The Forever Makeup Problem
We hope the PFAS issue is not forever.
TBH: I’m just a girl.
I’m just a girl with an Instagram account surrounding makeup and skin care, and Googling makeup ingredients has always been an activity of mine. Many makeup wearers and buyers will only look at a brand and get an opinion, and off they are to the register- but not me. Unfortunately, as the beauty industry continues to grow its quality, formulas, variety, and performance of makeup, along with the number of trends passed along, there are more and more chemicals being added! Buyers don’t read ingredient lists since the names are morbidly long- I mean, who would?
The important question is, how do I know if this is really beneficial for my skin? What about my health? According to a scholarly report by Environment Science and Technology Letters (2021), out of 231 cosmetic products tested for Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), half of the products contained high amounts of fluorinated compounds. PFAS are synthetic chemical compounds added to cosmetic products to enhance makeup wear, while containing fluorinated properties, and cause severe illnesses.
What even are PFAS? Why should I care?
PFASs are toxic synthetic chemical compounds added to cosmetics; when exposed to humans, they can lead to diseases and illnesses. They are in products that can be rubbed, sprayed, and lathered onto human skin without harm in that moment. According to research by Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts in 2018, they are synthetic fluorine compounds with chemical properties like a high surface tension, strong spreading ability, and oil-water repellence (Schultes, Vestergren, et al., 2018). Basically, all the things you can think of when making a great waterproof o long-lasting makeup product! PFAS ingredients include a group of fluorosurfactants which have a fluorinated hydrophobic tail and hydrophilic head (Kovalchuck, Trybala, et al., 2014).
Hydrophobic, or water-fearing molecules and components, stick to the skin as this is a fatty acid (think of oil) that cannot bind to water molecules to dissolve.
Hydrophilic, is water-loving, where this can bond with water and create more movement of hydrogen and oxygen bonds.
Fluorosurfactant’s properties to get wet are so strong, in which they don’t really get wet. They can break the low surface tension of aqueous liquids, like water, without harming their own surface, making them a wonderful ingredient for waterproof makeup. Think of going in the pool with waterproof foundation. The water doesn’t break that surface of makeup, and instead, slides off. Fluorosurfactants in makeup are able to increase durability, spreading, long-lasting, and liquid-resistant cosmetic products. The keywords to targeting fluorine in your makeup products are “long lasting” and “waterproof”.
Although most people who wear makeup products that enhance their makeup look, such as adding shine and full coverage, think they are doing no harm, their skin is being plagued with these synthetic chemical compounds. Another problem is removing makeup tainted with PFAS off our skin. Essentially, the hydrophobic aspect of fluorosurfactants sticks to skin, and they cannot be broken down by a single makeup wipe or with just one-step cleansing. This is because of the chemical’s ability to stay on skin for long periods of time, especially for everyday makeup wearers.
Now imagine how much fluorine is on an everyday makeup wearer's skin? This is where the names “PFAS tainted” makeup or “forever chemicals” originated from. They cannot be broken down effectively by the environment either, as, according to the Environmental Protection Agency and Environmental Working Group (New EPA Data…, 2022), PFAS were researched as toxic in water streams. The water that flows down our drain with our makeup can have contaminants of fluorine, which is dangerous to our precious waterways. This can inadvertently end up in drinking water as well. Surprisingly, water and makeup-removing solvents can’t remove the chemical efficiently even if the makeup color is removed. This all has to do with the properties of these surfactants.
Your Makeup Wears Off. These Chemicals Don’t.
According to “Fluorinated Compounds in North American Cosmetics” by Environmental Science & Technology Letters, in 2021, makeup products made with PFAS are dangerous chemicals to humans when ingested, digested, or seeped through the tear ducts (Whitehead, Venier, et al., 2021). This can lead to potential health risks such as cancer, birth defects, infertility, blood clotting, hyperthyroidism, vaccine efficacy, and other health risks. Unfortunately, young women hoping to conceive and older women with weakened immune systems are the target.
It's sad to say that the makeup categories highly affected include long-lasting lipstick and waterproof mascara, as these contain the highest amounts of fluorinated ingredients. Based on the graphic by Green Science Policy in 2021, 231 products were tested for fluorine. Approximately 55% of 60 lipsticks tested for fluorine had the highest amount of fluorine in them. Out of 43 eye products, 58% of them had the highest amounts of fluorine as well (Green Science Policy, 2021).
Closing the PFAS Gap: What’s the next step?
Well, it's more than just one step. It just depends on which angle you’re asking.
In 2021, I had written an article about PFAS when the research study on various makeup products by Environmental Science and Technology Letters had just been released. Taking an excerpt from it:
“On the day of publication of Environmental Science and Technology Letters (2021) research report on PFAS in cosmetics, June 15, 2021, Senator Susan Collins, and Senator Richard Blumenthal proposed the No PFAS in Cosmetic Act. Both senators, whom both are in opposite parties, joined forces on this bipartisan legislation for the greater health of Americans. Stated on the day of proposal by Senator Blumenthal on the floor of the Senate, “‘This important legislation would purge poisonous PFAS chemicals lurking in makeup and cosmetics…Chemicals in cosmetics are currently almost completely unregulated, leaving many consumers and makeup wearers vulnerable to these toxic chemicals from everyday use of lipstick, mascara, and other products,’” (“Susan Collins, Blumenthal…”, 2021).” (Azmi 2021)
“This bill would ban the use of PFAS in cosmetics and force the FDA to ban any cosmetic products that contain PFAS. With the passing of this federal bill by the US Senate, PFAS would be banned in all cosmetic products in all 50 states, with or without state legislation on PFAS." (Azmi 2021)
Cosmetic manufacturers would not be able to add PFAS into their cosmetic products as they would not be approved by the FDA under this act.
"Retailers such as Sephora, Walmart, and Target would have to empty their shelves of products containing PFAS as well. So far, retailers such as CVS, Amazon, and Rite Aid have stated that they are on the lookout for toxic chemicals in cosmetic products they sell (LaMotte, 2021).” (Azmi 2021)
Who’s Regulating Forever Chemicals in 2026?
From a present 2026 policy perspective, according to the FDA, there is still no federal regulation banning PFAS in cosmetics. However, in 2022, under the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act (MoCRA) of 2022, the FDA was required to assess the use of PFAS in cosmetics and its safety. This report was finally released in December 2025 with the following findings.
PFAS ingredient listing has a plethora of names, and 51 PFAS ingredients are currently intentionally used by cosmetic manufacturers across 1,744 cosmetic formulations.
In the report, the FDA examined the 25 most frequently used PFAS, which represent about 96% of intentionally added PFAS in those cosmetic listings.
Unfortunately, for these PFAS ingredients, the toxicological data was incomplete or unavailable.
Approximately 5 were shown to present low safety concerns, but only under intended conditions of their use. While one displayed a potential safety concern, but with uncertainty on what this safety concern entails.
So, what can we gather from this? It's simple: The biggest problem isn’t what we know about PFAS in cosmetics. It’s how much we still don’t know.
According to the FDA, currently 11 states have already enacted legislation prohibiting intentionally added PFAS in cosmetics as of May 2025. Those states include: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Maine, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington. Since then, New Jersey enacted a law in January 2026, and Illinois enacted another cosmetic-ingredient restriction in July 2026. Maryland has also placed a cosmetic law targeting 13 named PFAS rather than the entire PFAS class. *You can check the links to each state’s site regarding the law’s coverage.*
It's important to note that not all “PFAS bans” mean the same thing. Some states regulate the entire class of intentionally added PFAS, but not all PFAS ingredient compounds. Many state laws also distinguish the intentionally added PFAS from the unavoidable trace contamination from ingredients, manufacturing, storage, or the packaging.
However, there may be a turning point. As on July 7th 2026, Representatives Debbie Dingell, Brian Fitzpatrick, and Laura Friedman introduced the bipartisan No PFAS in Cosmetics Act in order to take on the national ban. If enacted, the bill would require the FDA to prohibit the intentional use of PFAS in cosmetic products within 270 days of enactment. This is currently a proposed legislation, therefore we have yet to see the outcome.
A Smarter Beauty Routine Starts at the Aisle
What can you do to limit your exposure? There are a couple, and it all starts in the aisle:
Learn what PFAS can look like on an ingredient list! Their names are tricky to remember, but that’s why we have The Lab for you to enter your ingredient list and analyze. Note: This is a screening trick to identify PFAS, but it is not a scientifically perfect PFAS identification system. Do not rely on “Clean” or “Vegan” beauty labels.
Polytetrafluoroethylene (a.k.a. PTFE)
Perfluorononyl dimethicone
Perfluorohexylethyl triethoxysilane
Methyl perfluorobutyl ether
Methyl perfluoroisobutyl ether
Trifluoroacetyl tripeptide-2
Tetradecyl aminobutyroylvalylaminobutyric urea trifluoroacetate
The most common phrase I hear when I walk through the aisles of Sephora is “it's a clean product” or “it's vegan so it’s all natural”. It makes me slap my head so hard, and sometimes, I will say something. I try not to, as I’m not trying to persuade their buying decision, but it's better to be aware of what you’re buying.
What I’m getting at: Clean, natural, organic, conscious, or non-toxic labels do not automatically indicate that the product is PFAS-free! You still need to refer to the ingredient line by line or find out if its PFAS-free by using the EWG App.
Pay attention to products labeled as “Waterproof” or “Long Wear” or “24-Hours”. It may not be indicated as such, but as marketing is the power of attracting consumers, callout labels like “All Nighter” or “All Day Stay” are just as equal.
Double Cleansing!!!! (Yes, capital because this is underrated and a respectable method)
I cannot emphasize this enough: If you want your skin soft and free of extra any left over makeup residue, you need to start double cleansing with an oil/lipid based cleanser or balm, followed by a cleanser.
Think about it: our bodies produce natural oils and sebum. Many things we're trying to cleanse like oil-based makeup, especially water-resistant cosmetics or sunscreen films, which are also hydrophobic or lipophilic. The principle of "like dissolves like" comes into play- hence a good quality oil based cleanser.
There after, a gentle or target cleanser does wonders to help exfoliate, deep cleanse, and target acne, blemishes, excess oil production, fine lines, or what ever you're targeting.
This is not sponsored but I recently bought a travel size of the Farmacy Original Green Clean which I highly recommend as a first cleanse.
For the second, if you’re looking for something neutral, Vanicream Gentle Facial Cleanser does wonders. An esthetician recommended this one to me, however, I bounce between others as well (linked below).
As you can tell, PFAS have more cons than pros, and while PFAS can up your makeup game, you’re still painting your sacred skin in fluorinated compounds that can cause illnesses in the long run- and we’re still not aware of the full picture here. I know you want that trending foundation or peptide lip balm, but its labels still need to be transparent and understood by all consumers. It’s easy to say something is good for your skin if its on a beautiful shelf or sold at a higher price, but at the end of the day, will you read your skin care ingredient list?
PS. I'm with you all on this. I some times give into the trend but at least we got double cleansing to help out a little ;)
Anua Heartleaf Pore Control Oil Cleanser 
Medicube Zero Pore Blackhead Oil Cleanser 
COSRX Low pH Morning Gel Cleanser 
Manyo Soybean Oil Cleanser 
Anua Heartleaf Quercetinol Pore Deep Cleansing Foam
Works Cited
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. (2020, June 24). Potential health effects of PFAS chemicals. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/pfas/health-effects/index.html.
Bobylev, S. (2018) 2018 Miss Russia National Beauty Contest final show [Photograph]. Businessinsider. https://www.businessinsider.com/dangerous-chemicals-in-beauty-products-makeup-list-2019-6
Green Science Policy (2021) Cosmetic Categories and High Fluorine [Chart]. https://greensciencepolicy.org/news-events/press-releases/unlabeled-pfas-chemicals-detected-in-makeup
Kovalchuk, N. M., Trybala, A., Starov, V., Matar, O., & Ivanova, N. (2014). Fluoro- vs hydrocarbon surfactants: Why do they differ in wetting performance? Advances in Colloid and Interface Science, 210, 65–71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cis.2014.04.003
LaMotte, S. (2021, June 15). Makeup may contain potentially toxic chemicals called PFAS, study finds. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/15/health/makeup-toxic-chemicals-wellness/index.html.
New EPA Data Show Banning 'Forever Chemicals' in cosmetics is overdue. Environmental Working Group. (2022, September 30). Retrieved October 6, 2022, from https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news/2021/11/new-epa-data-show-banning-forever-chemicals-cosmetics-overdue
Sara Azmi (2021). Why will the No PFAS in Cosmetics Act effect cosmetic users and the FDA?
Schultes, L., Vestergren, R., Volkova, K., Westberg, E., Jacobson, T., & Benskin, J. P. (2018). Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and fluorine mass balance in cosmetic products from the Swedish market: implications for environmental emissions and human exposure. Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts, 20(12), 1680–1690. https://doi.org/10.1039/c8em00368h
Susan Collins, Blumenthal Introduce Bill to Ban PFAS Chemicals in Cosmetics (2021). . Federal Information & News Dispatch, LLC. https://www-proquest-com.mutex.gmu.edu/docview/2540837605/citation/E817F570D5D444D0PQ/1?accountid=14541
Whitehead, H. D., Venier, M., Wu, Y., Eastman, E., Urbanik, S., Diamond, M. L., Shalin, A., Schwartz-Narbonne, H., Bruton, T. A., Blum, A., Wang, Z., Green, M., Tighe, M., Wilkinson, J. T., McGuinness, S., & Peaslee, G. F. (2021). Fluorinated Compounds in North American Cosmetics. Environmental Science & Technology Letters, 1–36. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.estlett.1c00240
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