Written by Leigh Sutton, M.D. –
I can now add this question to my list of frets that come to mind when my kids go outside. Other questions that come to mind: does bird poop routinely have parasites in it? As I watch my son eat whatever is in front of him. Is there enough sunscreen on the kids’ noses? As I watch them tear off their hats.
Like many parents, I opt for the sunscreen that covers the most body surface area in the least amount of time. I routinely rotate between a number of mineral spray sunscreens for my kids. My list of rotating sunscreens will change with the newly released information regarding benzene in some sunscreen batches.
Sunscreen is regulated by the FDA as an over-the-counter medication. Benzene is a known human carcinogen. The company, Valisure, released a list of sunscreen batches that tested positive for ‘high’ levels of benzene. Limitations of benzene are placed on hand sanitizers and soft drinks by the FDA but not on sunscreen at this time.
Although the raw data wasn’t released by Valisure and the FDA has yet to comment, I plan on tailoring my kid’s sunscreen regimen based on these lists. Hopefully, there will be more information and more data in the coming months and I will continue to adjust.
Please remember that sunscreen is not FDA approved for infants under 6 months.
