Which Cosmetic Ingredients Are PFAS?

The US FDA identified 51 PFAS used as ingredients in 1,744 cosmetic products, based on the product listings companies had submitted to it as of August 30, 2024. The most common is PTFE, in 490 products, followed by perfluorononyl dimethicone in 232 and trifluoroacetyl tripeptide-2 in 164.

Eye shadows make up the largest share of those products, 20.5 percent, followed by leave-on face and neck care at 15.9 percent, eyeliners at 8.4 percent, face powders at 6.6 percent and foundations at 4.5 percent. The FDA notes that its listing data does not reflect the whole market, because some businesses, small businesses among them, are exempt from listing.

The FDA’s advice to anyone who wants to avoid PFAS is to read the ingredient label. Every name on its list contains the letters fluor, as in perfluoro or trifluoro, or is PTFE, except two, HC Yellow No. 13 and ethyl tafluprostamide.

Sources checked September 15, 2026. Every point below links the page it came from.

The 51 PFAS the FDA found in cosmetics

IngredientCAS numberProducts using it
PTFE9002-84-0490
Perfluorononyl Dimethicone259725-95-6232
Trifluoroacetyl Tripeptide-264577-63-5164
Tetradecyl Aminobutyroylvalylaminobutyric Urea Trifluoroacetate934368-60-2156
Perfluorohexylethyl Triethoxysilane51851-37-7124
Methyl Perfluorobutyl Ether163702-07-6114
Methyl Perfluoroisobutyl Ether163702-08-7108
Perfluorodecalin306-94-571
Polyperfluoromethylisopropyl Ether69991-67-954
HC Yellow No. 1310442-83-840
Perfluorohexane355-42-040
Diethylaminoethyl Methacrylate/HEMA/Perfluorohexylethyl Methacrylate CrosspolymerNot available35
Pentapeptide-34 TrifluoroacetateNot available33
Trifluoropropyldimethyl/trimethylsiloxysilicateNot available28
Polyperfluoroethoxymethoxy Difluoroethyl PEG PhosphateNot available27
Perfluoroperhydrophenanthrene306-91-225
Dimethiconol Fluoroalcohol Dilinoleic AcidNot available24
Tetrafluoropropene29118-24-923
Ethyl Perfluorobutyl Ether163702-05-422
Trifluoromethyl C1-4 Alkyl DimethiconeNot available21
Perfluorononylethyl Stearyl DimethiconeNot available18
Acetyl Trifluoromethylphenyl Valylglycine379685-96-817
Perfluorodimethylcyclohexane26637-68-3, 335-27-317
Trifluoropropyl CyclopentasiloxaneNot available11
Perfluoromethylcyclopentane1805-22-710
Ethyl Perfluoroisobutyl Ether163702-06-58
Biotinyl Histidyl D-Tryptophanyl Dipeptide-29 Lysinamide TrifluoroacetateNot available8
Trifluoropropyl Cyclotetrasiloxane429-67-47
Perfluorononylethyl Carboxydecyl PEG-10 DimethiconeNot available6
Trifluoromethylphenethyl MesalazineNot available6
Trifluoropropyl Dimethicone/Trifluoropropyl Divinyldimethicone CrosspolymerNot available6
Trifluoropropyl Dimethicone115361-68-75
Ethyl tafluprostamide1185851-52-84
Pentafluoropropane460-73-14
Trifluoropropyl Cyclotrisiloxane2374-14-34
Perfluoroisohexane355-04-43
Adamantanylcarboxamido TrifluoromethylbenzonitrileNot available2
Perfluoromethylcyclohexane355-02-22
Polyperfluoroethoxymethoxy Difluorohydroxyethyl Ether88645-29-82
C12-16 Alkyl PEG-7 Methacrylate/Perfluorohexylethyl Methacrylate CopolymerNot available1
Decafluoropentane138495-42-81
Difluorocyclohexyloxyphenol2001566-55-61
Fluoro C2-8 AlkyldimethiconeNot available1
Heptapeptide-50 TrifluoroacetateNot available1
Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate/Perfluorooctyl Triethoxysilane CrosspolymerNot available1
PEG-10 Acrylate/Perfluorohexylethyl Acrylate CopolymerNot available1
PEG-8 Trifluoropropyl Dimethicone CopolymerNot available1
Perfluoroalkylsilyl MicaNot available1
Perfluorononylethyl Carboxydecyl Lauryl DimethiconeNot available1
Polyperfluoroisopropyl EtherNot available1
Trifluoropropyl DimethiconolNot available1

Listing data submitted to the FDA as of August 30, 2024. Some products contain more than one PFAS, so the counts add up to more than 1,744. US FDA report, Table 2.1

The sources behind this answer

  • Government sourceThe FDA reported in December 2025 that 51 PFAS are used in 1,744 cosmetic formulations, and said toxicological data for most of the 25 it evaluated are incomplete or unavailable. US FDA ↗
  • Government sourceThe FDA lists polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), perfluorononyl dimethicone and perfluorohexylethyl triethoxysilane among the common PFAS ingredients in cosmetics, and advises people who want to avoid PFAS to read the ingredient label. US FDA ↗
  • Government sourceThe FDA’s report says eye shadows, leave-on face and neck care, eyeliners, face powders and foundations together make up 56 percent of the PFAS-containing cosmetic products in its listing data. US FDA report ↗
  • Government sourceThe FDA said in December 2025 that no federal regulation specifically prohibits PFAS intentionally added to cosmetic products. US FDA ↗
  • Regulatory filingCalifornia has banned the manufacture and sale of cosmetics with intentionally added PFAS since January 1, 2025. California Legislature ↗
  • Regulatory filingMinnesota has banned the sale of cosmetics with intentionally added PFAS since January 1, 2025. Minnesota Revisor of Statutes ↗
  • Regulatory filingWashington has banned the manufacture and sale of cosmetics with intentionally added PFAS since January 1, 2025. Washington State Legislature ↗

Sources checked September 15, 2026. A brand statement is the company’s own claim, which we report but have not verified. Our grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests.

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