French ban on 'forever chemicals' in cosmetics, clothing to enter force
France is set to enforce a major environmental and public health measure as a nationwide ban on the production and sale of cosmetics and most clothing containing so-called “forever chemicals” comes into effect on Thursday. These substances, known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), have long raised alarm among scientists and health authorities due to their persistence in the environment and potential risks to human health.
PFAS are synthetic chemicals that have been used since the late 1940s to manufacture non-stick, waterproof and stain-resistant coatings. They are found in a wide range of everyday products, from frying pans and umbrellas to carpets, ski wax and even dental floss. Their chemical stability, which makes them useful in industrial applications, also means they take an extremely long time to degrade, earning them the nickname “forever chemicals”.
Over decades of widespread use, PFAS have accumulated in soil and groundwater and spread through the food chain and drinking water supplies. Traces of these chemicals have been detected almost everywhere on Earth, including in remote locations such as the summit of Mount Everest, as well as in human blood and brain tissue. Scientific studies have linked long-term exposure, even at low levels, to serious health effects, including liver damage, high cholesterol, weakened immune responses, low birth weight in infants and several types of cancer.
The French law, approved by parliament in February, bans the production, import and sale from January 2026 of any product containing PFAS for which safer alternatives already exist. The restrictions cover cosmetics, ski wax and clothing treated with PFAS, although certain “essential” industrial textiles are exempt. A proposed ban on non-stick cookware was ultimately removed from the draft legislation following strong lobbying by Tefal, a major French manufacturer.
In addition, the law requires French authorities to regularly test drinking water for all categories of PFAS. While thousands of different PFAS exist, some have already been restricted internationally. Under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, substances such as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) have been banned or heavily restricted, although major producers like China and the United States are not among the convention’s signatories.
Elsewhere, several US states, including California, will ban the intentional use of PFAS in cosmetics starting in 2025, with more states following in 2026. Denmark plans to ban PFAS in clothing, footwear and certain waterproofed consumer products from July 1, 2026, having already prohibited their use in food packaging in 2020. Meanwhile, the European Union continues to study a broader PFAS ban, though no regulation has yet been implemented.
