Does MAC lip balm & long-wear lipstick have PFAS?
MAC lip balm & long-wear lipstick averages 68 out of 100 on PFAS Authority's PFAS and toxin screen across the 12 MAC lip balm & long-wear lipstick products graded as of October 2026, below the 75 out of 100 median for the 31 other lip balm & long-wear lipstick brands graded alongside it.
MAC lip balm & long-wear lipstick averages Good on our four-band scale. 10 of the 12 we graded are worth buying. That is above 35% of the lip balm & long-wear lipstick brands we grade.
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.
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Top-graded picks in the categories readers replace first, every one scored on the same rubric.
- polypropylene filter housing, carbon/sediment cartridge
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Bacterial growth in spent cartridges
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Aquasure
Premier Series 75 GPD Under Sink Reverse Osmosis Water Filtration System
- RO membrane, carbon filters, stainless steel housing
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Bacterial and microbial growth in housing and filters
4 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Avocado
Vegan Mattress
- organic cotton, natural latex, coconut coir, recycled steel coils
- The brand calls it PFAS-free, which we have not verified
- Heavy metals
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
What MAC says and does about PFAS
In November 2023 CBC Marketplace lab testing found PFAS in two MAC products, Studio Fix Fluid SPF 15 foundation and Stack Waterproof Mascara, including two PFAS that Canada restricts when used intentionally, found in two of the three MAC foundation samples. MAC told Marketplace it does not intentionally add PFAS as an ingredient to any of its makeup. MAC is also covered by the Center for Environmental Health’s 2022 court-enforceable settlement on intentionally added PFOA, and Ulta’s ingredient list for one MAC mascara includes PTFE.
- Independent testCBC Marketplace’s 2023 lab testing named MAC Studio Fix Fluid SPF 15 in NC5 and MAC Stack Waterproof Mascara in black among five makeup products found to contain PFAS. CBC News ↗
- Independent testTwo fluorotelomer alcohols that Canada restricts when used intentionally were found in two of the three MAC foundation samples. CBC News ↗
- Brand statementMAC told Marketplace it does not intentionally add PFAS as an ingredient to any of its makeup, and that it constantly reviews the latest safety and environmental data on its products. CBC News ↗
- Legal caseThe Center for Environmental Health’s March 2022 court-enforceable settlement with Estée Lauder names MAC among the brands whose foundations and concealers will not contain intentionally added PFOA or ingredients known to degrade to it. Center for Environmental Health (archived page) ↗
- MaterialsUlta’s ingredient list for MAC In Extreme Dimension 3D Volumizing Black Lash Mascara includes PTFE. Ulta Beauty ↗
- Regulatory filingA Proposition 65 notice of violation filed with the California Attorney General named MAC Mineralize Concealer in NC42, by UPC, as an example of a product alleged to expose consumers to perfluorooctanoic acid. A 60-day notice is an allegation by the filing group, not a finding. Center for Environmental Health, notice filed with the California Attorney General ↗
- Regulatory filingAn earlier notice over makeup foundation and concealer listed Make-Up Art Cosmetics Inc. among the responsible parties. Center for Environmental Health, notice filed with the California Attorney General ↗
- Regulatory filingIn January 2026 Estee Lauder Cosmetics Ltd. was fined $750,000 at the Ontario Court of Justice over eyeliner products that listed perfluorononyl dimethicone as an ingredient, which Environment and Climate Change Canada describes as a PFAS. The release names the Canadian company, not MAC specifically. Environment and Climate Change Canada ↗
Sources checked October 1, 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.
MAC lip balm & long-wear lipstick worth buying Good or better, best-graded first
- wax, oil, pigment, silicones in liquid/gel lipgloss base
- Fragrance allergens and sensitizers, MAC Glossed Out Lipgloss formulations typically contain fragrance…
- Silicones, oils, waxes, standard cosmetic emollients
- Fragrance allergens, MAC lip glosses contain fragrance components typical of cosmetics. Individuals with…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- liquid cosmetic gloss (oil/wax/silicone base)
- Fragrance allergens (unspecified composition), MAC Lipglass lists 'fragrance' as an ingredient without…
4 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- Conventional lip gloss formula (oils, resins, pigments)
- Fragrance allergens and undisclosed components, MAC Mini Lipglass Air contains fragrance (listed generically…
- Pigments, oils, waxes, film-forming polymers (typical for glossy lipstick)
- Fragrance allergens and undisclosed fragrance components, MAC Glossy Lipglass Air is formulated with…
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- wax, oils, pigments, emollients
- Fragrance allergens and sensitization. Retro Matte contains fragrance compounds (listed as 'fragrance' on…
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- Wax, oils, pigments in pencil form
- Fragrance allergens and sensitizers, MAC Lipglass products contain fragrance compounds listed generically as…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- Volatile silicones, oils, waxes, pigments
- 1,4-dioxane (manufacturing contaminant). Not explicitly disclosed by MAC; silicone-based glosses can contain…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- Wax blend, oils, pigments, traditional lipstick
- Lead, MAC does not publish pigment heavy metal test results. Color cosmetics routinely contain FDA-approved…
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- wax, oils, pigments, emollients
- Fragrance allergens, MAC Lustre formulas typically include fragrance compounds and essential oils for scent.…
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Which MAC lip balm & long-wear lipstick contains PFAS? Poor and Bad, we’d swap these
- silicone-based liquid ink, waterproof coating
- Heavy metals. Waterproof liquid inks often rely on high-saturation synthetic dyes and iron oxide pigments…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Find an alternative on Amazon
- proprietary lip gloss formula with waterproof/plumping treatment
- PFAS, MAC has not disclosed whether the waterproof claim relies on fluorinated compounds or PFAS. Lip glosses…
4 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Find an alternative on AmazonBetter lip balm & long-wear lipstick from other brands
Graded higher than the MAC average of 68.
- 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.
The same question, asked of the other lip balm & long-wear lipstick brands
Best average grade first. MAC averages 68.
See every MAC product we grade on the MAC brand page, or the full lip balm & long-wear lipstick ranking.