Does Charmin Have PFAS? What Testing Found

Toilet paper is about the last place most of us would think to check for forever chemicals. It is paper. It touches some of the most sensitive skin on the body, multiple times a day, for our entire lives. So when independent testing started turning up PFAS markers in toilet paper, including a household name like Charmin, I paid close attention. Here is exactly what the lab found, what it does and does not mean, and the simple swaps that take the question off the table.

What’s Inside

• The short answer
• What the lab testing found
• What organic fluorine actually tells us
• How PFAS ends up in toilet paper
• PFAS-free toilet paper that works

The short answer

In independent testing, Charmin Ultra Soft showed organic fluorine, a recognized marker for PFAS. That does not mean PFAS was added on purpose, and it does not mean every roll is contaminated, but it is enough reason for a cautious household to choose a brand that tests clean. The encouraging news is that most toilet paper tested did not show these markers, so a safer option is easy to find.

What the lab testing found

Let’s go straight to the data. The consumer-research group Mamavation sent toilet paper to an EPA-certified laboratory to test for organic fluorine, and Charmin Ultra Soft came back with 13 parts per million of organic fluorine. It was one of four brands in that round that showed fluorine in the roughly 10 to 35 ppm range. Across the whole study, 24 percent of toilet papers tested showed indications of PFAS while 76 percent did not.

This was not a one-off scare, either. A 2022 University of Florida study published in Environmental Science and Technology Letters found that toilet paper is a meaningful source of PFAS entering wastewater, detecting a specific PFAS compound in tissue products. So the concern has both consumer testing and peer-reviewed science behind it.

What organic fluorine actually tells us

Here is the science, kept simple. Every PFAS compound is a carbon chain studded with fluorine, so labs use total organic fluorine as a screening marker: if fluorine shows up where it has no business being, PFAS is the likely explanation. It is a smoke detector, not a full chemical fingerprint. A positive result strongly suggests PFAS is present but does not name the exact compound or prove a specific health dose. I am giving you that nuance on purpose, because fairness matters, and “indications of PFAS” is the accurate phrase, not “Charmin is poison.” Still, when a product touches sensitive skin every day, a smoke detector going off is reason enough to switch.

How PFAS ends up in toilet paper

Nobody is dousing your toilet paper in forever chemicals for fun. As Mamavation noted, when PFAS shows up in products like tissue, it is unlikely to be added intentionally and more likely the result of manufacturing or recycling contamination. PFAS can hitch a ride through the paper-making process, from recycled fibers, from chemicals used to keep pulp from sticking to machinery, or from contaminated water. That is why the fix is choosing brands that test their products and verify they are clean, rather than assuming “paper is paper.” I broke down the bigger picture in my guide to the risks of forever chemicals in toilet paper.

PFAS-free toilet paper that works

You do not have to choose between safety and a comfortable bathroom experience. Plenty of bamboo and unbleached options are soft, strong, and free of the markers that worry us. Here are three solid swaps:

1. Bamboo Story Unbleached Bamboo Toilet Paper - Unbleached, chlorine-free bamboo tissue made without the dyes and added chemicals you want to avoid.

2. Cloud Paper Bamboo Toilet Paper - Tree-free, septic-safe bamboo rolls from a brand built around cleaner materials and plastic-free packaging.

3. ECO BOOM Unbleached Bamboo Toilet Paper - 100 percent tree-free, unbleached bamboo tissue wrapped in plastic-free packaging for a low-tox bathroom.

Bamboo Story Unbleached Toilet Paper

Cloud Paper Bamboo Toilet Paper

ECO BOOM Bamboo Toilet Paper

So, does Charmin have PFAS? Testing found organic fluorine in Charmin Ultra Soft, which points to PFAS, even if it was not added on purpose. You do not need to lose sleep over a single roll, but switching to a verified clean bamboo brand is a cheap, easy upgrade for a product your family uses every single day.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Charmin toilet paper contain PFAS? In independent testing by Mamavation’s EPA-certified lab, Charmin Ultra Soft showed 13 parts per million of organic fluorine, a recognized marker for PFAS. This indicates PFAS is likely present, though it does not appear to be added intentionally.

Is organic fluorine the same as PFAS? Organic fluorine is used as a screening marker because all PFAS compounds contain fluorine. A positive result strongly suggests PFAS is present but does not identify the specific compound or confirm a particular health dose.

Why would toilet paper have PFAS at all? PFAS in toilet paper is usually the result of manufacturing or recycling contamination rather than intentional addition. It can come from recycled fibers, processing chemicals, or contaminated water used in production.

What toilet paper is PFAS-free? Most toilet paper tested did not show PFAS markers. Unbleached bamboo brands that verify clean testing are a reliable choice and are widely available.