What is benzene and why is it constantly causing beauty product recalls?

An extended recall of a Banana Boat spray sunscreen has drawn new attention to the problem of benzene lurking in a range of aerosol beauty products.

The latest recall concerns a batch of Banana Boat Hair & Scalp Sunscreen Spray SPF 30, for a total of four batches of Banana Boat that have been recalled since July due to the presence of benzene. But over the past two years, several major consumer products companies, including Unilever, Procter & Gamble and Johnson & Johnson, have announced recalls of popular aerosol sunscreens, deodorants and dry shampoos.