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2025 Analysis

Moving toward safer cosmetics and personal care products

Insights and Predictions into 2025

Moving toward safer cosmetics and personal care products

Restricting harmful chemicals in personal care products and cosmetics is another emerging priority this year. Although Congress modestly updated the federal law regulating cosmetics in 2023, it left the authority to the states to ban toxic ingredients like PFAS, phthalates, and other chemicals. 

Personal Care Product Health Concerns

Many everyday cosmetics and personal care products can contain harmful chemicals linked to serious health concerns such as cancer and reproductive harm. In addition to health concerns, these toxic chemicals can contribute to broader pollution problems during manufacturing and disposal. Hazardous chemicals commonly found in these products include PFAS, phthalates, formaldehyde, and formaldehyde-releasing agents.

Certain products with toxic ingredients are used in greater quantities by people of color, resulting in a disproportionate impact. Products like skin lighteners, hair relaxers, and acrylic nails are often marketed to people of color or applied to customers by people of color and contain some of the most worrisome ingredients in cosmetics.

Expected Personal Care Product Policy and Regulations

This year, at least 15 states will consider policies that move toward safer cosmetics and personal care products. These states include Alaska, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Texas.

Map of the United States showing states in pink expected to take action on toxic chemicals in personal care products in 2025. Other states are shown in gray.

Prevention-based Policies

States, in partnership with corporate accountability campaigns, have helped make the cosmetics and personal care products industry safer. Building on efforts to increase transparency and eliminate harmful ingredients, the corporate sector has also made advancements, with leaders like Sephora, Whole Foods, and Ulta Beauty making safer products. This year, states will consider policies that address cosmetics by:

  • Eliminating hazardous chemical ingredients from personal care products.
  • Providing assistance to small manufacturers to find safer alternatives to harmful ingredients.
  • Requiring disclosure of hazardous chemicals so consumers can make informed choices about their products.
Prevention-based policies under consideration in 2025
  • At least 14 states will likely consider policies that restrict and/or require disclosure of chemicals of concern in cosmetics including Alaska, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Texas. There is growing concern about the many chemicals of concern in cosmetics including PFAS, formaldehyde, and phthalates, especially in products targeted to women of color. Washington, Oregon, and Vermont adopted policies addressing numerous chemicals of concern in personal care products and other states are following their lead. 
  • At least 10 states will likely consider policies to require disclosure of toxic chemicals and/or restrict PFAS and/or other chemicals in menstrual products including Alaska, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island.

Table of Contents

  1. I.Introduction
  2. II.Methodology
  3. III.Phasing out PFAS use
  4. IV.Addressing harmful plastics and packaging
  5. V.Moving toward safer cosmetics and personal care products
  6. VI.Chemical disclosure and restrictions
  7. VII.Conclusion
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