PFAS: fears over lax US standards prompt bill on beauty products’ safety

By Esha Chhabra | The Guardian | August 6, 2021

Read the full article by Esha Chhabra (The Guardian)

"Earlier this summer, a new study found that more than half of 231 cosmetic products tested in the US and Canada contained PFAS, a group of fluorinated chemicals that can weaken immunity, disrupt child development, affect the reproductive system and increase the chance of certain cancers. Whereas Europe has kept a tighter rein on what chemicals can and cannot be included in everyday products, the US’s standards are now over 80 years old.

Now, Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) have reintroduced the Personal Care Products Safety Act, a piece of legislation that would require companies to disclose all the ingredients used in their products, be able to demonstrate their safety and register their entities with the FDA.

The bill was first introduced in 2015 but failed to pass. This year, with renewed interest in consumer safety and greater awareness about PFAS, Feinstein and Collins are making the case again with the support of industry giants like Unilever, Procter and Gamble, the Estée Lauder Group, Revlon, Beautycounter and Johnson and Johnson backing the legislation.

“I first moved to introduce this legislation several years ago after learning about people in cramped beauty salons getting Brazilian blowout hair treatments and not knowing that formaldehyde is used in many such hair products,” Feinstein told the Guardian. Formaldehyde, which is a colorless and flammable gas, is often found in glues, adhesive, building materials and insulation material. It can cause shortness of breath, headaches, dizziness and has been linked to cancer."