The TGA (Therapeutic Goods Administration), which regulates cosmetic products in Australia, made available its analytical method for detecting and quantifying benzene residues in suncare products. Professionals are encouraged to use it as part of their routine quality control procedures.
Benzene (CAS No.71-43-2, EC No.200-753-7) is a flammable and toxic solvent. Classified as a known carcinogen by the IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer), it is listed in Annex I/47 of European Regulation 1223/2009 and is therefore prohibited for use in cosmetic products.
It is therefore not, in itself, an ingredient used in the formulation of suncare products, but it may be present in trace amounts originating from raw materials, propellants (in sprays) or packaging.
Following a market surveillance exercise
In 2021, following reports of benzene contamination in aerosol sunscreens, the TGA’s laboratories analysed 18 products sold in Australia. Three of them (all from the same brand) contained benzene at a concentration exceeding 2 ppm. The brand in question recalled its products, whilst stating that benzene was not listed among the ingredients of any of its products and that these unexpected concentrations stemmed from the propellant gas used in the aerosols.
The test method used for the checks was subsequently made public by the TGA under the Freedom of Information Act.
Widespread diffusion
Today, the ASC (Australian Sunscreen Council, the body representing the sunscreen industry in Australia) has decided to promote this method …
