Statement by the Personal Care Products Council on PFAS in Cosmetics and Personal Care Products
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACTS:
Tesia Williams (202) 297-1232 williamst@personalcarecouncil.org
Stefanie Harrington (202) 615-6558 harringtons@personalcarecouncil.org
Statement by the Personal Care Products Council on PFAS in Cosmetics and Personal Care Products
WASHINGTON – “Cosmetics and personal care products companies remain committed to advancing innovative approaches while creating products that benefit a variety of consumer needs. The Personal Care Products Council (PCPC), working with a variety of stakeholders, supports using alternatives to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in product formulations. Our industry has been steadily moving away from PFAS as ingredients and using innovative formulation approaches to deliver high-performance and high-quality products.
“PCPC member companies take their responsibility for product safety and the trust families put in those products very seriously. Science and safety are at our core. In the U.S., cosmetics are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) and the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act (FPLA). All cosmetics products and their ingredients are subject to the same safety requirement under the FD&C Act – they must be shown to be safe for consumers before they are marketed.
“In a 2021 study published in the Journal of Environmental Science and Technology Letters, some of the fluorine levels detected could be the result of trace amounts from materials naturally occurring in the environment or as a result of the manufacturing process. It is inappropriate to assume that anything with a fluorine atom has the same safety profile. The FDA recognizes the possible presence of trace materials and offers guidance on allowable levels. PCPC supports the FDA’s authority to review these compounds, and they have the expertise to do so. The Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022 (MoCRA), which modernized federal cosmetics regulatory oversight under the FD&C Act, requires the FDA to conduct an assessment and publish a complete report on PFAS in cosmetics by Dec. 29, 2025.”
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For more information on cosmetics and personal care products and their ingredients, please visit www.CosmeticsInfo.org. Founded in 1894, the Personal Care Products Council (PCPC) is the voice and advocate for 600 member companies representing the global cosmetics and personal care products industry. PCPC’s members represent approximately 90% of the U.S. beauty industry and are some of the most beloved and trusted brands in beauty and personal care today. As manufacturers, distributers and suppliers of a diverse range of products millions of consumers rely on every day – from sunscreens, toothpaste and shampoo to moisturizer, makeup and fragrance – PCPC’s member companies are global leaders committed to safety, quality and innovation.