A French ban on the production and sale of cosmetics and most clothing containing polluting and health-threatening “forever chemicals” went into force on Jan 1 (2026).

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are human-made chemicals used since the late 1940s to mass produce the non-stick, waterproof and stain-resistant treatments that coat everything from frying pans to umbrellas, carpets and dental floss.

Because PFAS take an extremely long time to break down – earning them their “forever” nickname – they have seeped into the soil and groundwater, and from there, into the food chain and drinking water.

These chemicals have been detected virtually everywhere on Earth, from the top of Mount Everest to inside human blood and brains.

Chronic exposure to even low levels of the chemicals has been linked to liver damage, high cholesterol, reduced immune responses, low birthweights and several kinds of cancer.

The French law, approved by lawmakers in February 2025, bans the production, import or sale from January (2026) of any product for which an alternative to PFAS already exists.

These include cosmetics and ski wax, as well as clothing containing the chemicals, except certain “essential” industrial textiles.

A ban on non-stick saucepans was removed from the draft law after intense lobbying from the owners of French manufacturer Tefal.

It will also make French authorities regularly test drinking water for all kinds of PFAS.

There are thousands of different PFAS and certain ones have been banned since 2019 under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, but China and the United States are not among the more than 150 signatories.

This includes perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), used since the 1950s by American company DuPont to manufacture its non-stick Teflon coating for textiles and other everyday consumer products.

The Stockholm Convention also bans perfluorooctane sulphonic acid (PFOS), known for its use as a waterproofing agent by the American group 3M, which has been heavily restricted since 2009.

A handful of American states, including California, implemented a ban on the intentional use of PFAS in cosmetics beginning last year, and several other states are slated to follow this year.

Denmark will ban the use of PFAS in clothing, footwear and certain consumer products with waterproofing agents beginning July 1 (2026).

Denmark has banned the use of PFAS in food packaging since 2020.

The European Union has been studying a possible ban on the use of PFAS in consumer products, but has not yet presented or implemented such a regulation. – AFP