Warning on a series of makeup products containing harmful chemicals PFAS

The US House of Representatives has officially announced the bill ‘Prohibition of PFAS in cosmetics’, after new research showed that this harmful chemical is present in 52% of 231 types of cosmetics.
Shocking research

Eyes and lips are particularly sensitive and vulnerable areas when exposed to PFAS chemicals. Photo: CNN Susan Collins said: “The American people have a right to know that the products they are applying to their hair or skin are safe? PFAS substances are a class of man-made chemicals, including PFOA, PFOS and GenX that have can accumulate in the body over time and have been linked to cancers, such as thyroid, liver damage, reduced fertility, and hormone disruption. Accordingly, out of 231 beauty products sold in the US and Canada, the highest PFAS index was found in foundation (63%), waterproof mascara (82%) and lipstick. anti-drift lips (62%). The study was published yesterday (June 15) in the journal Environmental Science & Technology Letters. In addition, the study said, about 88% of the products sampled for testing did not declare any ingredients on the label, despite this being a mandatory requirement of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). FDA). David Andrews, senior scientist with Environmental Action for Consumers, said: “I was a bit shocked and hopefully this will be a wake-up call to the cosmetic industry about the extent of PFAS abuse. spreading across all kinds of makeup products.” The bill was introduced to the Senate Tuesday by Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine, Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Representative Debbie Dingell, Democrat of Michigan. In a letter to CNN Health, Ms Dingell said: “These chemicals are in the products we use every day and most people don’t even know the dangers they face. daily”. If approved into law, Congress will require the FDA to issue a regulation banning the intentional addition of PFAS in cosmetics for 270 days, before the final regulation is enacted within 90 days. More than three-quarters of waterproof mascaras, nearly two-thirds of liquid foundation and lipsticks, and more than half, says study author Graham Peaslee, professor of physics, chemistry and biochemistry at the University of Notre Dame. eye and lip makeup products with a high concentration of fluorine. In addition, of the 29 products above contained at least four PFAS chemicals of concern. However, the most disturbing finding, according to Professor Peaslee, was that 28 of the 29 products containing the apparently toxic PFAS chemicals found did not declare the chemical ingredients on the label. “Although I often advise my patients to avoid products that are harmful,” says Dr. Whitney Bowe, clinical associate professor of dermatology at the Icahn School (Mount Sinai Medical Center) who was not involved in the study. contain perfluor or polyfluor, but this new study worries me because many products are contaminated with toxic compounds containing PFAS – commonly used near and around the eyes and lips, even if they are not listed on the label. “That is a real danger because PFAS chemicals can easily be absorbed through the delicate cells, right near the capillaries. In addition, women often lick their lips and they accidentally ingest the ingredients in this lipstick…”, Ms. Bowe warned. Now the Care Products Council, a 600-member trade association representing more than 90% of the beauty industry in the US, says “we are awaiting internal scientific review” before commenting. official commentary. CNN also reached out to the Canadian Cosmetics Coalition but received no response. What is PFAS? PFAS chemicals are made up of a linked chain of carbon and fluorine atoms, which do not break down in the environment. It is used in a wide variety of products such as non-stick cookware, infection-resistant surgical gowns and drapes, mobile phones, semiconductors, commercial aircraft and low-emission vehicles. Synthetic chemicals used in health-related items have doubled in the past 5 years in the US. Photo: CNN PFAS chemicals are also used to make carpets, clothing, furniture and food packaging resistant to stains, water and grease. Foods that are high in fat – like burgers, fries – are prime candidates for wrapping paper made with PFAS. While two of the most common PFASs – 8-carbon chain perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) – were now phased out of consumer products in the US in the early 2000s, now the consumer industry is created many new versions, with more than 4,700 types of PFAS as of 2018. Newer PFAS chemicals are manufactured with four or six carbon chains, experts say, but they appear to have more hazardous health effects than older versions, leaving consumers and the environment at risk, experts say. still at risk. Microbiologist Linda Birnbaum, former director of the Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the National Toxicology Program, told CNN: “Manufacturers look to shorter-chain carbons. They weren’t really required to be fully tested for safety before anything was put on the market.” According to a 2015 report by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, PFAS chemicals are considered “permanent” chemicals because they do not break down in the environment, and concentrations of PFAS are so widespread that they have been detected. present in the blood of 97% of Americans.