Watch out for these toxins in your make-up

Avoid cosmetic and personal hygiene products that contain PFAS, as these toxins are harmful to your health. — dpa

PFAS (per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are environmental toxins that are found in many cosmetic and personal hygiene products.

They have been proven to be harmful to both our health and the environment, increasing the risk of cancer among other illnesses.

However, there are ways you can tell if these chemicals are in your moisturiser, shampoo or foundation.

All you need to do is take a look at the product’s list of ingredients to see if there are any of the following:

• PTFE
• Hydrofluorocarbon 152a
• C9-15 Fluoroalcohol phosphate
• Perfluorodecalin
• HC yellow no 13
• Methyl perfluoroisobutyl ether
• Perfluorooctyl triethoxysilanes

If so, you may want to consider throwing it out.

Contact with PFAS’ is associated with serious health risks, such as thyroid gland diseases, liver damage, reduced birth weight (for fetuses), diabetes, as well as an increased risk of breast, kidney and testicular cancer, according to Luise Körner from German environmental NGO Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland (BUND).

Scientists with the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) report that toddlers and other children are the most exposed population groups, with exposure during pregnancy and breastfeeding being the main contributor to PFAS levels in infants.

What’s more, fluorochemicals enter the environment through wastewater, where they pollute animals and plants through rivers and lakes, and do not break down naturally, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

For these reasons, it’s essential that any products containing PFAS and their packaging be disposed of in the general waste bin where they are most likely to be incinerated, rather than in recycling bins.

When shopping, you can also look for labels such as “PFAS free”, “PFC free” or “fluorocarbon free” on the packaging.

In addition, natural cosmetics are safe. – dpa