Long Lasting Makeup – Lasting Long in the Environment?!

Waterproof mascara is a MUST for important events, especially tear-jerking ones like weddings. In general, we prefer for our makeup to last long. After all, why would we want our time end effort that was put into creating the makeup look to be wasted as it disappears within a few hours. This is especially so in warm and humid climates like what we have here in Singapore. A very unsuitable climate for makeup lovers as the sweat and humidity literally melts your makeup off. But have you ever thought about what goes into a product that makes it long lasting? What’s the difference between a regular mascara and a waterproof one?!

Well the answer to that is PFAS – or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. These substances are man-made chemicals that have been used in industry and consumer products worldwide since the 1950s (ATSDR, n.d.). They are are added to cosmetics to increase their durability and water resistance (Whitehead et al., 2021). Furthermore, we are not only exposed to PFAS through cosmetics. They can also be found in products such as nonstick cookware, waterproof clothing, carpet, and fast-food containers (Fulmer, 2021).

A recent study by Whitehead et al. (2021) found that the cosmetic categories that contain the highest median flourine levels are foundations, mascaras and lip products. This finding can be seen in the diagram below.

This is a very important finding considering that these products are likely to have direct human exposure. PFAS could be ingested when lipstick containing PFAS is inadvertently ingested, and some PFAS in mascara could be absorbed through tear ducts (Whitehead et al, 2021). Furthermore, the study also confirmed that the use of fluorinated ingredients is poorly disclosed and contributes to the difficulty in estimating the magnitude of PFAS use in cosmetics (Whitehead et al, 2021). This uncertainty and lack of transparency further perpetuates the use of PFAS in cosmetics and other consumer products.

During production and use, PFAS can migrate into the soil, water, and air. Moreover, because of its widespread use, PFAS are found in the blood of people and animals all over the world and are present at low levels in a variety of food products and in the environment. Some PFAS can build up in people and animals with repeated exposure over time. In other words, PFAS have the ability to bioaccumulate. From Fulmer (2021),

What’s more, these chemicals don’t naturally degrade and are known to accumulate in the body as well as in our soil and water, making them a potential risk to consumer health and the environment.

From the quote we can see that not only are PFAS persistent (Whitehead et al., 2021; Fulmer, 2021), they are also able to bioaccumulate. This ability to bioaccumulate poses as a major health risk. According to the US Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, research involving humans suggests that high levels of PFAS can lead to

The persistence of the substance means that these impacts will most likely affect even more people over a long period of time as they are slowly exposed to PFAS in the environment. Hence, PFAS are significant pollutants that we SHOULD be concerned about.

So with the persistence of PFAS, not only is your makeup able to stay on for long, but the impacts of your actions stay longer in the environment. We need to reevaluate the true cost of beauty without destroying the beauty of nature. The persistent nature of PFAS also means we HAVE to stop adding more of it into the environment unless we want the negative impacts it can have on not only the environment, but also to human health. From Fulmer (2021),

Given the persistence of these chemicals they should only be used where absolutely essential, and that’s not waterproof lipstick or mascara.