Experts suggest looking for skincare and beauty products without PFAS as safer alternatives
A new study published in Environment International found that chemicals, known as PFAS (or “forever chemicals”), often used in everyday beauty and personal care products like sunscreen and waterproof mascara, can seep through the skin and enter our bloodstream.
What are PFAS?
Synthetic chemicals or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances are man-made chemicals used to make products resistant to water, grease, oil and heat. These chemicals have been used in consumer products since the 1950s.
PFAS are concerning because they don’t break down easily and have been linked to health issues like cancer.
The study
Researchers used models of human skin to show that PFAS can be absorbed.
A five-carbon chain compound, perfluoro-n-pentanoic acid (PFPeA), had roughly 60% absorption to the blood from the skin while a four-carbon chain compound, perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS), had nearly 50% absorption to the bloodstream.
The discovery challenges what was previously known about these “forever chemicals.”
Experts suggest looking for skincare and beauty products without PFAS as safer alternatives.