Make up and Skin Care Products Contain “Forever Chemicals” | AAD 2025

Now seen as “forever chemicals” that take a long time to break down, Teflon and similar products contain man-made chemicals that can resist water, stains and heat. Teflon was created in 1938 by a DuPont company and in 1946 used first to coat cookware as a stain repellent on fabrics and on industrial products.

Now these chemicals, known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl-containing substances (PFAS), are used in fire extinguishing foam, electronics and textiles and food packaging. They are found in drinking water, soil, waste and food, such as fish caught from waters contaminated with PFAS and dairy products from livestock that have been exposed.

These chemicals can persist and accumulate in the body. They have become so prevalent that most people in the United States have these chemicals in their blood. Research has begun to understand the impact on health. PFAS has been linked to a host of health issues, including the development of cancer, suppression of the immune system, hormone disruption, kidney disease and impaired lung function in people with asthma.

Efforts have been made to change these formulations and to reduce the amount of these chemicals in the water and the products we use. Some states have passed legislation regulating these chemicals. In 2023, state legislatures considered more than 200 bills that included language on PFAS, with at least 23 states enacting 50 bills on PFAS, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). And in 2024, the Environmental Protection Agency finalized the National Primary Drinking Water Regulation.

Recently, research has begun to understand how these forever chemicals can be absorbed through the skin. Now new research presented as a poster at the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Association annual meeting in Orlando, March 7, 2025, to March 11, 2025, has found that these forever chemicals in skin care products.

Researchers at several institutions, including Massachusetts General Hospital, University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, David Geffen School of Medicine, and Harvard Medical School, wanted to understand the prevalence of PFAS in personal care products. They searched the Environmental Working Group’s SkinDeep database of 113,969 products to identify ones containing PFAS.

They identified 13 PFAS in more than 200 products from 28 makeup, sunscreen, and shaving cream brands. Teflon, which contains the chemical olytetrafluoroethylene and has a 13.5% cutaneous absorption rate, was the most frequently identified forever chemical. It was found in 157 eyeshadows, 89 compact powders, 25 blushes, 16 moisturizers and sunscreens, and 3 shaving creams. Another chemical, perfluorononyl dimethicone, which is used as a way to condition the skin, was identified in 82 eye makeup and 20 lip care products.

Researchers say these findings “reveal the extensive prevalence of PFAS in personal care products, demonstrating the urgent need for further research into the impacts of cutaneous PFAS absorption,” they wrote. “Dermatologists can play a pivotal role by supporting research and regulatory initiatives, educating patients about potential health risks, and guiding them on mitigating exposure.”