Beauty products raise concerns over chemical exposure risks

By Bárbara Pinho | Chemistry World | August 27, 2025

Read the full article by Bárbara Pinho (Chemistry World)

“Every day, millions of us apply some type of product to our bodies. From basic hand soap and shower gel to more elaborate cosmetics like retinoids and serums, these have all become an indispensable part of our daily routines. A recent survey in the US shows the average adult uses 12 personal care products a day – an increase from the nine products used in 2004. And as we apply more products, the question of what exactly is in them is being raised more often.

Terms like per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), silica and parabens are no longer confined to the realm of chemists’ jargon. Multiple surveys show that consumers are becoming increasingly aware not only of what’s in their beauty products, but also of whether these ingredients might be harmful. This concern stems from various factors: countries are setting regulatory limits on certain ingredients, raising awareness of their impact on human health. Social media has also fuelled a surge in conversations around the topic. And more studies are finding that these chemicals remain in people’s bodies for a long time.

‘A lot of these chemicals are really detectable in everybody,’ says Stephanie Eick, an epidemiologist from Emory University in the US. ‘That’s in studies from multiple different regions of the world, different age ranges, different demographic groups. Everybody has detectable levels of these compounds.’” …

This content provided by the PFAS Project.