Banana Boat
Banana Boat was founded in 1978 in Miami, Florida, and is now owned by Edgewell Personal Care Company, headquartered in Shelton, Connecticut. The brand is one of the most popular sunscreen brands in the United States, known for its broad range of affordable sun protection products. Banana Boat has faced multiple product safety issues, including voluntary recalls in 2022 of certain aerosol sunscreens after internal testing detected benzene, a known carcinogen, in some products. The brand's sunscreens typically contain chemical UV filters including avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate, and octocrylene. These safety incidents underscore the importance of understanding what goes into the sunscreen products applied to skin and lips.
Products Analyzed
Flagged Ingredients Found
Who Owns Banana Boat?
Big Corp SubsidiaryParent Company
Edgewell Personal Care(EPC)
Parent Industry
Personal Care
Parent Revenue
Approximately $2.2 billion (2024)
Also Makes
Banana Boat is owned by Edgewell Personal Care, a publicly traded consumer products company that separated from Energizer Holdings in 2015.
Corporate ownership does not automatically mean a product is unsafe. It means ingredient and sourcing decisions are influenced by a parent company whose primary business is personal care. Consumers deserve to know who profits from their purchases.
Products by Banana Boat
Banana Boat Sport Ultra SPF 50
Banana Boat
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Organic Lip Balm
Banana Boat Simply Protect SPF 50
Banana Boat
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Organic Lip Balm
Banana Boat Light As Air SPF 50
Banana Boat
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Organic Lip Balm
Banana Boat SunComfort SPF 50
Banana Boat
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Organic Lip Balm
Banana Boat Kids SPF 50
Banana Boat
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Organic Lip Balm
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Flagged Ingredients in Banana Boat Products
We found 8 different ingredients of concern across Banana Boat's product line. Each one links to a full safety analysis with details on health risks, regulatory status, and which other brands use the same ingredient.
Oxybenzone
A chemical UV filter found in many sunscreens and SPF-containing cosmetics. It absorbs UVA and UVB radiation but is a known endocrine disruptor, coral reef toxin, and one of the most frequently detected chemicals in human blood and urine.
Synthetic Fragrance
An umbrella term that can hide hundreds of undisclosed chemicals. Under US law, companies are not required to list individual fragrance components, which may include phthalates, musks, allergens, and sensitizers.
Homosalate
A chemical UV filter that absorbs UVB radiation. Used in sunscreens and SPF cosmetics, homosalate is an endocrine disruptor that breaks down into more toxic byproducts under UV exposure.
Avobenzone
One of the few chemical UV filters that provides good UVA protection. However, it is photounstable, breaking down rapidly under UV light and losing effectiveness within 30 minutes unless stabilized by other chemicals.
BHT (Butylated Hydroxytoluene)
A synthetic antioxidant closely related to BHA, used to prevent oxidation in cosmetics and food. Less studied than BHA but shares some endocrine disruption concerns.
Propylene Glycol
A synthetic liquid used as a humectant, solvent, and penetration enhancer in cosmetics. While considered safe at low concentrations, it is a skin irritant at higher levels and enhances absorption of other ingredients — including harmful ones.
Dimethicone
A silicone-based polymer widely used in cosmetics and skincare for its smoothing, water-repellent properties. Not toxic in itself, but creates a synthetic barrier that can trap impurities, clog pores, and is not biodegradable.
Phenoxyethanol
A glycol ether used as a preservative in cosmetics, often marketed as a 'safer' alternative to parabens. At regulated concentrations (up to 1%), it is generally well tolerated, but higher concentrations can cause irritation and are toxic to infants.
