FDA PFAS-in-cosmetics report (29 Dec 2025): data gap, not a federal ban
Original source
Agency reportFDA Finds Insufficient Data to Determine Safety of PFAS in Cosmetic Products (29 December 2025)
Regulatory Details
Official source. FDA press announcement + report
Key points
- MoCRA §3506 report published 29 December 2025.
- Focus on intentionally added PFAS, not environmental contamination.
- 25 most frequent PFAS (~96% of intentional uses in the listing data FDA used).
- No definitive safety determinations; more research flagged.
- PDF: https://www.fda.gov/media/190319/download
Dates. Published 29 December 2025.
Verify in the official text. Whether your INCI is in the 25, and which state laws already restrict it.
Open questions. Confirm any transitional stock rules and whether your exact INCI / product type is named. This desk brief is a prioritisation aid, not a legal determination.
What changed: FDA issued the statutory PFAS assessment; it did not write a federal ban.
Who is affected: US cosmetics using intentional PFAS; anyone selling into PFAS-restricting states.
Suggested next steps: Inventory intentional PFAS. Read state calendars (see Illinois item).
Business Impact
On 29 December 2025 FDA published the MoCRA-required report on PFAS in cosmetics and said toxicological data are incomplete for most of the 25 PFAS it reviewed.
If you use fluorinated film-formers or water-resistant actives, expect retailer questionnaires to get sharper — and check state law separately.
This is not a federal ingredient prohibition.
This week: inventory intentionally added PFAS (the report’s scope) and map them to states where you sell.
Official text
Official English from the FDA news release of 29 December 2025 and the FDA PFAS-in-cosmetics page.
FDA: “The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today released a congressionally mandated report under the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022 (MoCRA) evaluating the use of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in cosmetic products.”
FDA: “While the report reviews available scientific evidence on potential safety concerns, the FDA’s evaluation did not reach definitive safety determinations and underscores significant uncertainty due to gaps in existing data on PFAS exposure through cosmetics.”
FDA states it evaluated the 25 most frequently used PFAS, which represent approximately 96% of PFAS intentionally added to cosmetic products in the listing data used. The report is entitled Report on the Use of PFAS in Cosmetic Products and Associated Risks (https://www.fda.gov/media/190319/download). FDA’s cosmetics PFAS page states that the scope is limited to PFAS intentionally added as an ingredient and does not include PFAS that may be present as contaminants.