Estée Lauder Review, Is Estée Lauder Non-Toxic?
Estée Lauder averages 65 out of 100 on PFAS Authority's PFAS and toxin screen across the 50 Estée Lauder products graded as of October 2026, and 37 of them reach its 70 point pass mark.
Estée Lauder grades Good on our four-band scale.
PFAS Authority is a scoring system, not a laboratory. We do not test products ourselves. Grades are model-based, built from published ingredients, materials, certifications, brand disclosures and third-party lab results where they exist. See the rubric.
What Estée Lauder says and does about PFAS
We found no PFAS policy published by Estée Lauder. In 2022 the Center for Environmental Health announced a court-enforceable settlement under which Estée Lauder and its subsidiaries will not use intentionally added PFOA, or fluorinated ingredients known to break down into it, in cosmetics such as foundations and concealers, noting Estée Lauder had said it reformulated away from PFOA the year before. That covers PFOA, not every PFAS, and Ulta’s ingredient list for one Estée Lauder waterproof mascara includes PTFE.
- Legal caseThe Center for Environmental Health announced in March 2022 a legally binding, court-enforceable agreement with Estée Lauder and its subsidiaries covering intentionally added PFOA and fluorinated ingredients known to degrade to PFOA. Center for Environmental Health (archived page) ↗
- Brand statementThe same release says Estée Lauder had said it reformulated away from PFOA the previous year. Center for Environmental Health (archived page) ↗
- MaterialsUlta’s ingredient list for Estée Lauder Sumptuous Extreme Waterproof Lash Multiplying Volume Mascara includes PTFE. Ulta Beauty ↗
Sources checked September 14, 2026. A brand statement is the company’s own claim, which we report but have not verified. Our grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests.
Estée Lauder is one of the brands we researched by hand for our record of what every brand has published about PFAS, where the same question is answered for each of them in one line.
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Does Estée Lauder have PFAS, by category
Which Estée Lauder products are PFAS-free? Good or better, best-graded first
- silicone and mineral-based cosmetic primer
- Fragrance allergens (undisclosed composition). Cosmetic fragrances are listed as single ingredient…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- talc, mica, iron oxides, binders (silicone/wax-based)
- Talc contamination and purity. Talc deposits can naturally contain asbestos; Estée Lauder does not publicly…
- Liquid foundation with mineral pigments, silicones, and emollients
- Fragrance allergens and sensitizers. Prestige foundations typically contain fragrance compounds (parfum or…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- water-based peptide serum with glycerin, silicones, polymers
- Preservative system / bacterial contamination if unmaintained. Water-based serums require preservatives to…
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- Powder blush with standard pigments and binders
- Talc contamination and inhalation risk. If this formulation uses talc as a binder (not confirmed on refill…
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- wax, oils, pigments, emollients
- Heavy metals. Synthetic pigments used in prestige lipsticks can carry trace lead or cadmium from mining or…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- waxes, oils, pigments, emollients
- Talc or talc-like powder (matte agent). Matte lipsticks commonly use talc or silica-based powders. If talc is…
4 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- wax, oils, pigments, polymers (standard lip gloss)
- Fragrance allergens (undisclosed in 'fragrance' ingredient). The product may contain fragrance compounds; if…
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- liquid foundation with mineral pigments, silicones, water
- 1,4-dioxane (manufacturing impurity). Water-based liquid foundations can contain trace 1,4-dioxane as a…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Estée Lauder
Pure Color Envy Sculpting Blush in 430 Rose Exposed 0.25 oz, Radiant Powder Cheek Color for Normal Skin
- Talc-based powder with pigments and binders
- Lead. Iron oxides and synthetic dyes used in blush are generally low-risk, but synthetic pigments (especially…
4 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- wax, oils, pigments, film-formers (standard cosmetic base)
- Formaldehyde / VOCs. Shine formulations typically use lower levels of formaldehyde-releasers than matte or…
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- Pigments, waxes, talc, binders (typical blush formulation)
- Talc contamination (asbestos risk). Talc used in blush can contain asbestos if sourced from contaminated…
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- Silicone polymers, mineral pigments, water-based emulsion
- Formaldehyde / VOCs. Estée Lauder product formulas may include imidazolidinyl urea or similar…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- Pressed powder blush, pigments & binders
- Talc contamination (asbestos risk). Talc suppliers occasionally contain asbestos fibers if sourced from…
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- Powder blush (talc or mica base with pigments)
- Talc / asbestos contamination risk. If this product uses talc, modern cosmetic-grade talc is regulated to…
4 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- Wax, oils, pigments, standard cosmetic emollients
- Carmine (cochineal) pigment allergy. If this product uses carmine for red/pink tint, rare but documented…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- Oil base (likely mineral, plant, or synthetic esters); glass or plastic container
- Fragrance allergens (synthetic fragrance compounds). Estée Lauder lip products typically include synthetic…
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- Oil-based lip cosmetic (typical, volatile silicones, emollients, natural oils, pigments)
- Fragrance allergens and sensitizers. Glossy lip oils typically include fragrance blends (natural and…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- pigments, polymers, silicones in powder/cream cosmetic
- Heavy metals. Modern cosmetic-grade talc is regulated to exclude asbestos, but no public testing data exists…
4 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- Wax, oils, pigments, emollients
- Fragrance allergens and undisclosed components. Estée Lauder Pure Color Creme contains fragrance listed as…
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- Wax, oils, silicones, pigments (typical lip gloss)
- Heavy metals. Cosmetic-grade iron oxides, mica, and synthetic organic dyes carry inherent trace-metal risk…
4 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- lip gloss liquid formulation (oils, resins, pigments)
- Fragrance allergens (undisclosed composition). Estée Lauder does not itemize fragrance components on the…
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- Pigments, talc, mica, binders in pressed powder compact
- Talc inhalation and purity. Pressed powder blushes reduce airborne talc exposure compared to loose powders…
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- wax, oils, pigments, standard cosmetic base
- Talc or silica inhalation during application. Matte finish typically involves fine powders; inhalation during…
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- wax, pigments, emollients
- Fragrance and flavor allergens. Lipsticks often contain fragrance compounds and flavor agents (vanilla, mint…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- wax, oils, pigments, standard cosmetic base
- Fragrance allergens and sensitizers. Pure Color contains fragrance compounds (not fully disclosed by specific…
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- wax, oils, pigments, emollients
- Fragrance allergens and undisclosed aroma chemicals. Estée Lauder lists 'fragrance' as a catch-all ingredient…
- wax, oils, pigments, standard cosmetic base
- Heavy metals. Iron oxide colorants (Fe2O3, Fe3O4) used in nude and brown shades are regulated but may contain…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- wax, oils, pigments, emollients
- 1,4-dioxane (synthetic fragrance contaminant). If the product contains fragrance compounds (polyethylene…
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Estée Lauder
Estee Lauder Signature Powder Blush BRANDIED ROSE .19oz New Discontinued
- Powder blend with talc or mica base, iron oxides, binders
- Talc contamination and inhalation risk. If this formula uses talc (not confirmed for this specific batch)…
4 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Estée Lauder
Estee Lauder The Mattifier Shine Control Perfecting Primer and Finisher
- silicones, talc, pigments, waxes
- Talc inhalation risk. Talc is a primary ingredient. Talc powder itself is not toxic, but inhaling fine…
- Powder blend (talc or talc-alternative, pigments, binders)
- Talc and asbestos contamination. Talc mining historically carried asbestos contamination risk. Estée Lauder…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- Silicone, glycerin, water, pigments
- Fragrance allergens or undisclosed fragrance components. Fragrance is not listed as a primary ingredient on…
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- wax, oils, pigments, polymers
- Fragrance allergens. Estée Lauder lipsticks may contain fragrance or botanical extracts not fully itemized on…
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- Emollients, silicones, polymers, SPF actives in water-based cream base
- Fragrance allergens and sensitizers. Estée Lauder cosmetics typically include fragrance compounds; individual…
4 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- liquid foundation (water, silicones, emollients)
- Fragrance allergens. Double Wear contains fragrance as a listed ingredient. Fragrance is a common sensitizer…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
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- wax/oil blend with shimmer mica; formulation not publicly disclosed
- Heavy metals. Mica used for shimmer can contain trace lead or cadmium depending on ore source and processing…
4 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Find an alternative on AmazonWhich Estée Lauder products contain PFAS? Poor and Bad, we’d swap these
- pigments, waxes, film-formers in liquid mascara
- Heavy metals. Synthetic organic pigments and iron oxides used in mascara formulations can occasionally…
5 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
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- pigments, film-forming polymers, water
- Heavy metals. Iron oxides and carbon black are standard in mascaras and generally low-risk; however…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
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- Liquid foundation with silicone base, waterproof polymers
- PFAS. Waterproof foundations commonly use fluorinated compounds; Estée Lauder does not disclose PFAS presence…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
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- Water-based spray formula with silicones and polymers
- Silicone and synthetic polymer inhalation. Fine mist atomization may suspend silicone and polymer particles…
5 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
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- liquid foundation with silicone base and water-resistant polymers
- Fragrance and fragrance allergens. Double Wear lists 'fragrance' as an ingredient without disclosing specific…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
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- liquid foundation with synthetic polymers and water-resistant binders
- Fragrance allergens and sensitivizers. Double Wear lists 'Fragrance (Parfum)' as an ingredient; exact…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
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- Liquid gloss with waterproofing/long-wear polymer blend
- PFAS. Waterproof lip glosses typically use fluorinated polymers or fluorotelomer blends (PFAS class) to…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
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- liquid aerosol spray with silicone/polymer water-resistant finish
- PFAS. Water-resistant makeup mists commonly use PFAS to repel moisture. Estée Lauder has not disclosed…
4 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
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- emulsion base with silicone, polymers, waterproofing agents
- PFAS. Waterproof cosmetic claims often rely on fluorinated polymers; Estée Lauder does not disclose or rule…
4 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
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- water-based spray mist, likely silicone or acrylic polymers
- Fragrance allergens and sensitizers. The product contains fragrance (listed on label). Common setting spray…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
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- Silicone, talc, volatile silicones, polymers (unspecified)
- Talc contamination (asbestos risk, ovarian cancer concern). Product contains talc; Estée Lauder does not…
4 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Find an alternative on Amazon
- Waterproof mascara formulation, coating unspecified
- Fragrance allergens and undisclosed components. Ingredient list does not itemize fragrance compounds…
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Find an alternative on Amazon
Estée Lauder
Estee Lauder Sumptuous Extreme Waterproof Lash Multiplying Volume Mascara
- proprietary cosmetic blend with waterproofing agent
- 1,4-dioxane contamination. Waterproofing agents and emulsifiers in mascaras can be synthesized using…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Find an alternative on AmazonWhat to buy instead Good or better, in the categories Estée Lauder sells
- Glycerin, silicones, pigments, film-formers (typical liquid cosmetic gloss)
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Fragrance allergens and undisclosed components
- Liquid lipstick, likely pigments, oils, and waxes
- Fragrance allergens or sensitizers
- Natural waxes and oils (beeswax, plant oils, pigments)
- Lead
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- water, hyaluronic acid, glycerin, pigments, emollients
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- 1,4-dioxane contamination from emulsifiers
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- pigments, oils, waxes, polymers (standard cosmetic formulations)
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Fragrance allergens or 1,4-dioxane in fragrances
- pigments, waxes, oils, talc, mica
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Fragrance allergens
- pigments, waxes, oils in stick form
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Fragrance allergens and sensitizers
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- water, glycerin, pigments, polymers
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Lead
4 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- liquid pigments, water, glycerin, polymeric film-formers
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Fragrance allergens
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Estée Lauder and PFAS, common questions
- Does Estée Lauder have PFAS?
- Estée Lauder averages 65 out of 100 on PFAS Authority's PFAS and toxin screen across the 50 Estée Lauder products graded as of October 2026, and 37 of them reach its 70 point pass mark. Grades are model-based estimates built from published materials, ingredients and disclosures, not lab tests. Estée Lauder agreed in a 2022 court-enforceable settlement not to use intentionally added PFOA in products like foundations and concealers, and Ulta’s listing for its Sumptuous Extreme Waterproof mascara includes PTFE.
- Is Estée Lauder non-toxic?
- Estée Lauder Double Wear Smooth & Blur Primer is the highest-graded Estée Lauder product we have scored, at 75/100. It depends on the product line rather than the brand, so check the grade of the exact item you are buying.
- Which Estée Lauder products are lower concern for PFAS?
- The highest-graded Estée Lauder products we have scored are Estée Lauder Double Wear Smooth & Blur Primer, Estée Lauder Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay In Place Matte Powder Foundation, Estée Lauder Estee Lauder Futurist Hydra Rescue Moisturizing Makeup SPF 45. That is our model-based estimate from materials and public disclosure, not a lab test.
- Which Estée Lauder products should I avoid?
- The lowest-graded Estée Lauder products we have scored are Estee Lauder Sumptuous Extreme Waterproof Lash Multiplying Volume Mascara, Estee Lauder Double Wear Zero Smudge Lengthening Mascara, Estee Lauder Double Wear Maximum Cover Camouflage Makeup. Each one links to the evidence behind its grade.
Every grade uses the same public rubric. How grades work →