'Toxic' forever chemicals (PFAS) in makeup: is this the new paraben? | Dr Dray

Today I respond to recent findings of PFAS ('forever chemicals') found in cosmetics from the United States and Canada. These findings were published in Environmental Science & Technology Letters and you can read the paper here:

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[lifebrarian]

Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. Consumers have every right to demand cleaner products and more regulation over cosmetics and skincare. We should be advocating for better products, not giving these companies that only care about their bottom line a free pass.

[lara-pwtj]

As a young woman in her 20s with thyroid cancer, with other friends around the country (all women in their 20s) with thyroid cancer & hashimotos, I don’t understand why it’s ok that chemicals that possibly carry a risk for people like us should be widespread in cosmetics, in our drinking water, & our environment? Thyroid cancers & endocrine disorders are considered by epidemiologists to be an epidemic, especially in young women like myself. This isn’t “fear mongering”, this is a matter of life and death for people like me, and it’s polluting our environment.

[aprilblossoms]

I read the title as “ Toxic PEAS” . I was like how did they find a way to make peas toxic and put in to cosmetics 🤦🏽‍♀️

[nurita]

Well if they are dangerous to have in the water then maybe we shouldn't have them at all? Seems unnecessary if there is a possibility of it being harmful. I hate the whole "we don't know for sure so we're good" Weren't cigarettes believed to be "safe" at some point in history?

[cindyduhon]

L’Oréal stopped using PFAS in their cosmetics in 2018. If they can do it so should everyone else. I choose to not take the chance with forever chemicals for me or my family (especially my granddaughters).

[nikkiwilliams]

I disagree completely. I don't want PFAS in anything I ingest or use regularly. Just because we don't know whether something is 100 percent safe doesn't mean it is OK to expose ourselves until science says it is not safe. In the US we tend to discount concerns rather than advocate for safety. There is nothing wrong with advocating for consumer safety. Doesn't mean products are going to be labeled PFAS free now. Who cares what the green market does anyway. If we had uniform safety standards like in the EU, we would not have to be surprised or in this case annoyed by another third party unveiling crap that should not be in any products. And yes I will continue to purchase products that advocate safety whether they make call outs or not if I like the ingredients and products. I applaud L'Oreal for taking PFAS out of their cosmetics and will continue purchasing my favorites from them or other companies who take safety standards seriously.

[sstrano]

I work in environmental compliance and pfas contamination is really just in the beginning stages of being understood in my experience. Some states have started to propose limits in drinking water but there isn’t a consensus about what is a safe level (states are all proposing different levels). I’ll also say that it’s quite difficult to test for these compounds as they are present in very small quantities and samples can become easily contaminated - for example, when you’re taking environmental groundwater samples you can’t wear any goretex rain gear because the pfas in the goretex may contaminate the water sample. “The dose makes the poison” and I don’t see any discussion of dose in this study…

[JRey]

It seems like cumulative risk becomes increasingly more important when the half-life of a chemical is extremely long. Certainly one product applied topically contributes little to total risk, but many products could increase overall risk to an unacceptable level. The comparison to parabens seems like a bit of a straw man, because parabens are totally safe while PFAS is still labeled as a possible human carcinogen.

[UncleCharliex]

The interaction you have with your followers responding to questions, video requests and comments makes your channel really stand out great topic today! ☕️☀️🧴💃🏻⭐️

[jenluv]

Thank you for weighing in on this, Andrea!

[Beaumiroir]

The main problem I see with this type of fear-mongering is that people are overly focused on their makeup or skincare, and not enough on the quality of the air they breathe and the water they drink. That is not something you can usually control, and it has a much larger impact on health.

[moodybassist]

THANKS DUPONT. It's radium girls or white lead face paint like the 1800s all over again. I'm in the skincare business and I would appreciate tighter regulations on this stuff then what we're currently working with. Which is none 😤😫

[ethimself]

My concern is the acumination in the waste water which ends up in places where they likely can be dangerous. Streams, rivers, lakes and the oceans. Note: few yrs ago my gf started making her DIY make up from Organic EV Olive Oil and at times from a blend of Organic Virgin Coconut Oil. She used cocoa powder and various spices and the likes of beet root powder, lots more as I don't keep up. She is not obsessed with it but does use it.

[lafelixbr]

PFOS are highly regulated chemicals. EPA has banned PFOS (C8). EPA regulates the use and manufacture of several PFOS chemicals and has set severe restrictions. However cosmetics are not under the EPA jurisdiction, cosmetics are regulated by the FDA.

[mairino]

Increased risk of kidney cancer sounds pretty bad to me. I have chronic kidney disease, diagnosed back in elementary school, and anything that is bad for my kidneys I try to avoid. Also, people totally consume lipstick.

[jojb]

I luv you Dr. Dray but these industries are slowly killing us. Godspeed everyone. ✌🏾

[jumbleumble]

PFAS could have endocrine disrupting effects by binding to the estrogen receptor within cells. I do agree though that makeup isn't the primary pathway of absorption. It would probably be through the water we drink or through food that is grown with contaminated water since bioaccumulation increases along the food chain.

[nise]

At almost 60 and having used makeup for 43 years and healthy I will continue to enjoy my makeup. I will be your litmus test, this sounds like more fear mongering, just like parabens.

[Tatyana]

No disrespect, by why are doctors always so quick to jump to the defense of these big cosmetic and skin care companies? You should be on the front lines holding them accountable to make sure they deliver the safest products to the consumer instead of constantly giving them the benefit of the doubt. Yes, not all these studies are conclusive and some are just correlation and fear mongering isn't healthy. But shouldn't we always air on the side of caution when it comes to our health?

[xdandychiggins]

yet another reason why i can’t stand tiktok. when someone isn’t setting unrealistic beauty standards on there, they’re spreading hysteria over the most obscure subjects in the world.