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Which brands of facial tissue like Kleenex produce the safest products without indications of PFAS “forever chemicals?” This was the question we were attempting to answer when we sent some of the most popular facial tissue paper brands to our independent EPA-certified laboratory.

You’ve trusted Mamavation to bring you other consumer studies like safest olive oils tested for toxic phthalates, safest diapers tested for indications of PFAS “forever chemicals,” and best water purifiers filtering PFAS “forever chemicals,” now join us for another consumer study on indications of PFAS “forever chemicals” and tissue paper.

Disclosure: This consumer study is released in partnership with Environmental Health News. This post was medically reviewed by Sondra Strand, RN, BSN, PHN. Donations were provided by Environmental Health News and Mamavation community members. Note that Mamavation has only “spot-checked” the industry and thus we cannot make predictions about brands and products that we have not tested. Products and manufacturing aides can change without notice so buyer beware.

Affiliate links from this post are mostly to Amazon where Mamavation earns a small portion of that sale. Mamavation uses affiliate revenue and ad revenue from Mamavation.com to pay for testing and fund other consumer investigations in the future. You can also give a tax-deductible donation to our consumer studies here through Environmental Health Sciences. Thank you for supporting Mamavation! Copyright © 2024 Mamavation — All Rights Reserved

Mamavation Laboratory Finds Indications of PFAS “Forever Chemicals” in Facial Tissues

Mamavation’s EPA-certified laboratory found indications of PFAS “forever chemicals” after analyzing 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 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:”

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

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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:

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.

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 center 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 lab 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, Ph.D. and Associate Professor with the Center for Environmental and 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 Favorite 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:”

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

About the Author

Leah Segedie is the President and Founder of Mamavation.com. Mamavation produces award-winning content and independent consumer studies examining the intersection of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and everyday products brought into American households. She’s been referred to by many as “the real FDA.”

Since 2008, Mamavation has been helping everyday moms navigate the grocery store by commissioning consumer studies on food, beverages, personal care products, and other such products and thus democratizing science and testing for everyone.