Skip to main content
          Skip to FDA Search
          Skip to in this section menu
          Skip to footer links


U.S. flagAn official website of the United States government

					Here’s how you know
          			Dot gov**The .gov means it’s official.**Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site.
							      SSL**The site is secure.** The **https://** ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely. 
			U.S. Food and Drug Administration
				
        Search
            Menu
							
						Search FDA
									
									Submit search 
		Featured
							Contact FDA
	                FDA Guidance Documents
	                Recalls, Market Withdrawals and Safety Alerts
	                Press Announcements
	                Warning Letters
	                Advisory Committees
	                En Español

					Products
            Food
							Drugs
							Medical Devices
							Radiation-Emitting Products
							Vaccines, Blood, and Biologics
							Animal and Veterinary
							Cosmetics
							Tobacco ProductsTopics
            About FDA
							Combination Products
							Regulatory Information
							Safety
							Emergency Preparedness
							International Programs
							News and Events
							Training and Continuing Education
							Inspections and Compliance
							Science and ResearchInformation For
            Consumers
	            Patients
	            Industry
	            Health Professionals
	            Federal, State and Local Officials 
 In this section:

                Cosmetic Ingredients

Cosmetic Ingredients

                        Allergens in Cosmetics
          Alpha Hydroxy Acids
          Beta Hydroxy Acids
          Diethanolamine
          Fragrances in Cosmetics
          Latex in Cosmetics
          Parabens in Cosmetics
          Per and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Cosmetics
          Phthalates in Cosmetics
          Talc Home
          Cosmetics
          Cosmetic Products & Ingredients
          Cosmetic Ingredients
          Per and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in CosmeticsCosmetic Ingredients Per and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Cosmetics
  
  	
    Share
    Post
    Linkedin

    Email
    PrintPer- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a diverse group of human-made chemicals used in a wide range of consumer and industrial products. Certain PFAS are intentionally added as ingredients in some cosmetic products, including lipsticks, eyeshadows, moisturizers, rouges, nail polish and enamel, blushers, and cleansers. These PFAS are used in cosmetics to condition and smooth the skin and hair, making them appear shiny, or to affect product consistency and texture.  Some PFAS may also be present in cosmetics unintentionally as the result of raw material impurities, or due to the breakdown of intentionally added PFAS ingredients that form other types of PFAS.

One common concern is that many PFAS break down very slowly and some accumulate in people, animals, and the environment over time, posing potential health risks. For more information on potential risks of PFAS, please see: Our Current Understanding of the Human Health and Environmental Risks of PFAS | US EPA.

Consumers of cosmetics who want to avoid PFAS should become familiar with reading the label on cosmetic products. The label of a cosmetic product sold on a retail basis must declare the ingredients in descending order of predominance. Based on information available to FDA, some common PFAS ingredients found in cosmetics include perfluorohexylethyl triethoxysilane, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), tetradecyl aminobutyroylvalylaminobutyric urea trifluoroacetate, trifluoropropyl cyclotetrasiloxane, and trifluoropropyl cyclopentasiloxane.

The Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022

The Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022 (MoCRA) is the most significant expansion of the FDA’s authority to regulate cosmetics since the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic (FD&C) Act was passed in 1938. This new law will help ensure the safety of cosmetic products many consumers use daily. MoCRA requirements include:

That FDA assess the use of PFAS in cosmetic products and the scientific evidence regarding the safety of their use in cosmetic products, including any risks associated with their use. MoCRA further provides that FDA, as appropriate, consult with the National Center for Toxicological Research to assess safety of PFAS in cosmetics.
	That FDA publish, on its website, a report summarizing the results of the safety assessment from the use of PFAS in cosmetic products, not later than December 29, 2025.Research on PFAS in Cosmetics

There have been few studies on the presence of PFAS in cosmetics. Those studies that have been published found the concentration of certain PFAS in cosmetics as impurities or as ingredients, at levels ranging from the parts per billion to hundreds of parts per million. Not all PFAS that may be found in cosmetics can be readily measured, because the specific “fingerprint” or analytical standard for the specific PFAS may not be available, making their detection and quantitation challenging.

There is also limited research on whether PFAS in cosmetics are absorbed through the skin at levels that could be harmful to human health. A 2018 study by Denmark’s Environmental Protection Agency, the only risk assessment that has evaluated PFAS in cosmetics, was conducted on certain PFAS unintentionally present in cosmetics. The study focused on five types of PFAS impurities that were detected in the largest number of different cosmetic products and in relatively high concentrations. The researchers determined that the levels of PFAS in the individual products tested are unlikely to pose a health risk for consumers. Because data from this and other published studies are limited, they cannot be used to draw definitive conclusions about the potential health risks of PFAS in cosmetics.

Based on the currently limited information, additional research is needed to determine:

the toxicological profiles for PFAS in cosmetics;
	the extent to which various PFAS in cosmetics can be absorbed through the skin; and
	the potential for human health risks from exposure to PFAS in cosmetics.Additional Information

Based on frequency of use data available to FDA from a subset of information from industry in the now sunsetted Voluntary Cosmetics Registration Program (FDA Has Stopped Accepting Submissions to the Voluntary Cosmetic Registration Program (VCRP)), there were approximately 35 types of PFAS (listed below, based on OECD definition) used as ingredients in a total of 578 cosmetic product formulations in March 2022.  Although the number of types of PFAS ingredients decreased to 31 during a period of one year (through March 2023), the total number of cosmetic product formulations containing at least one type of PFAS remained largely unchanged (n=570).

No
			CAS NUMBER
			INGREDIENT NAME1
			51851377
			PERFLUOROHEXYLETHYL TRIETHOXYSILANE2
			9002840
			POLYTETRAFLUOROETHYLENE (PTFE)3
			934368602
			TETRADECYL AMINOBUTYROYLVALYLAMINOBUTYRIC UREA TRIFLUOROACETATE4
			429674
			TRIFLUOROPROPYL CYCLOTETRASILOXANE5
			999004821
			TRIFLUOROPROPYL CYCLOPENTASILOXANE6
			882878480
			PERFLUORONONYL DIMETHICONE7
			306945
			PERFLUORODECALIN8
			163702076
			METHYL PERFLUOROBUTYL ETHER9
			163702087
			METHYL PERFLUOROISOBUTYL ETHER10
			69991679
			POLYPERFLUOROMETHYLISOPROPYL ETHER11
			355420
			PERFLUOROHEXANE12
			64577635
			TRIFLUOROACETYL TRIPEPTIDE-213
			306912
			PERFLUOROPERHYDROPHENANTHRENE14
			460731
			PENTAFLUOROPROPANE15
			10442838
			HC YELLOW NO. 1316
			163702054
			ETHYL PERFLUOROBUTYL ETHER17
			335273
			PERFLUORODIMETHYLCYCLOHEXANE18
			379685968
			ACETYL TRIFLUOROMETHYLPHENYL VALYLGLYCINE19
			999004531
			TRIFLUOROPROPYLDIMETHYL/TRIMETHYLSILOXYSILICATE20
			999004949
			TRIFLUOROPROPYL DIMETHICONE/TRIFLUOROPROPYL DIVINYLDIMETHICONE CROSSPOLYMER21
			999001447
			TRIFLUOROMETHYL C1-4 ALKYL DIMETHICONE22
			163702065
			ETHYL PERFLUOROISOBUTYL ETHER23
			1805227
			PERFLUOROMETHYLCYCLOPENTANE24
			999001107
			C9-15 FLUOROALCOHOL PHOSPHATE25
			80977400671
			PERFLUORONONYL DIMETHICONE/METHICONE/AMODIMETHICONE CROSSPOLYMER26
			1557087305
			ACRYLATES/PERFLUOROHEXYLETHYL METHACRYLATE COPOLYMER27
			115361687
			TRIFLUOROPROPYL DIMETHICONE28
			999003110
			POLYPERFLUOROETHOXYMETHOXY DIFLUOROETHYL PEG PHOSPHATE29
			999004438
			PENTAPEPTIDE-34 TRIFLUOROACETATE30
			50285182
			PERFLUORO DIMETHYLETHYLPENTANE31
			999001989
			PEG-8 TRIFLUOROPROPYL DIMETHICONE COPOLYMER32
			355931
			OCTAFLUOROPENTYL METHACRYLATE33
			92332257
			PERFLUOROALKYL PHOSPHATE34
			88645298
			POLYPERFLUOROETHOXYMETHOXY DIFLUOROHYDROXYETHYL ETHER35
			2001566556
			DIFLUOROCYCLOHEXYLOXYPHENOL

FDA will continue to evaluate available safety data and published studies, and also engage with stakeholders and other government agencies on an ongoing basis to fill existing data gaps.

                                                                                  Content current as of:
      01/22/2024
              
              
Regulated Product(s)
		 CosmeticsCosmetic Ingredients

          
                        Allergens in Cosmetics
          Alpha Hydroxy Acids
          Beta Hydroxy Acids
          Diethanolamine
          Fragrances in Cosmetics
          Latex in Cosmetics
          Parabens in Cosmetics
          Per and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Cosmetics
          Phthalates in Cosmetics
          Talc
 
 Footer Links
    FDA Archive
          About FDA
          Accessibility
      Visitor Information
          Website Policies / Privacy
          No FEAR Act
          Vulnerability Disclosure Policy
      FOIA
          HHS.gov
          USA.gov
    Contact FDA
      Follow FDA on Facebook
      Follow FDA on X
      Follow FDA on Instagram
      Follow FDA on LinkedIn
      View FDA videos on YouTube
      Subscribe to FDA RSS feeds
    FDA Homepage
    Contact Number
      1-888-INFO-FDA (1-888-463-6332) Back toTop