An investigation by the Danish Consumer Council THINK Chemicals has identified harmful chemicals, including PFAS and suspected EDCs, in face creams. However, they also found that safer alternatives are available.

The Danish Consumer Council THINK Chemicals examined 62 facial creams for problematic chemicals. These included brands such as Clinique, Elizabeth Arden, Garnier, Kiehl’s, and Origins. They scrutinised the products’ ingredient lists and ranked them based on their chemical content.

In the study, 35 face creams did not contain a range of harmful chemicals and were considered a good choice.

However, 12 of the face creams received the worst ‘C-rating’ due to the presence of PFAS, suspected EDCs, or other problematic chemicals.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a family of over 10,000 highly persistent synthetic chemicals. They are often given the nickname the ‘forever chemicals’, because they do not break down easily in the environment.

Exposure to some PFAS has been linked to numerous adverse health impacts, such as the promotion of certain cancers, disruption of the immune system and reduced fertility.

However, the study noted that the number of face creams containing PFAS has decreased since its previous test in 2021, from eight to just two.

Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are chemicals that disrupt the normal functioning of the endocrine (hormone) system. The endocrine system controls key functions such as growth and brain development.

Exposure to EDCs has been linked to numerous health impacts such as reproductive issues, obesity, and hormone related cancers, including breast and testicular cancer.

The Danish Consumer Council THINK Chemicals points out that the harmful chemicals in these products can contribute to your overall exposure to potentially harmful chemicals. We are constantly exposed to a complex cocktail of known and suspected harmful chemicals from multiple sources, including air, water, food and consumer products. Current regulations fail to sufficiently protect people and nature from this combined exposure effect. Read more about the mixture effect in our report ‘Chemical Cocktails: The neglected threat of toxic mixtures and how to fix it’.

Find the full list of products tested and ratings (in Danish) here.

On the 20^th of February, France passed a new law that will ban PFAS in several products, including cosmetics. France is now the second EU country after Denmark to introduce a partial ban on PFAS.

CHEM Trust is calling for an urgent ban on all PFAS chemicals in the EU and the UK.

Read more on PFAS here.

Read more on EDCs here.

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