The US Food and Drug Administration released a congressionally mandated report on the use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in cosmetics, revealing major gaps in safety data and raising questions about potential risks to consumers.

 

“In accordance with our congressional mandate, the FDA today released its assessment of PFAS in cosmetic products,” said FDA Commissioner Marty Makary.

 

“Our scientists found that toxicological data for most PFAS are incomplete or unavailable, leaving significant uncertainty about consumer safety. This lack of reliable data demands further research. Consistent with the MAHA Strategy Report, the FDA will continue working with the CDC and EPA to update and strengthen recommendations on PFAS across the retail and food supply chain.”

 

According to the report, 51 PFAS are currently used in 1,744 cosmetic formulations. The FDA focused on the 25 most commonly used PFAS, representing roughly 96% of those intentionally added to cosmetics. The findings highlight a serious data gap: “toxicological data for a majority of these PFAS are incomplete or unavailable,” limiting the agency’s ability to fully assess risk. 

 

While five PFAS showed low safety concerns under normal use, most could not be definitively assessed, and one PFAS raised potential safety concerns with significant uncertainty.

 

PFAS are synthetic chemicals valued for water resistance, durability, and texture modification, but their persistence in the environment and potential toxicity have drawn growing scrutiny worldwide. The FDA stressed that its review focused only on PFAS deliberately added as ingredients, not trace contamination.

 

Currently, no federal rules explicitly ban PFAS in cosmetics, though the FDA said it will act if safety concerns arise. The agency plans to continue monitoring emerging data and dedicate resources to close the knowledge gaps. 

 

This work supports the Department of Health and Human Services’ Make America Healthy Again initiative to reduce PFAS across consumer and food products through expanded testing and monitoring.