in major national brands like Neutrogena and Banana Boat. Some batches contained as much as three times the emergency FDA limit of 2 parts per million (ppm).

Long-term exposure to benzene is known to cause cancer in humans.

“This is important with sunscreen because multiple FDA studies have shown that sunscreen ingredients absorb through the skin and end up in the blood at high levels,” says David Light, CEO of Valisure.

The FDA is seeking more information about the potential risks from common sunscreen ingredients.

“There is not a safe level of benzene that can exist in sunscreen products,” Christopher Bunick, MD, PhD, associate professor of dermatology at Yale University said in Valisure’s FDA petition. “The total mass of sunscreen required to cover and protect the human body, in a single daily application or repeated applications daily, means that even benzene at 0.1 ppm in a sunscreen could expose people to excessively high nanogram amounts of benezene.”

Valisure’s testing previously led to FDA recalls of heartburn medications and hand sanitizers.

Examining Sunscreen’s Environmental Impact

Chemicals in sunscreen may be harmful to other forms of life also. For years, scientists have been examining whether certain chemicals in sunscreen could be causing damage to marine life, in particular the world’s coral reefs. Specific ingredients, including oxybenzone, benzophenone-1, benzophenone-8, OD-PABA, 4-methylbenzylidene camphor, 3-benzylidene camphor, nano-titanium dioxide, nano-zinc oxide, octinoxate, and octocrylene, have been identified as potential risks.

Sun Protection Is Still Necessary

If you are concerned about using sunscreen, it isn’t the only way to stay safe. But a recent survey suggest that many of us don’t do enough of to protect ourselves from skin cancer. The American Academy of Dermatology surveyed 1,000 people and found that one-third of them didn’t know about basic steps, even ones as simple as seeking shade, that can reduce the risk.

The younger the respondent, the less likely they were to understand the connection between sun exposure and skin cancer. More than half of those in Generation Z, born after 1996, and millennials, born between 1981 and 1996, believe that a base tan will prevent sunburns. And 71% of Gen Z respondents believe a base tan will protect them from skin cancer, when in fact the majority of melanoma can be attributed to sun exposure.

The survey did find that people know they need to protect themselves from the sun – 97% they feel it’s important. And 85% understand that too much sun can damage their skin, with 66% saying they wish they’d wish they’d done more to protect their skin when they were younger. But awareness plummets when it comes to the link between sun exposure and skin cancer. Among Gen Z respondents, 42% didn’t understand the connection. Millennials were only slightly better, with 37% unaware. Just five blishering sunburns between the ages of 15 and 20 increases melanoma risk by 80%.

“Think about the pushback against vaccines. Why haven’t people gotten that message?” says Larisa Geskin, MD, director of the Comprehensive Skin Cancer Center at Columbia University Medical Center. “They believe what they want to believe. People enjoy being in the sun, and if they’re not in imminent danger, they tend to neglect the danger.”

How to Stay Sun-Safe

Shade: The sun’s rays are strongest between 10a.m. and 2 p.m., so you’d be wise to stay out of the sun completely during those hours. If you must be outside, shade offers some protection. At the beach, be aware that while an umbrella casts a shade, the sun’s UV rays are still bouncing off the sand all around you. Shade along won’t shield you.

Sun-protective clothing: Wear a broad-brimmed hat and sunglasses, ideally with UV protection, and a lightweight, long-sleeved shirt and pants. The more of your skin you can cover the less sunscreen you will need to use. “Look for clothing that has a UPF (ultraviolet protection factor),: says Seemal R. Desal, MD, a dermatologist in Plano, TX. “You can find very nicely designed long sleeve shirts,  hats, pants, cool-looking fitness gear, all kinds of outdoor gear that can protect you.”

Sunscreen: Yes, there are concerns. But that doesn’t mean you should skip this important layer of protection. “Given the recognized public health benefits of sunscreen use, the FDA strongly advises all Americans to continue measures (such as protective measures (such as protective clothing) as this important rulemaking effects moves forward,” says the FDA’s discussion of sunscreen absorption.

USE A MINERAL SUNSCREEN SPF 15 OR HIGHER

An SPF of 15 every day can lower your risk of squamous cell carcinoma by around 40% and melanoma by 50%. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher. Apply it to all sin that clothing doesn’t cover, and reapply every 2 hours or after swimming or sweating.

Mineral based sunscreen contains only Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide. These are the main two ingredients. There will be other ingredients but won’t be cancer causing.