A first-of-its-kind study has found that “forever chemicals” – toxic compounds found in everyday beauty and personal care items like sunscreen, waterproof mascara and lipstick – can seep through human skin and enter the bloodstream. “If you put some of these products directly onto your skin and they contain PFAS, there’s a very high potential for them to be transferred across the skin,” said study co-author Stuart Harrad, whose research was published this week in Environment International. In early April, the Environmental Protection Agency set its first-ever limit on these “forever chemicals” in drinking water, following mounting evidence that chemicals in contaminated water can pose a health risk to people at even the smallest detectable levels of exposure.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, are a man-made class of thousands of carbon-fluorine bonded compounds developed to make products and coatings that repel grease, water, oil and heat. Known as “forever chemicals,” PFAS can persist in the environment for centuries. It is known that PFAS can enter the body through contaminated food and water as well as by inhaling polluted air.
But it was previously thought that PFAS were unable to breach the skin barrier. This study adds to the limited body of evidence that proves dermal exposure to PFAS can lead to skin absorption. Waterproof cosmetics like mascara, long-wear matte lipsticks and waterproof clothing are examples of products with PFAS that.
