At a time when French MPs have just approved a draft law aimed at banning PFASs, particularly in cosmetic products, and when a restriction on these same substances is being drawn up at European level, Cosmed, the French professional association for the cosmetics industry, has just made its position on the subject known.
As a reminder, the European draft restriction on per- and polyfluoroalkylated substances (PFAS) is under discussion and should be submitted by the European Commission to the Member States by 2025.
But in France, the deputies then the senators decided to take the lead, by voting in favour of banning them from 1 January 2026.
In a press release issued on 4 June 2024, Cosmed points out that the PFAS family comprises 4,000 chemical compounds, around forty of which are thought to be intentionally present in cosmetic products.
This does not include the potential presence of traces of PFASs, brought about by contact with the product’s packaging or by the presence of water in the formula, which accounts for between 60% and 95% of many creams, lotions, shower gels and shampoos.
A support for the ban…
Cosmed “supports and encourages the elimination of PFAS from cosmetic products.”
The association points out that the cosmetics industry reacted quickly to the problem of PFAS by adopting alternatives very early on to replace these substances in beauty products, and that substitution solutions are already available to formulators, and the sector remains committed to eliminating PFAS from cosmetic formulas.
… but subject to conditions
Alignment …
