Print Friendly and PDF
CoverGirl Sued For PFAS "Forever Chemicals" & False Advertising

CoverGirl Sued For PFAS "Forever Chemicals" & False Advertising

1 min read

CoverGirl Cosmetics faces a lawsuit after Toxin Free USA found evidence of PFAS "Forever Chemicals" in CoverGirl makeup products sold to the public as “sustainable.”


PFAS – perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances – are a class of more than 8,000 chemicals known as “forever chemicals” because they don’t break down in the environment. First developed in the 1940s, PFAS are traditionally found in food packaging, nonstick pans, clothing, furniture, and firefighting foam.

The chemicals can bioaccumulate in bodies over time and have been linked to cancer, autoimmune disease, thyroid disease, liver damage, decreased fertility, birth defects, hormone disruption, obesity and decreased immunity. First developed in the 1940s, PFAS are traditionally found in food packaging, nonstick pans, clothing, furniture, and firefighting foam.

A recent peer-reviewed study, published in Environmental Science & Technology, detected what the study’s authors characterized as “high” levels of organic fluorine, an indicator of PFAS, in over half of 231 makeup and personal care samples, including lipstick, eyeliner, mascara, foundation, concealer, lip balm, blush, and nail polish.

“This is a product that people are spreading on their skin day after day, so there’s really a potential for significant exposure,” said Tom Bruton, one of the study’s authors.

Read the full story on EHN.org partner site Mamavation.com

About the author(s):

Douglas Fischer

Douglas Fischer is the executive director of Environmental Health Sciences, which publishes EHN.org.

Become a donor
Today's top news
From our newsroom

Severe flooding increasingly cutting people off from health care

Many more Americans will find themselves regularly cut off from essential services — long before water actually reaches their homes, a recent study predicts.

Heat, air pollution and climate change … oh my! Was summer 2023 the new normal?

Intense heat waves induced by climate change create favorable conditions for air pollution to worsen. Scientists say this isn’t likely to change unless action is taken.

Calor, aire contaminado y cambio climático…¿Es el verano de 2023 nuestro futuro?

Intensas olas de calor provocadas por el cambio climático, crearon condiciones que empeoraron la contaminación del aire. Los científicos dicen que nada cambiará sin intervenciones.

Opinion: Protecting Indigenous children means protecting water

We need to stop compartmentalizing the environment, family and culture as separate problems.