A number of complaints, 139 since May to be exact, have been issued to Health Canada regarding Banana Boat sunscreen and the severe reactions utilizers have suffered upon usage. Those yielding such reactions range in ages from three months to adulthood. Common reactions include severe redness, burns, roughness of skin, facial/skin swelling and painful blisters. In many cases, the burns were so severe that families decided to get a better diagnosis from a physician. Some utilizers were diagnosed with first, second, and third degree chemical burns.
Health Canada began their investigation into the product when two families complained about facial blisters on their babies. For now, they have not found any signs of the ingredient that may be causing this harm to utilizers. Banana Boat Canada mentioned in a media statement that “For some people, their sensitivity to an ingredient can be triggered or exacerbated by the sun. This type of photo allergic reaction can result in an exaggerated skin rash or sunburn. In more severe cases, blistering may also develop. We suggest consumers carefully test the product before use or consult their physician in advance if concerned about the possibility of sensitivity to certain ingredients.” It is believed that there is an ingredient not yet found that may spark allergic reactions to certain skin types. When triggered by the sun, these reactions can be exaggerated. The company also informed the public that “Banana Boat sunscreens fall within a neutral pH range, which means they are safe for human skin, topical use and cannot cause chemical burns, which are sometimes mistakenly linked to personal care products or confused with sunburns. We encourage people who have concerns to visit a dermatologist who can determine the differences among a chemical burn, sunburn, a reaction to the sunscreen itself or a photo allergic reaction and give advice on appropriate treatment.”
“Banana Boat Canada’s number one priority is the safety of the millions of Canadians who use our sun protection products each year. It is worrying whenever a child or adult has an unpleasant product experience and we have been working, along with Health Canada, since early May to understand the recent complaints shared by some consumers. To date, Health Canada has not made any link between our product and the consumer complaints. As of July 14, 2017, Health Canada has said that it has reviewed our certificates of analysis and test results available and has not seen any issues,” quoted Banana Boat Canada in a Media statement.
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Rebecca Cannon, a resident of Newfoundland, used Banana Boat Kids Sunscreen Spray SPF 50 on her daughter Kyla (pictured), who developed terrible blisters and swelling. Doctors stated Kyla had ‘caustic burn from something in the sunscreen’. (Facebook Photo)
