Plastic Does Not Belong Here
Alexandria Bishop, SPFX Makeup Artist. IG: @aalexandriabishop
The beauty industry has been present in history for over the last 7,000 years. Humans have been changing trends and formulas since then. It sounds like for a lot of beauty companies, it’s time to change it up again.
Notre Dame conducted a study over the last three years that shows a shocking amount of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) present in about 50% of the 231 cosmetic samples they tested.
PFAS are man-made chemicals that are resistant to breaking down (earning them the name “forever chemicals”). They are also used in clothing, carpet, food packaging, and various beauty products.
The problem with these chemicals in beauty products is that they easily move through and accumulate in their environment, meaning they can easily be absorbed through the skin, tear ducts, and easily ingested (avid lipstick wearers, I hate to tell you…)
The reason this has become such a big topic is that there weren’t any extensive studies on the matter until recently, the thought before was there wouldn’t be enough to cause any big health impacts. Additionally, they can be linked to certain cancers, infertility risks, thyroid disease, and weakened immunity with large exposure to PFAS (due to it accumulating in your body).
Since companies aren’t required to put those labels on their products, it makes it hard to regulate them. The No PFAS in Cosmetics Act was introduced in the 117th Congress on June 15th, 2021 to strengthen regulations on putting PFAS in cosmetics. Not only will it protect citizens’ who use beauty products, it will also keep the products from getting into the water system and our soil (washing the products off goes down the drain and into our water system).
This is why we keep our companies and government responsible. It is important we, as citizens, make our voices heard. When we don’t have regulation with private companies, it leaves the public vulnerable. If you’re interested in helping the cause, you can sign the petition.
Other ingredients to look for in your makeup:
PTFE (Teflon)
Perfluorononyl Dimethicone
Perfluorodecalin
C9-15 Fluoroalcohol Phosphate
Octafluoropentyl Methacrylate
Perfluorohexane
Pentafluoropropane
Polyperfluoroethoxymethoxy Difluoroethyl Peg Phosphate
Polyperfluoroethoxymethoxy Peg-2 Phosphate
Methyl Perfluorobutyl Ether
Perfluorononylethyl Carboxydecyl Peg-10 Dimethicone
Perfluorodimethylcyclohexane
Perfluoroperhydrophenanthrene
Sources: NRDC, Boston Globe, FDA, EWG, Gov. Bill, Fight for Zero