PFAS
PFAS in Cosmetics: What the 2026–2027 Changes Mean
PFAS — 'forever chemicals' — are working their way out of cosmetics under a major EU restriction. Here's where they were used, how to spot them, and what's replacing them.
PFAS — per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, the so-called “forever chemicals” — have been in the news for years, mostly in the context of water contamination, firefighting foams and food packaging. They are also in cosmetics, often invisibly. The EU has been progressively restricting them, and 2025–2026 marks the period in which the cosmetic industry has had to move decisively.
What PFAS are
PFAS are a class of synthetic chemicals — over 10,000 individual substances — defined by carbon chains in which most or all hydrogen atoms have been replaced by fluorine. The carbon-fluorine bond is one of the strongest in organic chemistry, which gives PFAS their two defining properties:
- Extreme stability — they don’t biodegrade under normal environmental conditions, so they accumulate indefinitely
- Repellence to water and oils — they create surfaces that resist both, useful in textiles, packaging, cookware and cosmetics
The “forever chemicals” nickname refers to the first property. Once released into the environment, PFAS persist for decades to centuries.
Why they ended up in cosmetics
In cosmetic formulations, PFAS have been used for:
- Long-wear, water-resistant makeup (foundations, mascaras, eyeliners)
- Long-lasting lipsticks and lip liners
- Setting sprays and primer formulations
- “Anti-flyaway” hair products
- Sunscreens marketed as sweat- and water-resistant
- Nail polish (smooth glossy finish, chip resistance)
The functional appeal is genuine: PFAS create a thin, durable, water- and oil-resistant film on skin or hair that resists transfer and wear. No other ingredient class matches the technical performance.
The downside is what happens after the product is used.
Where the PFAS end up
A PFAS-containing cosmetic goes through three routes after application:
- Direct absorption into skin (limited, but measurable for some PFAS variants)
- Wash-off into wastewater during cleansing, where conventional treatment plants do not remove them
- Disposal into landfill or via product packaging, where they leach over time
Once in the environment, PFAS:
- Accumulate in soil and water
- Are taken up by plants and animals
- Bioaccumulate up the food chain
- Are now detected at measurable levels in almost all human blood samples tested globally
- Are associated in epidemiological studies with effects on liver function, thyroid hormones, immune response, and certain cancers
The EU response
The EU has approached PFAS through a series of progressively expanding restrictions:
Existing restrictions (already in effect)
- PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonate): restricted under POPs Regulation since 2009
- PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid): restricted under POPs Regulation since 2020
- PFHxS (perfluorohexane sulfonate): added to POPs in 2022
- C9–C14 PFCAs: restricted under REACH since 2023
These covered the longest-chain and most-studied PFAS, but the cosmetic industry largely moved to shorter-chain alternatives (notably PFAS based on C6 or shorter chains), which were not initially restricted.
The proposed comprehensive restriction (2024 onward)
In January 2024, five EU member states (Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden) jointly proposed a universal PFAS restriction under REACH — covering the entire PFAS class, not just specific subgroups. The proposal targets:
- Cosmetics (with phase-out timelines)
- Textiles consumer use
- Food packaging
- Firefighting foams
- Most non-essential consumer uses
The proposal is currently under ECHA (European Chemicals Agency) committee review. The expected timeline:
- Final decision: late 2026 or 2027
- Phase-out for cosmetics: anticipated to begin within 18 months of final adoption, with phased deadlines for different product categories
In parallel, several national PFAS bans in cosmetics have already been announced. Denmark banned PFAS in cosmetics from October 2025 (the most aggressive national action in Europe). Other Nordic countries are following with similar national legislation ahead of the EU-wide restriction.
How to spot PFAS on cosmetic labels
The chemistry is varied, so the INCI names are too. The most common cosmetic PFAS include:
| INCI ingredient | Function | Found in |
|---|---|---|
| Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE / Teflon) | Slip, smoothness | Long-wear foundations, mascara |
| Perfluorohexane | Lightweight oil-feel | Skincare, makeup primers |
| Perfluorooctyl Triethoxysilane | Water resistance | Sunscreens, foundations |
| Methyl Perfluorobutyl Ether | Vehicle, water repellent | Makeup, primers |
| C6–C14 Perfluoroalkyl compounds | Various | Wide range |
| Polyperfluoromethylisopropyl Ether | Smooth feel | Foundations, sunscreens |
| Trifluoroacetyl Tripeptide-2 | Peptide-PFAS conjugate | Anti-ageing serums |
A quick warning signal: any INCI ingredient name containing “fluoro,” “perfluoro,” “polyfluoro,” or the prefixes “PTFE,” or “PFOA” is likely a PFAS or a closely related compound.
Some borderline cases:
- Cyclic siloxanes (D4, D5, D6) — not PFAS, but separate environmental restrictions apply
- Silicones generally — not PFAS; the carbon-fluorine bond is the defining feature, and silicones have silicon-oxygen
- Specific fluorinated polymers in some sunscreens — context-dependent, may or may not be in scope of the proposed restriction
What’s replacing PFAS
Brands reformulating ahead of the regulation are using:
- Silicone elastomers and resins (different environmental profile, generally allowed)
- Modified starches and cellulose derivatives for film-formation
- Acrylic and methacrylic film-formers (with attention to the parallel microplastic restriction)
- Naturally derived waxes (carnauba, candelilla, sunflower seed wax)
- Hydrocarbon emollients (squalane, isohexadecane)
- Boron nitride and silica-based powders for the soft-focus, mattifying functions
The replacements are not always equivalent in performance — long-wear makeup has visibly changed in the last 18 months as brands have removed PFAS — but they avoid the persistence problem.
How LuxSense scores PFAS
PTFE and other identified PFAS in our database score in the 20s–40s. The score reflects:
- Persistent environmental accumulation
- Documented bioaccumulation in human tissue
- Pending and existing EU regulatory restrictions
- Health concerns from chronic exposure (not from a single cosmetic use, but from cumulative population exposure)
- Functional alternatives now available
PFAS are not “immediately dangerous” in the same way that a strong sensitiser or a carcinogen is — the concern is long-term, population-level, and environmental as much as personal. Our scoring weights these factors substantially because they fit the EU’s precautionary framework.
FAQ
Are PFAS in my mascara really that bad?
The acute risk from a single mascara use is negligible. The concern is cumulative population exposure: PFAS from millions of consumer products entering wastewater, accumulating in the environment, and recirculating into human exposure through food and water. The case for the cosmetic phase-out is environmental more than direct.
Should I throw out my PFAS-containing makeup?
That’s a personal choice. If you have a partly-used mascara that contains PTFE, using it up and replacing with a PFAS-free alternative is reasonable. Discarding it generates the same waste-stream issue the regulation is trying to address.
Are PFAS-free claims meaningful?
Currently, yes — they signal a brand that has reformulated ahead of the regulatory phase-out. After full EU implementation, the claim becomes essentially redundant for EU-sold products.
Browse the PTFE profile or scan any cosmetic with LuxSense to check whether it contains identified PFAS ingredients.