The Trouble with the Banana Boat Sunscreen
Written by Ajay Chohan, Founder
Why Banana Boat is a Misleading Brand: Banana Boat fails to inform us of all the potentially toxic ingredients in their sunscreen. Ingredients that are readily absorbed by our skin and enter our bloodstreams
Potentially Harmful Ingredients in the Banana Boat Sunscreen to Avoid: Homosalate, Octisalate, Octocrylene, Avobenzone, Isobutane, Synthetic Fragrance, Tocopheryl Acetate
Part of spending long, fun days outdoors is understanding the safety of the sunscreen we lather all over our bodies. This is especially important as some of the most popular sunscreens found at supermarkets can be doing more harm than good. The focus of this article is digging into the many ways the Banana Boat chemical sunscreen is harmful to our health as well as the environment.
The ingredients in the Banana Boat sunscreen are indeed harmful from top to bottom. The sunscreen has the prominent “CLINICALLY PROVEN” text on its bottles - it might be helpful if Banana Boat also told us that their sunscreens are clinically proven to cause allergies, skin irritation and disrupt our hormones…and that they are clinically proven to be harming our coral reefs…and that they are clinically proven to not be nourishing for our skin in any way.
Easily Absorbed Into Our Bloodstream.
In addition to being potentially toxic, the ingredients in Banana Boat become even more concerning as they have been shown to be easily absorbed via our skin into our bloodstreams. The FDA here, whilst referring to a study on active ingredients in sunscreens like Banana Boat, writes “…results showed that all six active ingredients were absorbed into the body’s bloodstream – even after a single use. An additional finding from this new study is that once absorbed, these active ingredients can remain in the body for extended periods of time” (1).
With this in mind, I now cover all the toxic ingredients and contaminants found in the Banana Boat chemical sunscreens. I have done extensive research on these ingredients - look for all the sources at the bottom of the article!
The research is divided into 4 key parts:
Part I: The harmful active ingredients in Banana Boat to avoid - these ingredients are bad for our bodies and the environment
Part II: The class action lawsuits against Banana Boat regarding coral reef harms and the sunscreen containing the toxic contaminant Benzene, and the public backlash around concerns Banana Boat sunscreens caused facial burns and blisters on babies
Part III: The inactive, but equally harmful, ingredients in Banana Boat sunscreen
Part IV: Guidance for a better sunscreen that’s free of harmful chemicals, provides effective UV protection and is nourishing for our skin!
Part I: Literally all the active ingredients in Banana Boat pose health concerns. The side effects include endocrine disruptions, hormonal disruptions and allergic contact dermatitis.
Homosalate: Let’s start with the UV filter Homosalate, which is found in the Banana Boat sunscreen at a ‘healthy’ 9.0% composition level. The concern with active ingredients such as Homosalate arise as they can be absorbed through the skin into a person’s bloodstream (1). Specifically, there are concerns around Homosalate being an endocrine and hormonal disruptor. The European Commission in 2020 recommended a maximum concentration of 1.4% for Homosalate in sunscreens in 2020 and then revised the recommended maximum level further down to 0.5% in 2021 (2). Our FDA says that there is “insufficient data” to evaluate Homasalate’s safety in sunscreens, which is not too helpful of a guideline.
The amount of Homosalate in the Banana Boat sunscreen, at 9.0%, is thus 18 times the limit recommended by the European Commission!
It is best to avoid any sunscreen with this ingredient given concerns around endocrine and hormonal disruptions. It’s simply not worth being exposed to such ingredients when you can be using mineral based physical sunscreens.
Octisalate (or Octyl Salicylate): Octisalate in Banana Boat is another ingredient to avoid, especially if you have sensitive skin. Octisalate has been linked to allergic dermatitis and itchy skin rashes. University of California, San Diego based Daniel Shaw published research in 2006 around a 62 year old woman who developed contact dermatitis after using a sunscreen with Octisalate; testing later confirmed that she was indeed allergic to Octisalate (3). There have also been other studies like this one that show skin irritation and contact sensitivity concerns around Octisalate.
Yikes. When did we sign up to be exposed to all these short and long term accumulative health effects every time we apply sunscreen? What makes it worse is Banana Boat tries to position its sunscreens as synonymous with a healthy lifestyle with phrases like “these lightweight formulas are designed especially for sport enthusiasts and other active individuals.” Um ok. We don’t want a lightweight formula that could be toxic to our bodies.
Please note: Here is my article on all-natural sunscreens for safe yet effective UV protection.
Continuing with the active ingredients: Banana Boat sunscreens are not coral reef safe + more concerns around skin allergies and endocrine disruptions + contamination with the carcinogens Benzophenone and Benzene
The marketing text proudly states that Banana Boat sunscreens are “reef friendly”… they are not. One of the ingredients of concern here is Octocrylene.
American Chemical Society published a study which found that Octocrylene “accumlates in coral cells and triggers coral cell mitochondrial dysfunction” (4). Here is what’s troubling, Octocrylene began accumulating in coral tissues even at the 5 ug/L (micrograms per liter) level - this is the level that is already found in some aquatic environments (5). While Octocrylene accumulation was found at this level, it is not clear whether it became toxic at these levels. Having said that, the toxicity was observed after only one week of immersion, so we do not know the harmful effects to oceans & coral reefs after years and decades of accumulation. Also, once the Octocrylene level was upped to 50 ug/L, researchers clearly detected metabolites harmful to coral tisses.
Carcinogens and Allergens:
In addition, the Octocrylene in Banana Boat is also tied to high rates of skin allergies (6) (Bryden 2006). Octocrylene has also been found to be contaminated with the carcinogen Benzophenone (6). The Consumer Product Testing Company has stated, “It has been strongly suggested that both benzene and benzophenone may form as a result of the degradation of Octocrylene within sunscreen product formulations” (13). This might also explain the December 2021 recall by Banana Boat of some of its aerosol sunscreen sprays after “unexpected levels of Benzene” were found in some batches.
Getting into the last active ingredient in Banana Boat Avobenzone, according to a report by the nonprofit Environmental Working Group, Avobenzone has been linked with allergic reactions (Nash 2014), disruptions to our endocrine systems and even blocking testosterone in our bodies (Klopcic 2017). So if we want to protect ourselves and the coral reefs, Banana Boat sunscreens are one to be discarded.
Part II: Class action lawsuit against Banana Boat regarding its misleading “reef friendly” claims, another class action lawsuit regarding their sunscreens’ contamination with the well known cancer causing carcinogen Benzene as well as public backlash around the Banana Boat sunscreens causing skin burns and blisters
The toxic active ingredients lead us to the class action lawsuits against the Banana Boat sunscreens. First is the class action lawsuit filed by Mary Condreay in September 2021 against Banana Boat regarding its misleading “reef friendly” claims. The lawsuit specifically zeroes in on the Octocrylene and Avobenzone in Banana Boat. The lawsuit, whilst referring this National Park Service (NPS) article, states “both avobenzone and octocrylene are well documented as being harmful to coral reefs and lead to coral bleaching and other harmful effects on reef reproduction” (7). The NPS article here writes:
Sunscreens that include…Avobenzone can harm coral reefs, leading to coral bleaching and adverse effects of reef reproduction. And unfortunately, through water sampling around coral reef sites, the National Park Service has detected high concentrations of some of these harmful chemicals.
Getting into Octocrylene, the ecotoxicologist Craig Downs says “fish exposed to Octocrylene exhibited endocrine disruption, brain deformities in larvae and reproductive toxicity” (8). Given the abundant evidence around potential toxicity, sunscreens like Banana Boat which contain Avobenzone and Octocrylene can NOT claim to be reef friendly!
The second class action lawsuit, filed by Luis Chabla in August 2021, centers around Banana Boat sunscreens containing Benzene, a known human carcinogen. The lawsuit came after tests by Valisure, an independent lab, found traces of Benzene across several Banana Boat sunscreen sprays. The National Toxicology Program says that Benzene is “known to be a human carcinogen based on sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity from studies in humans” (9). This is especially concerning, as from our research on active ingredients in Banana Boat, we know that chemical sunscreen is absorbed by our skin and into our bloodstreams.
The case text here even mentions, “a study by Health Canada’s Bureau of Chemical Hazards concluded that the application of sunscreen specifically increases the absorption rate of benzene through the skin, thereby increasing the risk of harm” (10). There is thus no safe level of Benzene when it comes to sunscreens. Note that many other sunscreens were found to be contaminated with Benzene as well, you can find the complete list here. Given the contamination concerns alone, it would be wise to avoid chemical sunscreens like Banana Boat.
Please note: Here is my article on all-natural sunscreens from companies with integrity. These provide completely non-toxic yet effective UV protection.
Public Backlash on Banana Boat:
Banana Boat sunscreens have also faced public backlash in Canada after the public agency Health Canada received almost 200 complaints in mid-2017 that the sunscreen caused skin burns and blisters as well as eye swelling after using Banana Boat’s kids focused sunscreens. In this CBC Canada news report,
Raphaelle Beaudoin says her 15-month old son's “face turned red last week after wearing Banana Boat Baby sunscreen with 60 SPF. I was horrified. For a product that's specifically designed for babies, it's scary. It was really, really rough-feeling, almost like sandpaper. Very reminiscent of a burn" (12).
Another story was that of a 3 year old whose “skin turned red and his face became swollen” and “his eyes swelled up enough that they were almost shut” after using the Banana Boat Kids SPF 50 sunscreen spray (12). It’s simply not worth using chemical based sunscreens will all the ingredients of concern, as it’s difficult to tell which specific ingredient or contaminant is causing a certain reaction.
Part III: The harmful inactive ingredients in the Banana Boat sunscreen include synthetic additives linked with skin irritation & allergies, chemical fragrance as well as more contaminants
The inactive ingredients in the Banana Boat sunscreens are not any less harmful. Let’s begin with the propellant Isobutane in Banana Boat. Isobutane is a type of propane, is flammable and has many industrial uses. It is not something that belongs on our kids’ skin. EWG here also gives Isobutane ‘high’ ratings for allergy and immunotoxicity risks saying there is “strong evidence” of Isobutane being a toxic irritant and allergen.
Then comes the good old synthetic fragrance in Banana Boat. Fragrances are often the culprit behind allergies and skin irritations consumers have to cosmetics like sunscreens or shampoos. “Fragrance” could literally denote any of over 2,000 chemicals used in the cosmetics industry. All these chemicals have varying levels of toxicity and safety records. Unfortunately, manufacturers are not required to disclose which chemical(s) compose the fragrance in their product, leaving the fun to us.
Continuing with the synthetic irritants of concern in Banana Boat…
Last but not the least we have the synthetic irritant Tocopheryl Acetate. Tocopheryl Acetate is made by mixing Vitamin E with acetic acid, and is not to be confused with Tocopherol, which is simply natural Vitamin E. This synthetic ingredient is added to sunscreens as it is cheaper and easier to store. As this article states, other uses of Tocopheryl Acetate include photographic film, wood glues and synthetic fabrics. This synthetic ingredient has been linked with allergic contact dermatitis and skin irritation (11).
Also, according to EWG, Tocopheryl Acetate has been founded to be contaminated with Hydroquinone. Hydroquinone is a skin-lightening or skin-bleaching agent, and has been tied with skin redness and irritation as well. To add to all this, the synthetic Tocopheryl Acetate does not even have the protective properties that the natural Vitamin E antioxidant has, so this ingredient in Banana Boat is doing nothing good!
Given the abundance of irritating, allergy causing and potentially toxic ingredients — Banana Boat is not a safe sunscreen to use
“Ultra Sport”? “Ultra Spray”? More like Ultra Toxic. The ingredients of concern span both the active and inactive ones in Banana Boat. Let’s avoid such sunscreens that have an abundance of harmful ingredients easily absorbed by our skin! This is especially true for those with a sensitive skin or eczema, new mothers and babies.
We use sunscreens because they are supposed to protect us from excessive UVA and UVB exposure. So they are needed. What consumers did not know is that sunscreens like Banana Boat are doing more harm than good with their toxic ingredient profile.
Part IV: What Does Make a Better Sunscreen?
Let’s succinctly summarize that here:
The first thing is to avoid the toxic active ingredients found in most chemical based sunscreens - you know, the ones that are also easily absorbed via our skin into our bloodstreams - and are also harmful to coral reefs. The ‘big 6’ sunscreen ingredients to avoid are Avobenzone, Oxybenzone, Octocrylene, Homosalate, Octisalate, and Octinoxate
Second the sunscreen needs to be effective in protecting us against sun’s UVA and UVB rays. Find a natural mineral based sunscreen that sits on top of the skin and is non-nano. Look for a sunscreen with non-nano Zinc Oxide as the primary active ingredient
Now, besides doing the important work of protecting us against harmful rays, what if the sunscreen was actually nourishing for our skin? Find an all-natural sunscreen with wholesome ingredients that naturally nourish & are full of protective anti-oxidants
My best all-natural mineral sunscreens article goes over the attributes of a non-toxic yet effective sunscreen. I also give my natural mineral-based sunscreen recommendations here, so be sure to check it out!
Is (or was) the Banana Boat sunscreen part of your fun in the sun routine? Share your thoughts below! Please also share the article if you believe a loved one can benefit from this important research. Signing off, Ajay.
Sources - Research for Yourself!
https://www.fda.gov/news-events/fda-voices/shedding-more-light-sunscreen-absorption
https://ec.europa.eu/health/system/files/2021-06/sccs_o_244_0.pdf
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16956469/
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.analchem.8b04187?
https://cen.acs.org/environment/water/Common-sunscreen-ingredient-octocrylene-might/97/web/2019/01
https://www.ewg.org/sunscreen/report/the-trouble-with-sunscreen-chemicals/
https://www.classaction.org/media/condreay-v-edgewell-personal-care-brands-llc.pdf
https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/hawaii-senate-bill-bans-harmful-sunscreen-chemicals-2021-03-09/
https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/ntp/roc/content/profiles/benzene.pdf
https://www.valisure.com/blog/valisure-news/valisure-detects-benzene-in-sunscreen/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1809532/
https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/health-canada-banana-boat-sunscreen-burn-1.4144332
https://cptclabs.com/benzene-benzophenone-in-sunscreen-products/