How to Find and Choose Products Without PFAS

PFAS product risk is high in thousands of consumer products sold in the U.S. today. Some categories carry much higher risk than others. This guide tells you where PFAS are most commonly found, what safer alternatives exist, and exactly what to look for room by room in your home.

Each category below carries a risk label. High means PFAS are routinely present and migrate into food, skin, or air. Medium means PFAS Product Risks are common but exposure is less direct. Low means PFAS may be present but at lower levels or with less frequent contact.

Non-stick coatings on pots, pans, skillets, bakeware, and cooking utensils are the most significant PFAS product risk exposure source in the kitchen. PTFE (sold as Teflon) is a fluoropolymer. At normal cooking temperatures, it is relatively stable, but degradation begins around 500°F. Scratched, chipped, or worn coatings can fragment into food at any temperature. Overheating any PFAS-coated pan releases fluorinated gases.

A 2025 UNC Gillings School of Public Health study confirmed that cookware and food processing contribute meaningfully to overall PFAS body burden. Minnesota banned PFAS in cookware as of January 1, 2025. Colorado, Connecticut, Maine, and Vermont follow in 2026. Illinois bans take effect in 2026.

Safe alternatives: Cast iron, stainless steel, carbon steel, and ceramic-coated pans made without PFAS. Look for third-party testing certificates. Avoid pans labeled only “PFOA-free” — they may still contain PTFE or other PFAS product risk.

Grease-resistant paper and paperboard — fast food wrappers, sandwich bags, microwave popcorn bags, pizza boxes, and takeout containers — have historically been treated with PFAS to resist oil and moisture. A 2017 study found PFAS in 46% of food contact papers and 20% of paperboard from fast food restaurants across the U.S.

In February 2024, the FDA announced that manufacturers had voluntarily phased out grease-proofing substances containing PFAS from paper and paperboard food packaging in the U.S. As of June 2025, the FDA set a compliance deadline for exhausting existing stocks. The phase-out covers 6:2 FTOH, the main PFAS type used in food packaging. However, PFAS-treated packaging already in the supply chain may remain in use through existing inventory.

Safe alternatives: Look for packaging labeled PFAS-free. Use reusable silicone bags, glass containers, and beeswax wraps at home. Avoid reheating food in the original fast food packaging.

PFAS are used in foundation, mascara, eyeliner, lipstick, blush, and waterproof makeup to improve texture, spread, and durability. Skin absorption is a direct exposure pathway. Studies have found PFAS in a wide range of cosmetic products; many were not disclosed on ingredient lists.

California, Maryland, Minnesota, and Colorado have banned PFAS in cosmetics, with effective dates from 2025 onward. Illinois bans PFAS in cosmetics effective 2026. Ingredient labeling for cosmetics remains inconsistent, making independent third-party certification the most reliable guide.

Safe alternatives: Look for products certified by the EPA Safer Choice program or carrying GreenScreen Certified or Cradle to Cradle certification. EWG’s Skin Deep database allows you to search products by PFAS content. Mineral-based and certified organic cosmetics are generally PFAS-free.

Waterproof and water-resistant clothing, hiking gear, ski apparel, and rain jackets have used PFAS-based Durable Water Repellent (DWR) finishes for decades. Traditional C8 DWR formulations have been largely replaced with short-chain C6 alternatives, which are still PFAS. Skin contact and laundering both release PFAS from treated fabrics.

California and New York became the first states to ban PFAS in clothing effective January 2025. France banned PFAS in clothing and footwear effective January 2026. Gore-Tex introduced a PFAS-free membrane in 2021. REI required all cookware and textile vendors to supply PFAS-free products beginning Fall 2024. Keen footwear went PFAS-free in 2018. Fjallraven eliminated PFAS from most of its product line over a decade ago.

Safe alternatives: Look for clothing with PFAS-free DWR treatments using wax or hydrocarbon-based chemistries. The bluesign and OEKO-TEX certifications address harmful chemical use but do not automatically guarantee PFAS-free status — verify specifically. Natural fiber options (wool, linen, organic cotton) contain no DWR treatments.

Upholstered furniture, carpets, and rugs treated with stain-resistant finishes contain PFAS. As these products age, PFAS migrate into household dust. Children and pets spending time on floors and furniture are exposed through dust ingestion and skin contact. PFAS in indoor dust is one of the most common residential exposure pathways that is not related to water.

California banned PFAS in carpets and rugs as of January 1, 2024. Minnesota banned PFAS in indoor textile furnishings and upholstered furniture as of January 1, 2025.

Safe alternatives: Choose untreated natural fiber carpets and upholstery. Decline stain protection treatments at point of sale — these are almost always PFAS-based. If purchasing treated furniture, vacuum frequently with a HEPA-filter vacuum to reduce dust accumulation.

PTFE-coated dental floss — including Oral-B Glide and similar products — contains PFAS. A 2019 Silent Spring Institute study found that women who used Oral-B Glide floss had higher blood levels of certain PFAS than non-users. The PTFE coating makes the floss slide more easily between teeth but also results in direct oral mucosa contact with fluoropolymers.

Maine banned PFAS in dental floss effective January 1, 2026.

Safe alternatives: Use plain nylon or natural silk floss without PTFE coating. Avoid any floss marketed as “glide” or “slides easily” without a specific PFAS-free label. Water flossers are an entirely PFAS-free alternative.

Some cleaning products, particularly carpet cleaners, fabric protectors, and floor waxes, have historically contained PFAS. General-purpose cleaners typically do not contain PFAS but some specialized products do. The EPA’s Safer Choice program prohibits intentional PFAS additions in certified products.

Safe alternatives: Use products certified by EPA’s Safer Choice program. Search the Safer Choice product database at epa.gov/saferchoice. Thousands of cleaning products carry this certification. Avoid spray-on fabric or carpet protector products unless labeled PFAS-free.

Children’s products including sleep items, mattress pads, car seat covers, bibs, and stain-treated clothing have been found to contain PFAS. Children face higher risk because they have more hand-to-mouth contact with PFAS-containing surfaces and ingest more dust relative to body weight. Maine, Washington, New York, and Minnesota have banned PFAS in children’s products.

Safe alternatives: Choose untreated natural fiber products for children wherever possible. Look for PFAS-free labeling on mattress covers and sleep products. Wash new clothing and soft goods before first use to reduce surface chemical transfer.

Fluorinated ski wax contains PFAS and releases fine fluorinated particles during application and skiing. Professional skiers applying wax in enclosed spaces face occupational PFAS exposure. Colorado banned fluorinated ski wax in 2022. France banned PFAS-containing ski wax effective January 2026.

Safe alternatives: Hydrocarbon-based ski wax without fluorine. Most recreational skiers do not need high-performance fluorinated wax. Multiple major ski wax brands now offer PFAS-free lines.

Many cookware brands market lower PFAS product risk as PFOA-free, which sounds reassuring. But PTFE — the coating that gives non-stick pans their slick surface — is itself a PFAS. Look for products that are specifically labeled PTFE-free and carry third-party testing documentation. Cast iron, stainless steel, and carbon steel contain no PFAS of any kind.

Use this guide to identify the highest-priority changes in each area of your home.

• Replace worn non-stick pans. Any pan with a scratched, chipped, or peeling PTFE coating should be replaced immediately. Fragments can enter food.
• Switch to cast iron, stainless steel, or carbon steel for everyday cooking. These last decades, cost less over time, and contain no PFAS.
• Avoid reheating food in fast food packaging or microwave popcorn bags. Transfer to a glass or ceramic dish first.
• Do not use PFAS-coated pans at high heat (above 450°F / 230°C). If you keep non-stick pans, use them only on low to medium heat and never preheat empty.
• Use glass, stainless steel, or silicone food storage instead of plastic bags or disposable wraps treated with PFAS.

• Switch your dental floss. Replace Oral-B Glide and similar PTFE-coated floss with plain nylon or silk floss. This is an easy, low-cost swap.
• Check your cosmetics. Foundation, mascara, eyeliner, and waterproof makeup are the highest-risk categories. Search your products at EWG’s Skin Deep database (ewg.org/skindeep).
• Choose mineral-based or certified organic cosmetics when replacing products. Look for EPA Safer Choice or GreenScreen certification on personal care items.
• Avoid fabric-treated shower curtains. Some shower curtains and liners use stain-resistant coatings. Choose untreated options.

• Vacuum frequently with a HEPA-filter vacuum. PFAS from treated furniture and carpets migrate into household dust. Children and pets are most exposed through floor-level dust ingestion.
• Decline stain protection treatments on new furniture, carpets, and rugs. These are applied at the point of sale and are almost always PFAS-based.
• Choose natural fiber carpets and rugs without stain treatment: wool, cotton, or jute.
• Leave shoes at the door. Shoes tracked in from outside carry PFAS-contaminated soil and dust into the home.
• Wipe hard surfaces regularly with a damp cloth to reduce surface dust accumulation.

• Choose untreated natural fiber mattress covers and sleep products. Stain-resistant treatments on children’s sleep items result in direct, prolonged skin contact.
• Wash new clothing and soft goods before first use to reduce surface chemical transfer.
• Avoid stain-treated bibs, changing pads, and play mats. Choose untreated cotton or silicone alternatives.
• Keep floors clean. Babies and toddlers on the floor ingest dust at higher rates than adults. Frequent HEPA vacuuming reduces their exposure significantly.

• When replacing rain gear or outdoor clothing, look specifically for PFAS-free DWR labeling. Gore-Tex PFAS-free products, Keen footwear, Fjallraven, and REI-supplied gear (Fall 2024 onward) are among verified options.
• Do not treat clothing with spray-on DWR products unless they are labeled PFAS-free. Most spray-on waterproofing products still contain PFAS.
• Existing outdoor gear with PFAS-based DWR does not need to be replaced urgently — skin absorption from intact fabric is lower risk than cookware or food packaging. Replace as products wear out.

• EWG Skin Deep Database: ewg.org/skindeep — Search cosmetics and personal care products for PFAS and other harmful ingredients.
• EPA Safer Choice Product Search: epa.gov/saferchoice — Find certified PFAS-free cleaning products and some personal care products.
• EWG PFAS-Free Product List: ewg.org — Companies that have committed to products without intentionally added PFAS.
• Safer States Policy Map: saferstates.org/pfas — Track state-level PFAS product bans and their timelines.
• NSF Certified Filter Search: nsf.org — Find water filters certified to remove PFAS from drinking water.

ForeverChemicals.info provides educational information for general consumers. Product recommendations reflect publicly available certification and regulatory data as of February 2026. Brand and certification status changes frequently. Verify current product status directly with manufacturers. Last updated February 2026.