Despite growing awareness of their dangers, forever chemicals like PFAS are still found in everyday personal care products, often without consumer knowledge.
Megan Cerullo reports for CBS News.
In short:
- Many personal care products, including flosses and cosmetics, may contain harmful PFAS chemicals that are often not listed on ingredient labels.
- Research has shown that even products not explicitly containing PFAS can be contaminated during manufacturing or storage.
- Experts recommend checking labels and asking manufacturers for testing data, but acknowledge that avoiding these chemicals completely is challenging.
Key quote:
“It’s a place where there should be more testing and regulatory oversight from the FDA of cosmetics manufacturers and their supply chains to eliminate any potential source of PFAS finding its way into the final product.”
— David Andrews, senior scientist, Environmental Working Group
Why this matters:
These synthetic chemicals, designed to resist water and grease, don't just stay on your skin—they stick around in the environment, too, potentially forever. Their presence in personal care products is alarming because these chemicals can leach into your body and accumulate over time, posing serious health risks like hormone disruption and cancer. Read more: Green beauty product testing finds more than 60% have PFAS indicators.
