Benzene is a petrochemical naturally found in crude oil and an additive in gasoline. It's used to make plastics, resins, synthetic fibers, dyes, detergents, medications, and pesticides.
Valisure®, an independent testing lab recently found benzene in 78 of 294 sunscreen and after sun product samples tested. Find out more about the list of benzene contaminated sunscreens in Dr. Macrene's article: Benzene Contamination Discovered in Sunscreens
While the source of the contamination is still being investigated, its presence varied from batch to batch irrespective of ingredient listing, suggesting contamination during manufacturing. Benzene contamination of drinking water has been reported after exposure of plastic pipes to high temperatures (Environ. Sci.: Water Res. Technol., 2021, 7, 274), highlighting the wisdom of Dr. Macrene’s Clean Beauty Authority in mandating glass packaging and eliminating the use of plastics in skincare: Clean Beauty by Dr. Macrene
Smarter and Safer Sun Protection
While Dr. Macrene is busy working on how to manufacture the world's cleanest and safest sunscreen, she advises to employ sun avoidance, sun-protective clothing, and clean mineral sunscreens such as those included in the MACRENE actives Tinted Moisturizer formula to protect your skin from sun damage. The High Performance Tinted Moisturizer and Concealer are made with zinc oxide, titanium dioxide and iron oxides, which work by physically deflecting UVA and UVB rays from getting to the surface of the skin. Such generally considered safe and effective (GRASE) sunscreens are safer because they sit on the skin’s surface to repel light rather than penetrating into the skin to absorb light like chemical sunscreens.