“Toxic forever chemicals have no place in personal care products,” Scott Faber, EWG’s senior vice president of government affairs. “PFAS have been linked to serious health problems, including cancer and harm to the reproductive and immune systems. EWG applauds Sen. Collins and Rep. Dingell for introducing the No PFAS in Cosmetics Act.”
Last year, California became the first state in the country to ban toxic chemicals in cosmetics — including a number of PFAS. Maryland did the same this month, but the laws don’t take effect until 2025, the Post reported.
The FDA regulates cosmetics, but “the cosmetics industry itself is responsible for assessing the health and safety of ingredient, and there’s not much FDA oversight of that process,” Bruton said.
The Personal Care Products Council, which represents the cosmetics industry, did not have comment on the findings.
The new study was published online June 15 in the journal Environmental Science and Technology Letters.
More information
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has more about PFAS.
