What Cosmetics Packaging Can Learn from Textiles About PFAS

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have moved from a niche technical concern to one of the defining regulatory and reputational challenges in consumer products. For the cosmetics and packaging industries, the pressure is now concrete: France's national ban already applies to cosmetics, the EU's PFHxA restriction takes effect in October 2026, and the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) introduces strict PFAS limits for food-contact packaging from August 2026.

The textile industry has already travelled this road. As the Swiss Textile Testing Institute, TESTEX shares what made PFAS management work in textiles — supplier engagement, layered testing strategies, certification and regulatory readiness — and translates these lessons directly to cosmetics packaging.

This 15-minute session traces the textile learning curve from the 2011 Greenpeace Detox campaign to today's group-based regulation, shows where the parallels and the differences with packaging really lie, and sets out a practical, risk-based testing approach: Total Fluorine screening, targeted analysis for compliance, and non-targeted screening to look beyond today's regulatory lists. Attendees will leave understanding why compliance alone is not full risk control — and how to prepare before regulatory and market pressure become urgent.