Using Cosmetics, Perfumes and Dyes During Pregnancy and After Linked to Higher PFAS Levels in Breast Milk, Study Finds

In a new study, researchers have found a link between the use of certain personal care products, such as makeup, hair products and fragrances, by pregnant people and higher levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in human milk.

Researchers compared the use of personal care products and PFAS levels in prenatal plasma and human milk of 2,001 pregnant and lactating people within the Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals Study, which took place in 10 cities in Canada from 2008 to 2011.

The results showed that pregnant people who used products like hair dyes, perm solutions, hair sprays and gels, nail polish and other nail products, makeup and fragrance in the first trimester had higher PFAS concentrations in the prenatal plasma and people using these products in the third trimester had higher PFAS concentrations in their milk after giving birth. The scientists published their findings in the journal Environment International.

A graphical abstract of the study. Environment International

“While PFAS are ubiquitous in the environment, our study indicates that personal care products are a modifiable source of PFAS,” Amber Hall, an author of the study and a postdoctoral research associate in epidemiology at Brown University, said in a statement. “People who are concerned about their level of exposure to these chemicals during pregnancy or while breastfeeding may benefit from cutting back on personal care products during those times.”

The study revealed that the highest levels of PFAS were linked to frequent use of nail care products, makeup, perfumes or fragrances, hair dye and hair sprays, as The Guardian reported.

In the study, researchers found that people wearing makeup regularly in the first trimester of pregnancy had 14% higher PFAS concentrations in their plasma compared to pregnant people who did not wear makeup every day. Lactating people wearing makeup daily had 17% higher PFAS levels in milk.

Similarly, lactating people using permanent hair dye shortly after giving birth had 16% to 18% higher levels of PFAS in milk. People who used hair dye at least twice while pregnant had 36% higher levels of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), a type of PFAS, compared to people who dyed their hair less than two times while pregnant.

Using nail products during the postpartum period was linked to 27% higher PFOS levels in human milk.

Because the study only looked into just four of the thousands of types of PFAS, Hall explained that the total PFAS concentrations could be even higher.

This is not the first study to investigate PFAS in personal care products or their presence in human bodies. Earlier this year, New Zealand even moved forward with a ban of PFAS in cosmetics by 2027, and these chemicals have been found in human blood and the blood of umbilical cords. 

This latest research further ties PFAS exposure to higher risks for pregnant people and infants. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), PFAS exposure has been linked to decreased fertility, high blood pressure in pregnant people, developmental impacts in children, reduced vaccine response and ability of the immune system to fight infections, hormone interference, and increased risk of some types of cancer.

In response, the researchers noted that the findings could help better inform parents in their use of personal care products when pregnant or lactating, but that the results could also be wide-reaching and should not burden individuals. Instead, the authors said this should prompt more research and regulation of PFAS to protect public health.

“Not only do studies like these help people assess how their product choices may affect their personal risk, but they can also help us show how these products could have population-level effects,” said Joseph Braun, an author of the study and a professor of epidemiology and director of children’s environmental health at Brown University. “And that makes the case for product regulation and government action, so that we can remove some of the burden from individuals.”