The conversation about PFAS exposure typically focuses on drinking water, but personal care products — including makeup, moisturizers, shampoos, and sunscreens — represent a significant and often overlooked exposure pathway. Understanding this connection helps households develop a more complete PFAS exposure reduction strategy, with water filtration as one important component.
How PFAS End Up in Personal Care Products
PFAS are used intentionally in many personal care formulations for their functional properties:
- Water resistance: Foundations, mascaras, and sunscreens use PFAS to resist perspiration and water
- Spreadability: PFAS create smooth, even application in lotions and primers
- Long-wear performance: Lip products and eyeliners use PFAS to prevent smearing
- Conditioning: Hair products use fluorinated compounds for frizz control and shine
A 2021 study by researchers at University of Notre Dame and published in Environmental Science & Technology Letters tested 231 cosmetic products from major retailers and found that 52% of foundations, 47% of mascaras, and 55% of lip products contained significant levels of fluorine — a strong indicator of PFAS presence. Many of these products did not list PFAS ingredients on their labels.
Exposure Through Skin and Ingestion
Personal care product PFAS exposure occurs through two primary routes:
Dermal absorption: Skin absorption varies significantly by PFAS compound and the specific product’s formulation. Lipophilic PFAS compounds may penetrate more readily than hydrophilic variants. Products applied to mucous membranes (lip products) or around eyes may have higher absorption potential.
Incidental ingestion: Lip products are particularly relevant here, as consumers ingest small amounts throughout the day. Studies have estimated that women who regularly use lip products may ingest several milligrams of product daily through lip contact.
The Water Connection
The link between personal care PFAS and water filtration operates in two directions:
Manufacturing wastewater: PFAS used in personal care product manufacturing enter wastewater streams and ultimately drinking water supplies. Communities near cosmetic manufacturing facilities may face elevated PFAS water contamination.
Consumer wash-off: Water-resistant cosmetic products are designed to resist washing off, but the PFAS that do wash off enter municipal wastewater systems. Wastewater treatment plants are not designed to remove PFAS, meaning these compounds pass through to surface water and, in areas using surface water as a drinking water source, may return to taps.
The “Forever Chemical” Regulatory Landscape for Cosmetics
Regulatory oversight of PFAS in cosmetics is rapidly evolving. California’s SB 247, signed in 2022, prohibits the intentional addition of PFAS to cosmetics sold in California as of January 2025. Similar legislation has been enacted in Colorado, Maryland, Minnesota, and Washington. At the federal level, the FDA has indicated interest in reviewing PFAS use in cosmetics but has not yet issued binding rules.
The European Union has been more proactive, with proposed PFAS restrictions under REACH that would substantially limit their use in cosmetics and personal care products.
Identifying PFAS in Product Ingredient Lists
Consumers seeking to reduce personal care PFAS exposure can look for these ingredient indicators:
- Any ingredient with “fluoro” or “perfluoro” in the name
- PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene, sometimes listed as “teflon”)
- Polyperfluoromethylisopropyl ether
- DEA-C8-18 perfluoroalkylethyl phosphate
- “CF” prefixes in INCI names
A Comprehensive Exposure Reduction Approach
For households concerned about total PFAS body burden, a multi-pronged approach makes sense:
- Install a certified water filter (reverse osmosis or NSF/ANSI 58-certified system) to address drinking water exposure
- Transition to PFAS-free personal care products using apps like the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep database
- Avoid non-stick cookware that uses PTFE coatings
- Choose PFAS-free food packaging and storage containers
Water filtration addresses the most significant daily exposure route for most people, but combining it with reduced personal care product exposure provides a more comprehensive reduction in total body burden.