Do Maybelline cosmetics have PFAS?
Maybelline cosmetics average 44 out of 100 on PFAS Authority's PFAS and toxin screen across the 17 Maybelline cosmetics graded as of November 2026, below the 72 out of 100 median for the 17 other cosmetics brands graded alongside it.
Maybelline cosmetics average Poor on our four-band scale. None of them clear our buy threshold. That is above 12% of the cosmetics 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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- 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
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- RO membrane, carbon filters, stainless steel housing
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- Bacterial and microbial growth in housing and filters
4 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
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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.
Which Maybelline cosmetics contain PFAS? Poor and Bad, we’d swap these
- wax, film-forming polymers, pigments
- Fragrance allergens or sensitizers. If fragrance is present in the formula, individual sensitivity varies…
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Find an alternative on Amazon- wax, pigments, film-forming polymers
- Heavy metals. Iron oxides are widely used colorants in mascaras and are generally low-concern when sourced…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Find an alternative on Amazon- wax, film-forming polymers, pigments
- Fragrance allergens. Maybelline Great Lash contains fragrance (ingredient listed on packaging) but does not…
- wax, film-forming polymers, pigments
- 1,4-dioxane (solvent contaminant). Mascaras that use certain film-forming polymers or emulsifiers may contain…
4 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Find an alternative on Amazon- pigments, polymers, waxes, typical mascara formulation
- Fragrance allergens or sensitizers. Maybelline mascaras may contain fragrance compounds for scent or…
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Find an alternative on Amazon- water-resistant film-forming polymers, waxes, pigments
- 1,4-dioxane (process contaminant). Film-forming polymers and waxes are not inherent sources of 1,4-dioxane…
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Find an alternative on Amazon- mascara (wax, pigments, film-forming polymers)
- 1,4-dioxane in polymeric ingredients. Film-forming polymers and emulsifiers in mascara formulas can carry…
- Wax and film-forming polymers with waterproof coating
- Formaldehyde / VOCs. Standard mascara preservatives occasionally include formaldehyde-releasing resins to…
4 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Find an alternative on Amazon- wax, oils, water-resistant polymers (unspecified)
- Formaldehyde / VOCs. Mascaras require preservatives to prevent bacterial and fungal growth in the wet matrix.…
4 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Find an alternative on Amazon- wax, film-forming polymers, waterproofing agent (unspecified)
- PFAS. Maybelline has not disclosed the waterproofing chemistry. Waterproof mascaras often contain PFAS or…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Find an alternative on Amazon- wax, polymers, waterproof coating (unspecified)
- Fragrance allergens / skin sensitization. Mascara formulas often include fragrance compounds; Maybelline does…
4 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Find an alternative on Amazon- pigments, waxes, film-formers with waterproof finish
- Heavy metals. Iron oxide pigments and synthetic colorants used in mascaras are regulated but may contain…
5 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Find an alternative on Amazon- wax, polymers, waterproofing agent unspecified
- 1,4-dioxane (common processing residue). Waterproof polymers and emulsifiers in mascara formulations…
4 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Find an alternative on Amazon- wax blend, film-forming polymers, waterproof coating (unspecified)
- PFAS. Waterproof mascaras commonly use fluorinated polymers or surfactants to achieve water resistance.…
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Find an alternative on Amazon- wax, pigments, film-forming polymers, waterproof treatment unspecified
- PFAS. Waterproof mascaras commonly contain PFAS to achieve water resistance; Maybelline does not disclose…
5 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Find an alternative on Amazon- wax, polymers, unspecified waterproof coating
- 1,4-dioxane (secondary contaminant in polymers/emulsifiers). Waterproof mascaras often use polyethylene…
4 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Find an alternative on Amazon- Wax, film-forming polymers, waterproofing agent unspecified
- Formaldehyde / VOCs. Waterproof mascaras commonly rely on robust preservative systems to prevent microbial…
4 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Find an alternative on AmazonBetter cosmetics from other brands
Graded higher than the Maybelline average of 44.
- The brand calls it PFAS-free, which we have not verified
- Lead
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Heavy metals
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Fragrance allergens and essential oils
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
The same question, asked of the other cosmetics brands
Best average grade first. Maybelline averages 44.
See every Maybelline product we grade on the Maybelline brand page, or the full cosmetics ranking.