According to a Food and Drug Administration report, over 1,000 personal care products people use every day could contain toxic forever chemicals.
As of 2024, more than 50 PFAS ingredients were used in almost 1,700 unique personal care products, the report finds.
The ingredients are added to cosmetics with claims of improving product texture, durability and water resistance and enhancing skin-smoothing or shine effects.
This shows that many Americans may be applying products containing PFAS to their faces, eyes, and skin daily, sometimes multiple times a day.
Why are so many PFAS present in personal care products?
Certain PFAS are intentionally added as ingredients in some cosmetic products, including lipsticks, eyeshadows, moisturisers, nail polish and enamel, blushers, and cleansers.
These PFAS are used in cosmetics to condition and smooth the skin and hair, making them appear shiny, or to affect product consistency and texture.
However, some PFAS may also be present in cosmetics unintentionally, as a result of raw material impurities or the breakdown of intentionally added PFAS ingredients, which can form other types of PFAS.
Key findings from the report
The FDA study assessed the use and safety of PFAS intentionally added as ingredients to cosmetic products marketed for sale in the US.
It analysed data on 430,134 personal care products submitted to the agency between December 2023 and August 2024.
Some of the top findings include:
- 1,744, or 0.41%, of products contained intentionally added PFAS
- 51 individual PFAS were used as cosmetic ingredients
- PFAS ingredients were most common in eyeshadow (20.5% of products), skincare for face and neck (15.9%), eyeliner (8.4%), face powder (6.6%), and foundation (4.5%)
- The most frequently used PFAS was polytetrafluoroethylene, or PTFE, reported in 490 products, or 28.1% of all PFAS cosmetics.
Are PFAS in personal care products a cause for concern?
Studies have found that cosmetics can contain multiple PFAS at high concentrations and may be a significant source of exposure to short-chain PFAS.
The FDA found that there is insufficient toxicological data to determine the safety of most PFAS found in personal care products. This means the agency doesn’t yet fully understand the potential health risks of applying these forever chemicals to the skin daily.
However, the report flagged one PFAS chemical, perfluorohexylethyl triethoxysilane, as a potential safety concern in body lotion when used at the highest reported concentration, based on an animal study that showed nervous system effects.
For other compounds, the FDA noted that its assessment indicated that some PFAS could pose “low safety concerns” in beauty products when used as intended.
Towards a toxic-free future: Regulating the use of PFAS in cosmetics
The Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022 (MoCRA) is the most significant expansion of the FDA’s authority to regulate cosmetics since the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic (FD&C) Act was passed in 1938.
Through this, the FDA assesses the use of PFAS in cosmetic products and the scientific evidence regarding their safety, including any risks associated with their use. MoCRA further provides that FDA, as appropriate, consult with the National Center for Toxicological Research to assess the safety of PFAS in cosmetics.
