Maybelline Review, Is Maybelline Non-Toxic?
Maybelline averages 47 out of 100 on PFAS Authority's PFAS and toxin screen across the 38 Maybelline products graded as of October 2026, and 13 of them reach its 70 point pass mark.
Maybelline grades Poor 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 Maybelline says and does about PFAS
Maybelline is sold by L’Oréal, which says that since the end of 2025 it has stopped producing any formulas containing ingredients from the PFAS family. That statement is L’Oréal’s and does not name Maybelline. A consumer class action in New York, Hicks v. L’Oréal USA, alleges that the plaintiffs’ lab analysis found PFAS in waterproof mascaras including Maybelline Great Lash Waterproof. In 2024 the court dismissed some claims and let others proceed. These are allegations, not findings.
- Brand statementL’Oréal says that since the end of 2025 it has stopped producing any formulas containing ingredients of the PFAS family. The statement does not name Maybelline. L’Oréal ↗
- Legal caseThe amended complaint in Hicks v. L’Oréal USA (S.D.N.Y.) lists Maybelline waterproof mascaras, including Great Lash Waterproof, among the products at issue and alleges the plaintiffs’ lab analysis detected PFAS. Complaint via ClassAction.org ↗
- Legal caseIn 2024 the court granted L’Oréal’s motion to dismiss in part and denied it in part, so some of the claims continued. U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York ↗
- Legal caseA 2022 federal class action alleged that third-party lab testing found PFAS, including PFOA, in several waterproof mascaras, naming four Maybelline products among them. That is the plaintiff’s allegation, not a finding. Vega v. L’Oreal USA, Inc., No. 2:22-cv-02049 (D.N.J.), complaint ↗
- Legal caseThe parallel case was dismissed because the plaintiffs failed to demonstrate standing, having not sufficiently shown that the specific mascaras they bought contained PFAS. The court also noted the plaintiffs never alleged the 2021 Notre Dame cosmetics study had reviewed any L’Oreal product, so that study cannot be read as a finding against this brand. Verdant Law ↗
- StudyThe 2021 Notre Dame screening tested over 230 cosmetics for total fluorine and reported results by product category, finding high fluorine in 47 percent of mascaras and 56 percent of foundations and eye products. It named no brands, and only one of the 29 products in its targeted subset listed a fluorochemical on its label. University of Notre Dame, Peaslee Lab ↗
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.
Maybelline 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 Maybelline have PFAS, by category
Which Maybelline products are PFAS-free? Good or better, best-graded first
- Oils, waxes, silicones, glycerin (typical lip gloss formulation)
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Maybelline
(2 pack) Lifter Gloss Lip Gloss with Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrating Shine, Stone, 0.18 fl oz
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- water-based emulsion, talc/mineral pigments, glycerin
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- Water-based liquid emulsion, mineral pigments, glycerin
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- Water-based emulsion with pigments, talc/mica, glycerin
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- silicone, polymers, pigments, waxes
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- Oils, waxes, pigments (typical lip gloss base)
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- pigments, oils, waxes, silicones (typical lip gloss base)
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- Hydrocarbon waxes, oils, and pigments
- Fragrance allergens and sensitizers. Maybelline does not disclose specific fragrance components (typically…
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- Oil-in-gel base (silicones, oils); standard cosmetic pigments and thickeners
- Fragrance allergens and undisclosed components. Lip glosses list 'fragrance' as a single ingredient, which…
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- Glycerin, silicone, wax, pigments
- Lead. Synthetic colorants in cosmetics can occasionally contain trace heavy metals from ore or manufacturing.…
4 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- Liquid cosmetic gloss (emollient blend, film-formers, pigments)
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- Wood pencil, wax and pigment formula, no coating disclosed
- Heavy metals. Standard cosmetic-grade pigments used in eyemakers are regulated for total heavy metal content…
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Which Maybelline products contain PFAS? Poor and Bad, we’d swap these
- silicone polymer, talc, dimethicone
- Heavy metals. Maybelline does not publicly disclose talc sourcing, processing, or third-party testing.…
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- water-based gel primer, polymeric emulsion
- 1,4-dioxane (indirect solvent residue). Water-based cosmetics can retain trace 1,4-dioxane if ethoxylated…
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- gel eyeliner base with waterproof polymers
- 1,4-dioxane (manufacturing byproduct). Gel eyeliners often contain ethoxylated polymers or surfactants that…
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- film-forming polymers, pigments, water-resistant film
- Formaldehyde / VOCs. Waterproof mascaras often use quaternium-15 or DMDM hydantoin as preservatives; these…
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- emollient blend with waterproofing agents
- PFAS. Waterproof lip glosses commonly use fluorinated polymers or per/polyfluoroalkyl substances to achieve…
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- Liquid ink with film-forming polymers and waterproofing agents
- 1,4-dioxane (solvent contaminant). Maybelline does not disclose 1,4-dioxane testing for this product. Liquid…
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- liquid ink with waterproof/wear-resistant polymer coating
- Undisclosed polymer film-forming agents. The specific film-forming polymer(s) in this waterproof formula are…
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- liquid pigment suspension with waterproof polymer resin
- 1,4-dioxane (formulation byproduct). Liquid cosmetics using polyethylene glycol polymers or emulsifiers may…
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- Liquid lipstick with waterproof polymer coating
- Fragrance allergens (undisclosed components). Maybelline lists 'fragrance' as a single ingredient without…
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- Silicone, glycerin, polymer emulsion with waterproofing agents
- PFAS. Maybelline has not disclosed PFAS status; waterproofing polymers in long-wear primers commonly contain…
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- wax, pigments, silicones; waterproof long-wear coating
- Lead. Maybelline does not publish heavy metal testing reports for Superstay Ink. Synthetic color additives…
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- liquid polymer film with synthetic colorants
- Synthetic colorants and azo dyes. Liquid lipsticks typically use FD&C dyes and iron oxide pigments, which are…
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- Liquid ink with film-forming polymers, waterproof binders
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- polymer film coating + pigments (waterproof eyeliner formula)
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- liquid formula with polymeric film-forming resins; waterproof liner
- Formaldehyde / VOCs. Liquid eyeliners may contain formaldehyde-releasing preservatives (common in waterproof…
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- liquid eyeliner with waterproof film-forming resin system
- PFAS. Waterproof eyeliners typically require fluorinated polymers or fluorosurfactants to maintain integrity…
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- liquid pigment tint with waterproof polymer film
- PFAS. Waterproof cosmetics often contain PFAS to achieve water resistance; Maybelline does not disclose…
4 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
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- Film-forming polymers, silicones, waterproof coating
- PFAS. Maybelline does not disclose the water-resistant agent used in Superstay Gloss. PFAS compounds are…
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- liquid ink suspension with waterproof film-forming polymers
- PFAS. Waterproof liquid lipsticks frequently use fluorinated polymers or fluorotelomers to resist water…
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- wax, film-forming polymers, water-resistant film coating
- PFAS. Waterproof mascara formulations depend on fluorinated polymers or siloxane-fluorine hybrids to create…
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- water-resistant polymer film, pigments, waxes
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- liquid polymer film, proprietary resin base
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- Liquid gloss with waterproof film-forming agents
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Find an alternative on AmazonWhat to buy instead Good or better, in the categories Maybelline 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
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- Wax, oils, pigments, beeswax base
- Fragrance allergens (essential oils, fragrance compounds)
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- Wax, oils, pigments, and traditional cosmetic binders
- Lead
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- pigments, waxes, oils in lipstick base
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Formaldehyde / VOCs
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- Jojoba oil, wax, pigments
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Fragrance allergens and undisclosed fragrance components
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- Jojoba oil, waxes, pigments (typical pencil formulation)
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Fragrance allergens
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- Jojoba oil, waxes, pigments (natural eye pencil formulation)
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Fragrance allergens or essential oil irritants
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Maybelline and PFAS, common questions
- Does Maybelline have PFAS?
- Maybelline averages 47 out of 100 on PFAS Authority's PFAS and toxin screen across the 38 Maybelline products graded as of October 2026, and 13 of them reach its 70 point pass mark. Grades are model-based estimates built from published materials, ingredients and disclosures, not lab tests. Maybelline’s parent L’Oréal says it stopped producing formulas with PFAS ingredients at the end of 2025, and a class action alleges lab testing found PFAS in Maybelline waterproof mascaras.
- Is Maybelline non-toxic?
- Lip-Gloss Maybelline Lifter Gloss is the highest-graded Maybelline 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 Maybelline products are lower concern for PFAS?
- The highest-graded Maybelline products we have scored are Lip-Gloss Maybelline Lifter Gloss, Maybelline (2 pack) Lifter Gloss Lip Gloss with Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrating Shine, Stone, 0.18 fl oz, Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream. That is our model-based estimate from materials and public disclosure, not a lab test.
- Which Maybelline products should I avoid?
- The lowest-graded Maybelline products we have scored are Maybelline Striking Vinyl Ink Longwear Liquid Lipstick, Maybelline Unstoppable Eyeliner, Maybelline Superstay 10 Hour Stain Gloss Pink Plush. Each one links to the evidence behind its grade.
Every grade uses the same public rubric. How grades work →