An update about PFAS in your makeup
A few weeks ago I talked about a study published in Environmental Science & Technology Letters that found 53% of 231 cosmetic products purchased in the U.S. and Canada contained high levels of PFAS, a family of potentially toxic compounds that have no business being applied to our skin. When I wrote that post, no list of specific ingredients or products had been released, so there was no way to know if our makeup was affected. My only suggestion for playing it safe at that time was to consider restocking your makeup bag with known-to-be-clean products. (Did anyone do it???)
But in just two short weeks, the Green Science Policy Institute has issued a few guidelines to help you identify PFAS—however, there’s a hitch. Their recommendations only apply to labeled PFAS, and unfortunately the only way to get unlabeled PFAS (such as those in ambiguous ingredients like “fragrance”) out of our products is legislative action (but you can help). Despite this caveat, here are three ways you can protect yourself from PFAS that might be lingering in your makeup.
There’s an app for that!
Clearya is a free app and browser plug-in that analyzes product ingredients lists when you shop for products at retailers like Sephora, Amazon and Walmart—and it’s definitely worth the extra 10 seconds it takes to check before adding anything to your cart. BTW, the Green Science Policy Institute scanned the database and found almost 1,000 products from 120 brands with at least one PFAS. Thirty-four different labeled PFAS were also found, with the most common one being what we know as Teflon. (The Environmental Working Group’s SkinDeep database is another great resource.)Make your voice heard!
Legislative bills proposing a ban on PFAS have been introduced in the Senate and House of Representatives—but policy changes take time. Let your representatives know that this issue is important to you by filling out this easy form created by the Breast Cancer Action advocacy group.Speak up!
You can also ask your favorite beauty brands to commit to avoiding PFAS in their products. Tweet them, slide into their DMs or send an email through the “Contact Us” page on their website.
If you’re curious, here’s the full list of 34 PFAS the Green Science Policy Institute found in the Clearya database. The product categories make is much easier to narrow your search!
Credit: Clearya and Green Science Policy Institute
