Testing of 13 brands of facial tissues reveals half of them contain “forever chemicals”

Mamavation tested 13 facial tissue brands for PFAS “forever chemicals” sold in the USA and found that 46% showed indications of PFAS, with 66% of products with PFAS indications being advertised as bamboo-based. All products with PFAS indications claimed some form of environmentally friendly feature or certification.

Some of these brands are known internationally, such as Kleenex.

Over several years, Mamavation has conducted studies on various consumer products, including makeup, cookware, food packaging and cleaning products, to identify PFAS contamination and safer alternatives.  In June, Mamavation published an article about their investigation into facial tissues.

For investigations which include laboratory testing, Mamavation uses an EPA-certified laboratory to test for a marker that identifies the potential presence of PFAS “forever chemicals.” Organic fluorine is a marker for PFAS because all PFAS chemicals are carbon-based compounds that contain fluorine, Mamavation says.

PFAS (Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances) are a group of over 10,000 synthetic (man-made) chemicals used in various everyday products since the 1940s. PFAS forever chemicals pose significant health and environmental risks.  They are known as “forever chemicals” due to their persistence in the environment and human bodies, with estimated degradation times ranging from hundreds to thousands of years.

According to a 2022 article published by The Guardian, the chemicals have a relatively low profile in the UK, but PFAS has become a household term in the US.

Humans are primarily exposed to PFAS through consuming contaminated water or food, using products made with PFAS or breathing air containing PFAS. Studies have linked PFAS exposure to cancer, reproductive and immune system harm and other diseases. In America, these forever chemicals are found in the blood of virtually everyone, including newborn babies.

Environmental impacts of PFAS contamination include threatening soil health, bioaccumulating in wildlife and humans, and posing a mounting chemical pollution crisis.

Facial Tissue Like Kleenex Tested for Indications of PFAS “Forever Chemicals” – Guide

By Mamavation, 18 June 2024

Mamavation’s EPA-certified laboratory found indications of PFAS “forever chemicals” after analysing popular facial tissues on the market today. PFAS are per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances that have been used for many decades as stain-resistant, oil-resistant, grease-resistant and water-resistant chemicals in commerce.

PFAS are found in many other areas of our homes with some examples being cookware, makeup, drinking water, contact lenses and dental floss. These chemicals are linked to serious health effects, which we will discuss later. Because PFAS are so toxic, Mamavation has commissioned our own scientific studies on indications of PFAS in products to make recommendations for facial tissues using PFAS-free materials that you can use during the cold and flu season or allergy season. Read Mamavation’s report (see below) on these products to find which brands are organic-fluorine-free when you have a runny nose or watery eyes.

For this consumer study, Mamavation sent 13 facial tissue products from 13 brands to an EPA-certified laboratory looking for indications of toxic PFAS “forever chemicals.” Here’s what we found:

• 46% of total facial tissue products tested had indications of PFAS “forever chemicals.” That’s 6 detections out of 13 facial tissue brands that had organic fluorine above 10 parts per million (ppm) according to our laboratory.
• 66% of the products with detections of organic fluorine were advertised as made from bamboo. That’s 4 out of 6 products that had detections of organic fluorine.
• 100% of the products with detections of organic fluorine were advertised as having some type of environmentally friendly feature such as being made from bamboo, having a “sustainable” certification like Forest Stewardship Council (“FSC”) or being classified as “tree-free.” That’s 6 out of 6 products that had detections of organic fluorine.
• Ranges of organic fluorine, a marker for PFAS, were from 10 ppm to 25 ppm.These are not levels of PFAS that would be considered “intentionally added” and are more likely to be from contamination in the supply chain.

It’s clear from the reporting we received from our EPA-certified laboratory that claims of “sustainability” or something similar have no bearing on traces of organic fluorine, which is an indicator of PFAS “forever chemicals.”  Therefore, just because your box of facial tissue has a sustainable claim doesn’t mean they are avoiding all indications of PFAS. Our research also suggests that bamboo versions of facial tissue may have additional contamination issues that may not be shared by larger or more conventional tissue brands.

PFAS “Forever Chemicals” Have Problematic Health Effects

PFAS “forever chemicals” are problematic for human health and the environment. They are considered ubiquitous, persistent, and toxic. In fact, many of these PFAS chemicals can last for years or decades in our bodies. The health effects from exposure to PFAS on open wounds are unknown, but this would be a unique way for them to easily get into our bodies. It’s also unknown what happens when PFAS get absorbed into our tissues and travels around in our bodies. However, we do know that these areas can be vulnerable to toxic chemicals like PFAS “forever chemicals” in general. Therefore, it’s imperative to reduce the amount of PFAS you are exposed to from food, water and consumer products like facial tissues. Mamavation is dedicated to helping you do that when you are shopping for facial tissues.

Here are some of the health effects associated with different PFAS “forever chemicals:”

• Reduction in immunity
• Reduced vaccination response
• Increased risk of allergies and asthma in young children
• Affected growth, learning, and behaviour of infants and older children
• Increase cholesterol levels
• Metabolic diseases like obesity & diabetes
• Cardiovascular disease
• Lowered a woman’s chance of getting pregnant
• Lowered male fertility
• Increased risk of kidney and testicular cancers
• Causes endocrine disruption
• Disrupted normal thyroid function
• Increases risk of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in children 

It’s also very clear based on biomonitoring evidence from the Centre for Disease Control (“CDC”) that PFAS are in all Americans. Therefore, these exposures can harm most Americans.

Other Known Industries Using PFAS “Forever Chemicals”

PFAS chemicals have been used for decades to create stain resistance, water resistance, and grease-proof qualities in products to which they are added. If you’ve heard of coatings such as “Teflon” on cookware, fabrics made from “Gore-Tex” or treatments on carpets like STAINMASTER®, you’ve already heard about PFAS chemicals. Here’s more of what you may not have been aware of:

• Textiles and Fabrics: PFAS chemicals are very commonly found in product categories such as textiles and fabrics to create stain-resistance, water-resistance, or “sweat-wicking.” To help you here, Mamavation has tested athletic wear, sports bras, and period underwear. We’ve also conducted other consumer studies on bedding, children’s clothing, infant car seats,  jackets, & raincoats.
• Food Packaging: In food packaging, they are used in popcorn bags, pizza boxes, fast food wrappers and canisters, and the flat dish on the bottom of cakes at the grocery store. Mamavation has also tested different butter wrappers, parchment paper brands, plastic-free straws, paper coffee filters, ziploc-type sandwich bags and cupcake liners for indications of PFAS.
• Personal Care Products: The beauty industry has been notoriously guilty of using PFAS to create a waterproof or long-lasting effect in makeup products. So Mamavation tested the most popular green beauty makeup brands, and we have also found some issues with lip balms, deodorants, condoms & lubricants, period underwear, tampons, and sanitary pads. We also detected disturbingly high quantities of PFAS in bandages and dental floss
• Toilet Paper: Mamavation found indications of PFAS in 24% of the toilet paper we sent to the lab. However, we also found plenty of ‘best” and “better” brands. Go take a look!
• Cookware: Most “non-stick” cookware is coated with PFAS chemicals, including some stainless steel cookware, and small kitchen appliances like air fryers. Check out Mamavation’s investigation on cookware.
• Carpeting and Flooring: PFAS has also been used in carpeting and flooring. Do you remember StainMaster™ carpet? That was PFAS. However, not all carpet shows indications of PFAS. We recently tested one brand you can safely purchase. Mamavation also tested several bamboo flooring brands and found one brand that was free from PFAS.
• Furniture: Watch out for “stain-resistant” treatments on furniture. We have not done any testing in this category yet.
• Fire Fighting Foam: PFAS was used in firefighting foams and they have unfortunately been used extensively around military bases, airports, and fire-training stations. If you live close to a military base; airport, or fire-training station, check with your local water district to see if they have tested the water for PFAS.
• Metal Plating, Semiconductors, Lubrications and Coating Additives:Lots of industrial applications of PFAS are used to keep equipment from rusting, getting overheated, or to provide water-resistant or grease-resistant qualities.
• Drinking Water: Sadly, there are lots of places around the United States and all over the world where drinking water is contaminated with PFAS. Most of these areas are by military bases, airports and other industrial parks that use PFAS for firefighting or other such uses. Luckily, Mamavation has done an investigation of the best water filters to remove PFAS.
• Car Wax, Ski Wax and Surfboard Wax: Yes, you guessed it. PFAS is used here for its grease and water-resistant qualities.
• Some Processed Food: Mamavation has found indications of PFAS inside pasta and tomato sauces, nut butters, cooking oils, non-dairy powdered creamers and ketchup. We are presently working on other food categories.
• Supplements: Mamavation’s laboratory has found some issues with products like electrolytes.
• Baby and Kids Products: Mamavation’s laboratory has found organic fluorine in some disposable diapers and cloth diapers, strollers and kids’ backpacks. Good news! We did not find indications of PFAS in several probiotics for children through testing.
• Cleaning Products: Mamavation found indications of PFAS in laundry detergent sheets.

Other Categories of Products Mamavation Has Tested for Indications of PFAS “Forever Chemicals”

Before we launch into the raw data from our lab, we wanted to remind you about all the other studies we have done on indications of PFAS “forever chemicals” inside the food and consumer products you may bring into your home. Each one of these studies was performed in a similar fashion as this study with brands sent independently to the lab and the raw data of those labs presented at the bottom of the post.

• Soft Contact Lenses
• Green Beauty Makeup
• Lip Balm
• Deodorants
• Condoms and Lubricants
• Dental Floss
• Toilet Paper
• Period Underwear
• Tampons
• Sanitary Pads, Pantiliners and Incontinence Pads
• Powdered Electrolytes
• Butter Wrappers
• Pasta and Tomato Sauces
• Nut Butters (Peanut butter, etc.)
• Cooking Oils (olive oil, almond oil, canola oil, etc)
• Ketchup
• Activewear (Yoga Pants)
• Sports Bras
• Parchment Paper
• Cupcake Liners
• Plastic-Free Straws
• Fast Food Packaging
• Children’s Probiotics
• Kids’ Backpacks
• Baby Strollers

Mamavation’s Investigation of Facial Tissues and Indications of PFAS “Forever Chemicals”

Facial Tissues were purchased or donated from community members between January 2023 and April 2024. Our EPA-certified laboratory received and tested each box of facial tissues we sent. No products were donated by the manufacturer. Many types of facial tissue were represented – some of these brands were lotion-free, dye-free, soft, hypoallergenic or sustainable – however, each brand is made for daily use. Some facial tissue boxes were donated to a local community centre because we received more than we could test, i.e. many of the same brand of facial tissue was received when purchased online.

Testing: Mamavation’s EPA-certified laboratory uses marker testing to identify the potential presence of PFAS “forever chemicals” in facial tissue. Organic fluorine is a marker for PFAS because all PFAS chemicals are carbon-based compounds that contain fluorine. The specific laboratory method used to test for total fluorine was the ‘Determination of Total Fluorine by Oxygen Flask Combustion and Ion-Selective Electrode’. If total fluorine was observed at a detection level of 10 ppm or greater, the lab did the ‘Determination of free Fluoride Ion in the product by Ion-Selective Electrode’ and then subtracted that from the total fluorine to determine the amount of organic fluorine. This marker testing is likely to show the presence of PFAS. Organic fluorine can also capture other fluoropolymers, pharmaceuticals and common hydrofluorocarbon refrigerants, such as 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (commonly known as R-134a) and 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene (commonly known as HFO-1234yf), which are all also PFAS.  None of which you want around your food, personal care products or facial tissue.

Scott Belcher, PhD and Associate Professor with the Centre for Environmental & Health Effects of PFAS at North Carolina State University says: “Fluoropolymers, such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE),  are extremely common forms of PFAS that could be contributing to the organic fluorine found in facial tissues. Methods used for detecting individual PFAS, such as PFOA or GenX, cannot directly identify PTFE. However, the analysis of total organic fluorine (TOF) does account for all PFAS contaminants in facial tissues, including PTFE. Therefore, this method of testing serves as a good ‘spot-check’ of consumer products.”

Not Our Favourite Facial Tissues

These facial tissue products were sent to our EPA-certified laboratory and it was reported back they had detections of organic fluorine, which is indicative of PFAS “forever chemicals.”

• Amazon Aware 100% Bamboo Facial Tissues – 12 ppm organic fluorine
• Cloud Paper 100% Bamboo Tissue Paper – 17 ppm organic fluorine
• Gaia’s 100% Recycled Treeless and Plastic-Free Facial Tissue – 16 ppm organic fluorine
• Puffs Plus Lotion – 25 ppm organic fluorine
• The Cheeky Panda Bamboo Ultra Sustainable Tissue made with natural bamboo – 10 ppm
• Who Gives a Crap You Smell Like a Fancy Candle Bamboo Tissue – 10 ppm organic fluorine

Better Facial Tissues

These facial tissue products were sent to our EPA-certified laboratory and it was reported back they had non-detect organic fluorine results. The detection limit of the testing was 10 ppm and thus anything under that amount would not be detectable to our lab. However, based on the materials used, they were deemed to be “better” and not “best” based on the less environmentally friendly inputs used. They are more representative of regular tissues, but some may be soft tissues or sensitive skin tissues.

• Kleenex Ultra Soft Hypoallergenic Tissues – non-detect organic fluorine
• Up & Up (Target) Kids Tissue – non-detect organic fluorine
• Kirkland Facial Tissue – non-detect organic fluorine
• Scotties Premium White Tissues – non-detect organic fluorine

Best Facial Tissues

These facial tissue products were sent to our EPA-certified laboratory and it was reported back they had non-detect organic fluorine results. The detection limit of the testing was 10 ppm and thus anything under that amount would not be detectable to our lab. These products were also made from materials that are less problematic to the environment.

• Eco Soul Bamboo Ultra Soft Facial Tissues – non-detect organic fluorine
• Caboo Tree Free Facial Tissue – non-detect organic fluorine
• Seventh Generation 100% Recycled Facial Tissues Whitened without Chlorine Bleach 2-Ply Tissue – non-detect organic fluorine

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