Researchers find PFAS chemicals in hundreds of cosmetic products

June 18, 2021

An international team of researchers led by researchers from universities in Indiana found potentially toxic PFAS chemicals in hundreds of cosmetic products sold here in the Midwest.

The study, spearheaded by researchers at the University of Notre Dame and Indiana University, looked at the fluorine levels of 231 cosmetics sold in Indiana and Michigan.

The presence of fluorine indicates the presence of PFAS chemicals, a family of thousands of chemicals linked to a series of adverse health effects like increased risk of kidney and testicular cancer, decreased vaccine response, increased cholesterol levels, decreased birth weight in newborns and increased risk of high blood pressure or pre-eclampsia in pregnant women.

The products the researchers looked at spanned eight categories, including lip products, eye products, foundations, mascaras, concealers and eyebrow products.

The researchers found that nearly all the products tested contained the PFAS indicators, with foundations, mascaras and lip products showing the highest percentage of fluorine.

In most of the products tested, product labels did not disclose the presence of PFAS.

Researchers find PFAS chemicals in hundreds of cosmetic products

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