The Best Non-Toxic Cosmetics of 2026

We scored 8 cosmetics for PFAS forever chemicals and other hazards, then ranked them safest first. The top pick is bareMinerals bareMinerals Mineral Makeup at 100/100. Every score below links to the full breakdown of what earned it.

How to read these scores. PFAS Authority is a scoring system, not a laboratory. We do not test products ourselves. Each grade is a model-based assessment built from published ingredient lists, materials, certifications, brand disclosures, recalls and third-party lab results where they exist. Read the full rubric to see exactly what adds and removes points.
50% of the 8 cosmetics we scored fail our PFAS and toxin screen.
PFAS Authority, September 2026. Free to cite with a link. See the full dataset.

The safest PFAS-free cosmetics we have scored

  1. 1
    bareMinerals Mineral Makeup

    bareMinerals

    Mineral Makeup

    PFAS Grade100Excellent
    Overall Grade92Excellent
    💨

    Inhalation risk from powder format

    Limited concern

    70
    ⚠️

    Microbial growth in powder due to low or absent preservatives

    Limited concern

    70

    Low risk. Mineral-based makeup avoids PFAS entirely.

    Risky category by default

  2. 2
    Ilia Beauty Clean Makeup

    Ilia Beauty

    Clean Makeup

    PFAS Grade100Excellent
    Overall Grade96Excellent
    🧠

    Lead

    Limited concern

    70

    Low risk. Clean formulations avoid PFAS-based chemistries.

    Risky category by default

  3. 3
    RMS Beauty Organic Makeup

    RMS Beauty

    Organic Makeup

    PFAS Grade100Excellent
    Overall Grade84Excellent
    🧠

    Lead

    Limited concern

    70
    🏷️

    Fragrance allergens and undisclosed components

    Limited concern

    70
    🐛

    Pesticide residue

    Limited concern

    70
    ⚠️

    Oxidation and rancidity of plant oils

    Limited concern

    70

    Low risk. Organic formula avoids PFAS-based ingredients.

    Verified PFAS-free by a third party

  4. 4
    Glossier Makeup

    Glossier

    Makeup

    PFAS Grade70Good
    Overall Grade48Poor
    🪨

    Talc contamination and respirable mineral risk

    Limited concern

    70
    🏷️

    Fragrance allergen disclosure gaps

    Moderate concern

    45
    🎨

    Heavy metals

    Limited concern

    70
    ⚠️

    1,4-dioxane in emulsifiers or surfactants

    Limited concern

    70

    Low-medium risk. Minimal water-resistance features reduce PFAS need.

    Risky category by default

Every cosmetics that passes, side by side

Sorted by score. Higher is safer. Scored against 4 hazards that apply to this category.

#CosmeticsScoreRatingMade of
1bareMinerals bareMinerals Mineral Makeup100ExcellentNot disclosed
2Ilia Beauty Ilia Beauty Clean Makeup100ExcellentNot disclosed
3RMS Beauty RMS Beauty Organic Makeup100ExcellentNot disclosed
4Glossier Glossier Makeup70GoodNot disclosed

The cosmetics we would skip

Lowest scoring in this category, worst first.

Maybelline Mascara

Maybelline

Mascara

PFAS Grade25Poor
Overall Grade7Bad
💨

Formaldehyde / VOCs

Limited concern

70
🏷️

Fragrance allergens and undisclosed fragrance components

Limited concern

70
⚠️

Bacterial contamination risk from improper storage or use

Moderate concern

45

Medium-high risk. Waterproof mascara typically contains PFAS compounds.

Lab test found PFAS

Waterproof Mascara (generic)

Generic

Waterproof Mascara (generic)

PFAS Grade30Poor
Overall Grade4Bad
💨

Formaldehyde / VOCs

Limited concern

70
🧠

Lead

Limited concern

70
⚠️

1,4-dioxane contamination

Limited concern

70
⚠️

Fragrance allergens and sensitizers

Limited concern

70

Medium-high risk. Waterproofing ingredients typically require PFAS.

Waterproof or stain-proof treatment

Waterproof Eyeliner (generic)

Generic

Waterproof Eyeliner (generic)

PFAS Grade30Poor
Overall Grade4Bad
🧠

Lead

Limited concern

70
💨

Formaldehyde / VOCs

Limited concern

70
⚠️

1,4-dioxane contamination

Limited concern

70
🎨

Contact dermatitis and sensitization from fragrance or colorants

Limited concern

70

Medium-high risk. Waterproofing chemistry typically involves PFAS.

Waterproof or stain-proof treatment

What we check on cosmetics

  • Heavy metals. Lead, cadmium, arsenic and others that accumulate in the body. FDA
  • Lead. A heavy metal with no safe exposure level, especially for children. ATSDR
  • Endocrine disruptors. Chemicals that interfere with the body’s hormone system. NIEHS
  • Parabens. Cosmetic preservatives studied for weak hormone activity. FDA

Full point-by-point rubric on the methodology page.

Common questions about PFAS-free cosmetics

Is cosmetics PFAS free?

Mostly not. Of the 8 cosmetics we have scored, 50% fail our PFAS and toxin screen, which leaves 4 that pass. The highest scoring is bareMinerals bareMinerals Mineral Makeup at 100 out of 100. The lowest is Maybelline Maybelline Mascara at 25.

What is the safest cosmetics you have scored?

bareMinerals bareMinerals Mineral Makeup, at 100 out of 100, which we band as Excellent. The runner up is Ilia Beauty Ilia Beauty Clean Makeup at 100.

Which cosmetics should I avoid?

The three lowest scoring we hold are Maybelline Maybelline Mascara at 25, Generic Waterproof Mascara (generic) at 30, Generic Waterproof Eyeliner (generic) at 30. The problem with the first is that medium-high risk. Waterproof mascara typically contains PFAS compounds.

How can you tell if cosmetics contain PFAS?

In this category we check for heavy metals, lead, endocrine disruptors, parabens. Lead, cadmium, arsenic and others that accumulate in the body. Language like stain resistant, water repellent or easy release usually means fluorinated chemistry even when PFAS is never printed on the box.

Do you lab test cosmetics?

No. We score from published ingredient lists, materials, certifications, disclosures and third party lab results where they exist. Where a product has been independently tested we use that result and say so.

Get the safe list, free

The products we score each week, and the safest alternative in every category.

No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

We also wrote this up at length. PFAS in Cosmetics, Which Brands Grade Best and Worst

Want to filter the whole category yourself? Browse all 8 cosmetics.