Yes, Teflon in your cosmetics is sadly not uncommon.
In fact, I was cruising through the ingredient lists of the most popular eyeshadow palettes on the market recently… and bam – there it was!
PTFE = Polytetrafluoroethylene = Polyperfluoromethylisopropyl Ether = DEA-C8-18 = Perfluoroalkylethyl Phosphate = Teflon®
A bunch of creative names for the same toxic substance…
What’s the big deal?
According to the Campaign For Safe Cosmetics...
❌ Fluorinated compounds are ingredients built around the element fluorine, with properties similar to chlorine and bromine, which are common in flame retardant chemicals.
❌ PTFE is generated using another fluorinated compound, perfluorooctonoic acid (PFOA), which may leave residual amounts of PFOA in the final ingredient.
❌ Wide-ranging literature has linked PFOA to negative health effects. Including being a registered carcinogen, linked specifically to breast cancer, an endocrine disrupter, and developmental toxicant specifically for pregnant women and children.
❌ In addition, researchers have found evidence that exposures to fluorinated compounds may increase the carcinogenicity of other chemicals when exposures occur together.