The Banana Boat lawsuits center on allegations that Edgewell Personal Care sold spray sunscreens contaminated with benzene, a known human carcinogen, without warning consumers. Four separate actions are active as of mid-2025: a consumer class action in Connecticut federal court, a California false advertising case revived by the Ninth Circuit, a personal injury multidistrict litigation in Florida, and a “reef friendly” marketing lawsuit brought by a California district attorney. None has reached a trial verdict or public settlement.
What Sparked the Benzene Lawsuits
In May 2021, Valisure, an independent online pharmacy that tests consumer products, published results from an analysis of 294 batches of sunscreen and after-sun products from 69 companies. Benzene turned up in 78 batches, roughly 27 percent, with some readings more than three times the FDA’s conditional limit of two parts per million.1MDedge. Benzene Found in Some Sunscreen Products Banana Boat was among the brands named. Valisure noted “substantial batch-to-batch variability” even within a single brand, and results ranged from trace amounts under 0.1 ppm to 6.26 ppm.2Valisure. Citizen Petition on Benzene in Sunscreens
Valisure petitioned the FDA to recall specific batches and issue new guidance. The FDA acknowledged the petition in an interim response on November 18, 2021, saying it had been “unable to reach a decision” because the petition “raises complex issues requiring extensive review and analysis.”3Regulations.gov. FDA Interim Response to Valisure Citizen Petition The petition remained unresolved through mid-2025.
Benzene is classified as a human carcinogen by the FDA, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The World Health Organization has stated there is “no safe level of exposure to benzene.”
The 2022 Banana Boat Recall
In July 2022, Edgewell issued a voluntary nationwide recall of specific batches of Banana Boat Hair & Scalp Sunscreen Spray SPF 30 in 6-ounce cans after an internal review found “unexpected levels of benzene.” The company said the benzene came from the aerosol propellant, not the sunscreen formula.4Edgewell Personal Care. Voluntary Nationwide Recall of Banana Boat Hair and Scalp Sunscreen Three lot codes were pulled initially: 20016AF (expiring December 2022), 20084BF (expiring February 2023), and 21139AF (expiring April 2024).5ABC7 News. Banana Boat Sunscreen Hair and Scalp Recall In January 2023, the recall expanded to include lot 20301CF.6Spectrum News. Banana Boat Sunscreen Recall Expands
Edgewell said no other Banana Boat products were affected, offered reimbursement, and reported no adverse events. The FDA has since confirmed the recall completed and terminated.7FDA. Edgewell Personal Care Voluntary Recall of Banana Boat Hair and Scalp Sunscreen The recall covered only the Hair & Scalp spray, so other Banana Boat products that plaintiffs allege contained benzene were never pulled from shelves by the company.
The Connecticut Consumer Class Action
The main consumer case is Clinger v. Edgewell Personal Care Brands LLC, Case No. 3:21-cv-01040-AVC, pending in the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut before Judge Jeffrey Alker Meyer. It was originally filed in New York as Chabla v. Edgewell, then voluntarily dismissed and re-filed in Connecticut.8ClassAction.org. Class Action Filed After Banana Boat Sunscreens Found to Contain Carcinogen The plaintiffs, including Bryan Clinger, Monica Barba, and Heather Rudy, allege Edgewell sold contaminated sunscreens without disclosing the benzene risk.
In early 2023, Judge Meyer allowed the case to move forward in part and dismissed claims tied to products not connected to the manufacturing process identified by Valisure. Valisure’s testing showed benzene levels between 0.11 and 0.43 ppm in the products at issue.9Top Class Actions. Banana Boat Sunscreen Contains Chemical Linked to Cancer, Claims Class Action Lawsuit Four plaintiffs’ claims survived and three were dismissed. The products still in the case are:
- Banana Boat Dry Oil Sunscreen Spray
- UltraMist Deep Tanning Dry Oil Continuous Clear Spray SPF 15
- Ultra Sport Clear Sunscreen Spray SPF 4
- Ultra Sport Clear Sunscreen Spray SPF 100
- Dry Oil Clear Sunscreen Spray with Coconut Oil SPF 15
- Kids Max Protect & Play Sunscreen Spray
No trial date or settlement has been publicly reported.
The Ninth Circuit Revives Bowen v. Edgewell
A parallel California case, Beth Bowen v. Energizer Holdings, Inc., et al., No. 23-55116, alleged Banana Boat’s marketing amounted to false advertising under California consumer protection laws because it omitted benzene. A district court dismissed the case for lack of standing, saying Bowen had not shown the benzene levels in her sunscreen were “unsafe.”10Courthouse News Service. Ninth Circuit Rescues Banana Boat False Advertising Suit
On October 1, 2024, a unanimous Ninth Circuit panel reversed and sent the case back. The panel held the trial court had prematurely resolved disputed factual questions about the safety of the 0.29 ppm detected in Bowen’s sample and had wrongly required her to prove noncompliance with FDA guidelines just to establish standing.11U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Bowen v. Energizer Holdings, No. 23-55116 The court found Bowen adequately alleged economic injury by claiming she would not have bought the sunscreen, or would not have paid a premium for it, had the benzene risk been disclosed.12Bloomberg Law. Banana Boat Consumers Benzene Deception Suit Revived on Appeal On remand, arguments about whether small amounts of benzene are harmful will be tested under the summary judgment standard rather than knocked out at the pleading stage.
Personal Injury Claims in the Florida MDL
Beyond the consumer cases seeking economic damages, some plaintiffs allege they developed cancer or blood disorders after using benzene-contaminated sunscreens. Federal personal injury cases involving multiple brands, Banana Boat among them, have been consolidated for pretrial proceedings in MDL No. 3023 before Judge Anuraag Singhal in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. The MDL primarily targets Johnson & Johnson’s Neutrogena and Aveeno brands but also includes claims against Edgewell.9Top Class Actions. Banana Boat Sunscreen Contains Chemical Linked to Cancer, Claims Class Action Lawsuit
The claims sound in product liability (manufacturing defects and failure to warn), negligence, and breach of implied warranties. Plaintiffs allege the manufacturers knew or should have known their products contained a carcinogen and failed to disclose it. Diseases alleged include acute myeloid leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, multiple myeloma, and other blood cancers. The MDL remains in discovery, and no bellwether trials have been reported.
The Santa Clara County “Reef Friendly” Lawsuit
In March 2025, the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office sued Edgewell in California, alleging the company falsely marketed Banana Boat and Hawaiian Tropic sunscreens as “reef friendly” or “reef safe” without scientific support.13Mercury News. Santa Clara County DA Sues Sunscreen Maker Over Reef Friendly Claim The products were free of oxybenzone and octinoxate, the two chemicals banned from sale in Hawaii since 2018, but prosecutors said they still contained avobenzone and octocrylene, which the DA’s office says harm coral and aquatic life.
Between 2020 and 2022, Edgewell sold at least 10 million units of these sunscreens in California, generating at least $60 million in gross revenue, the complaint alleges.13Mercury News. Santa Clara County DA Sues Sunscreen Maker Over Reef Friendly Claim The suit seeks civil penalties and a court order barring the “reef friendly” and “reef safe” language on chemical sunscreen products. Edgewell has not publicly commented on the lawsuit but has reportedly shifted its labeling from “reef safe” to “oxybenzone free.”14Civil Beat. New Lawsuit Raises Concerns Over Labeling of Reef Safe Sunscreens
Edgewell’s Position
Edgewell has said benzene is not an intentional ingredient in any Banana Boat product and has attributed the contamination to the aerosol propellant. It has pointed to an independent health assessment concluding that daily exposure at the trace levels detected would not be expected to cause adverse health consequences.4Edgewell Personal Care. Voluntary Nationwide Recall of Banana Boat Hair and Scalp Sunscreen The company has also said benzene is “ubiquitous in the environment” and that no reports of adverse health events have been connected to the recalled products.7FDA. Edgewell Personal Care Voluntary Recall of Banana Boat Hair and Scalp Sunscreen
Where the Cases Stand
The Connecticut class action, the reinstated California false advertising case, the Florida personal injury MDL, and the Santa Clara reef-labeling suit are all active. No Banana Boat benzene lawsuit has produced a trial verdict or a publicly announced settlement. Consumers who bought the recalled Hair & Scalp Spray lots can still seek reimbursement from Edgewell; consumers pursuing broader benzene claims are represented through the pending class actions and, for those alleging illness, through counsel handling MDL 3023.