Some Spray Sunscreens May Ignite Near a Flame

U.S. Food and Drug Administration officials warn that certain spray sunscreens may ignite if they get too close to a flame.

The FDA says some sunscreen spray products contain flammable ingredients such as alcohol which will ignite if they get close to an open flame. Lead medical officer Dr. Narayan Nair says they know of five incidents in which burns occurred after sunscreen spray had been applied, and the ignition sources varied from lighting a cigarette to standing too close to a grill or a citronella candle.

Nair says, "Based on this information, we recommend that after you have applied a sunscreen spray labeled as flammable, you consider avoiding being near an open flame, sparks or an ignition source."

[UPI]