New study finds potentially toxic chemicals in makeup

The makeup could include chemicals referred to as PFAS, and has been recognized in greater than 600 merchandise from 80 manufacturers.

(CNN) – The “No PFAS in Cosmetics Act” was launched in the US House and Senate on Tuesday, following the discharge of a brand new study that discovered excessive ranges of a marker for toxic PFAS substances in 52% of 231 makeup merchandise bought in the United States and Canada.
Some of the very best ranges have been discovered in foundations (63%), waterproof mascara (82%) and long-lasting lipstick (62%), in line with the study printed Tuesday in the journal Environmental Science & Technology Letters.

In addition, the study discovered some 88% of the examined merchandise didn’t disclose on their labels any substances that might clarify these chemical markers, regardless that that could be a requirement of the US Food and Drug Administration.

“It’s slightly stunning and hopefully a wake-up name for the cosmetics business in phrases of how widespread the PFAS contamination is throughout varieties of makeup merchandise,” mentioned David Andrews, a senior scientist for the Environmental Working Group, or EWG, a shopper group that maintains a database on private care merchandise which include toxins.

“The commonest PFAS is polytetrafluoroethylene, the ingredient mostly often known as Teflon, or the coating on pans. But alll in all, now we have recognized 13 completely different PFAS chemicals in greater than 600 merchandise from 80 manufacturers,” mentioned Andrews, who was not concerned in the study.

The invoice was launched in the US Senate on Tuesday by Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine and Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and in the House by Democratic Rep. Debbie Dingell of Michigan.

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“Americans ought to be capable of belief that the merchandise they’re making use of to their hair or pores and skin are secure. To assist defend folks from additional publicity to PFAS, our invoice would require the FDA to ban the addition of PFAS to cosmetics merchandise,” mentioned Collins in a press release.