It's been a tough week for 7-year-old Jenavieve Snipes.
Days after her vacation in the sun with her family, her mother, Jessica Snipes, realized what she thought was a ‘sunburn’ had turned into severe red burns.
“It gave me a bad sting… it hurt so much,” Jenavieve said.
Snipes said her daughter started peeling and feeling lethargic.
“It was like raw skin underneath the peeling. She was having problems eating and just not being herself,” said Snipes.
Snipes took her daughter to the ER, where they diagnosed her with a chemical burn.
Snipes said that chemical might have been something in an Ultra Defense SPF 100 Banana Boat Sunscreen. She said the doctor warned some skin types are more sensitive to certain ingredients in sunscreens.
“He's heard of it happening to other kids,” said Snipes. “Why is this product still on the shelves if our San Antonio doctors are hearing of it happening?”
Seen on the company's Facebook page, are numerous complaints from customers with similar experiences. According to reports, Health Canada is looking into the company's products after several complaints there.
We reached out to the makers of Banana Boat Sunscreen, they responded saying Banana Boat products...
"cannot cause chemical burns, which are sometimes mistakenly linked to personal care products or confused with sunburns. For some, a sensitivity to a product ingredient can be triggered or exacerbated by the sun and result in a photoallergic skin rash or sunburn. in more severe cases, blistering may also develop…"
San Antonio dermatologist Phillip Hughes M.D said that's true.
“Every now and then there's going to be someone allergic to one of the ingredients, but it isn't particularly unique to Banana Boat,” Hughes said.
To avoid this, he recommends using a sunscreen that is chemical free. He also suggests a patch test.
“Parents can do a little spot on their child's arm, send them out in the sun… if there's no reaction, you can use it all over,” he said.
As for little Jenavieve, she vows to steer clear of the product and products like it… just to be safe.
“I'm never using that sunscreen again,” Jenavieve said.