It’s not an ingredient in sunscreen; the contamination is more likely a result of the manufacturing process. (It shouldn’t be confused with avobenzone, which is a common chemical sunscreen filter you can find on many labels.)
Benzene takes the form of a colorless or light yellow liquid at room temperature, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It’s used in plastic production and appears in gasoline and cigarette smoke. Long-term exposure to benzene primarily impacts the blood, the CDC notes, potentially leading to leukemia and other blood disorders.
How dangerous is benzene in sunscreen?
For now, we can’t be sure. The FDA classifies benzene as a Class 1 solvent, meaning it should be avoided in the manufacturing of drugs and drug products unless absolutely necessary. There isn’t any measure of how much benzene is safe to include in sun-care products, though; the FDA established a temporary 2 ppm limit on hand sanitizers during the pandemic, but there is no analogue for SPF.
