‘Forever Chemicals’ Are Still Found in Personal-Care Products

Hello, it’s Anna in Virginia. Today I’m going to tell you about the potentially harmful chemicals in your personal-care products, but first...

Toxic “forever chemicals,” also called PFAS, are everywhere: rain jackets, nonstick cookware, food packaging, furniture, tap water — the list goes on. They’re tough to avoid but installing a complex water filter and using cast iron pans were little things I figured I could do to reduce my exposure. One place I hadn’t focused on: personal-care products.

Last month, the US Food and Drug Administration said it had collected information on 31 PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, in 570 cosmetic products in use during the 12 months ending in March 2023. PFAS are associated with cancer, delayed childhood development and immune system dysfunction, according to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. They’re called forever chemicals because they don’t break down in the environment and can contaminate soil, water and wildlife, such as the fish we eat.

The agency didn’t list the specific products that contain PFAS, but sifting through the ingredient lists of a few popular anti-aging creams found that some versions of L’Oreal SA’s Revitalift line contain a forever chemical called acetyl trifluoromethylphenyl valylglycine. L’Oreal didn’t respond to a request for comment.

Other well-known anti-aging creams like Kenvue Inc.’s Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair night moisturizer and Procter & Gamble Co.’s Olay Regenerist enhancing lotion got rid of a PFAS in recent years known as PTFE, which is commonly called by the brand name Teflon, according to spokespeople for both companies. The website for the Neutrogena moisturizer still listed PTFE, which stands for polytetrafluoroethylene, as an ingredient as of Tuesday, but a spokesperson says Kenvue is working to fix the “outdated” information.

These changes can sometimes mean a favorite brand disappears for a bit. Living Proof, a hair care brand, eliminated a PFAS it was using, octafluoropentyl methacrylate, early last year, says Alexis Tedesco, the company’s chief marketing officer. The chemical provided smoothing technology and getting rid of it meant phasing out some products and reformulating or replacing others.

“Love it!! Waited over a year for its return!” Lynn B commented in May on Living Proof’s webpage for a product that aids in smoothing hair while blow-drying, one of many to express relief they could purchase the spray again. Though some complained the new formula didn’t work as well.

The Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act, passed in 2022, requires the FDA to assess the safety of PFAS in cosmetics and report its findings by the end of 2025.

If you prefer to stay away from the chemicals in the meantime, the Environmental Working Group, a consumer advocacy organization, recommends checking the ingredient list on product labels for anything containing “fluoro” in the name, which usually indicates a PFAS. Retailers Sephora and Ulta Beauty also prohibit products that bear their clean beauty labels from using PFAS and many other potentially harmful chemicals. — Anna Edney