Most people applying makeup probably don’t stop to ponder how hazardous the swipes of lipstick or mascara might be. But beauty products are chemical concoctions, formulated to cover skin blemishes or stick to eyelashes for hours without running, clinging on through a sweaty night out dancing or a weepy movie. To give cosmetics this durability and water resistance, some manufacturers use a group of substances commonly known as “forever chemicals”, or PFAS.
There are thousands of distinct compounds in the PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) group and all are synthetically manufactured chemicals that contain links between carbon and fluorine atoms. The carbon-fluorine bond is one of the strongest in organic chemistry and it gives PFAS some interesting properties. They repel both water and fats and tolerate heat, which means they are stain-resistant, grease-resistant and waterproof. This in turn makes them useful in a wide range of applications, including food packaging, non-stick cookware, electronics, refrigerants, stain-proof or waterproof textiles – and cosmetics.
