Their upcoming restriction at the European level, national initiatives (particularly in France) against them, and above all, the feasibility of their implementation are cause for concern. At the 23rd Perfumes & Cosmetics Congress, organized in Chartres on November 19 and 20, 2025, by Cosmetic Valley, Anaïs Jankowiak and Audrey Guibet, respectively Regulatory Toxicologist and Strategic Expert in Cosmetics & Personal Care at SGS France, provided the keys to understanding everything about PFAS and the latest developments surrounding them.
First part of this article, with definitions and origins of PFAS, their uses in cosmetic products, and the regulatory framework in Europe and France. The second part will cover analysis methodologies, future prospects and challenges, and the Q&A session that took place at the end of the presentation.
PFAS are synthetic fluorinated organic chemical compounds, forming a large family of more than 4,000 to 15,000 substances, according to scientific sources.
From definition to generalization
In order to harmonize their approach, the OECD has proposed a definition according to which PFAS are molecules formed of a more or less linear and branched aliphatic carbon chain containing at least one fluorinated group (CF₃ or CF₂). A distinction is thus made between polyfluoroalkyls and perfluoroalkyls. Various functional groups can be added to these bases, giving these substances different physical, chemical, and toxicological properties.
PFAS are generally divided into two main families: polymeric (e.g., PTFE) and non-polymeric (e.g., PFOA, PFOS).
It is the strength of the carbon-fluorine bond that makes these substances very stable and highly resistant to chemical degradation. “They can withstand very high temperatures and dissolve in almost nothing,” Anaïs Jankowiak explained.
Their persistence in the environment and …
