New chemical analyzes reveal the horrible truth about beauty products: many of them contain potentially highly resistant and potentially harmful “eternal chemicals” called PFAS…

PFAS, an abbreviation for “perfluoroalkyl and poly-fluoroalkyl substances”, is made up of thousands of chemicals and is so robust that it can remain in the environment for years and centuries. Few PFAS are known to affect health, but these compounds are associated with high cholesterol, thyroid disease, and other problems.

“No good PFAS is known,” says Graham Peaslee, a chemist, and physicist at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana.

In the first major screening of PFAS cosmetics in the United States and Canada, Peaslee et al. found that 52% of the 200+ products tested contained high levels of fluoride, suggesting the presence of PFAS. Researchers reported online on June 15 in Environmental Technology Scientific. Letter. The potential health risks of PFAS in makeup are not yet clear, says Peaslee. However, not only those that ingest or absorb PFAS during makeup application but also cosmetics that have been removed by water can enter drinking water.

Peaslee’s team measured the amount of fluorine, the main component of PFAS, in 231 cosmetics. 63% of foundations, 55% of lip products, and 82% of waterproof masks were high in fluoride. A piece of paper contained at least 0.384 micrograms of fluorine per square inch of product. Especially durable and waterproof products may contain high fluorine content. This makes sense because PFAS is water-resistant.

All 29 products tested for a specific PFAS contained at least four of these chemicals, but only one product had PFAS listed in its composition. These compounds not only pose a potential health risk but can also be broken down in the body into other PFASs, such as perfluorooctanoic acid. It is associated with cancer and low birth weight.