WHY PFAS ARE PUBLIC ENEMY NUMBER ONE
Awareness of forever chemicals used in consumer products, including cosmetics, is growing – but why are such materials so often going unlabelled?
P
erfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of chemicals (more than 6,000, according to the US-based Personal Care Products Council – PCPC) that don’t exist in nature, which are used to make a wide variety of everyday products. PFAS are known as ‘forever chemicals’ because the chemical compounds don’t naturally degrade, which means they end up contaminating groundwater for decades after their release into the environment.
They recently gained some cultural exposure among consumers through the 2019 Todd Haynes film Dark Waters, which fictionalised real-life lawyer Rob Bilott’s fight against chemicals giant DuPont and the pollution of drinking water with the forever chemical PFOA, also known as C8. Studies have linked certain PFAS to kidney
cancer, testicular cancer, hypertension, thyroid disease, low birth weight and immunotoxicity in children.
PFAS & COSMETICS
When it comes to cosmetics, some PFAS are used to increase the durability of products and impart
26 November 2021 ECOREPORT
water resistance, with other benefits including increased skin absorption and improvements in the appearance of skin’s texture. In June this year, research unveiled by the University of Notre Dame found many cosmetics sold in the US and Canada were likely to contain high levels of PFAS. More than 200 cosmetics were tested, including concealers, foundations, eye and eyebrow products and various lip products from sources including Ulta Beauty, Sephora, Target and Bed Bath & Beyond. According to the study, which was published in
the Journal of Environmental Science and Technology Letters, 56% of foundations and eye products, 48% of lip products and 47% of mascaras tested contained high levels of fluorine, an indicator of PFAS use.
The research team tested products purchased at retail locations in the US, as well as products purchased online in Canada, and found high levels of fluorine in liquid lipsticks, waterproof mascaras and foundations, specifically those advertised as ‘long-lasting’ and ‘wear-resistant’, which is not surprising given PFAS’ role in providing water resistance and film-forming properties.
cosmeticsbusiness.com
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