Neutrogena Review, Is Neutrogena Non-Toxic?
Neutrogena averages 74 out of 100 on PFAS Authority's PFAS and toxin screen across the 31 Neutrogena products graded as of October 2026, and 27 of them reach its 70 point pass mark.
Neutrogena 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 Neutrogena says and does about PFAS
Neither Neutrogena nor its parent company Kenvue publishes a PFAS policy that we could find, and Kenvue’s commitments page on healthy products does not mention PFAS. We found no independent PFAS test results for the Neutrogena shampoos, moisturizers, sunscreens or primers we grade. California has banned the sale of cosmetics with intentionally added PFAS since January 2025.
- Brand statementKenvue’s healthy products commitments page, which covers Neutrogena, does not mention PFAS. Kenvue ↗
- Regulatory filingCalifornia has banned cosmetics with intentionally added PFAS since January 1, 2025. California Legislature ↗
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.
Neutrogena 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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Aquasure
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- Bacterial and microbial growth in housing and filters
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- organic cotton, natural latex, coconut coir, recycled steel coils
- The brand calls it PFAS-free, which we have not verified
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Does Neutrogena have PFAS, by category
Which Neutrogena products are PFAS-free? Good or better, best-graded first
- aqueous shampoo base (water, surfactants, conditioning agents)
- Fragrance allergens and sensitizers. Shampoos in this category typically contain fragrance blends that can…
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- Water-based liquid primer with hyaluronic acid, silicone, glycerin
- Fragrance allergens and undisclosed components. Product listing does not specify fragrance type or whether…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- aqueous liquid shampoo (salicylic acid, conditioning agents)
- Salicylic acid skin irritation and sensitization. Salicylic acid is a known irritant at higher concentrations…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- aqueous shampoo formulation with surfactants and conditioning agents
- 1,4-dioxane (contaminant in surfactants). Aqueous shampoos with ethoxylated surfactants may contain trace…
4 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- Water-based moisturizer with humectants (hyaluronic acid); no coating or treatment
- Fragrance allergens. Most Neutrogena SPF moisturizers include fragrance or fragrance compounds…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- Water-based emulsion cream; no Teflon-type coating, Teflon-family coating, or durable water repellency claimed
- Preservative sensitivity and allergic contact dermatitis. Water-based creams require preservatives; common…
4 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- Water gel emulsion (glycerin, hydrating polymer base)
- Formaldehyde / VOCs. Water-based gels typically use preservatives like methylisothiazolinone or…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Neutrogena
Rainbath Refreshing and Cleansing Shower and Bath Gel, Original Scent, 32 oz
- water, glycerin, sodium lauryl sulfate, fragrance
- Sodium lauryl sulfate irritation, SLS is a known skin and eye irritant at high concentrations or with…
4 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- water, cleansing agents, fragrance blend
- Fragrance allergens (undisclosed blends). Fragrance is listed as a single ingredient rather than individual…
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- aqueous gel surfactant base, fragrance
- Fragrance allergens and sensitizers. Neutrogena does not disclose fragrance components individually…
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- aqueous shampoo base with salicylic acid and sulfur actives
- Fragrance allergens and sensitizers. Fragrance compounds in shampoos can trigger allergic contact dermatitis…
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- aqueous shampoo base with salicylic acid and sulfur
- Salicylic acid skin irritation (concentration-dependent). At typical shampoo concentrations (1.5-2%)…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- Water, glycerin, dimethicone, emollients, typical moisturizer base
- Fragrance allergens. Product formulation does not list fragrance as a primary ingredient in publicly…
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- Water-based gel with glycerin and humectants
- Fragrance allergens and fragrance mix reactions. Product contains fragrance (ingredient listed but specific…
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- aqueous shampoo base (surfactants, salicylic acid, conditioning agents)
- Salicylic acid irritation (localized scalp sensitivity). Salicylic acid at anti-dandruff strengths…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- aqueous surfactant cleansing base
- Fragrance allergens and sensitizers. Body washes marketed for acne or "clear" skin typically contain…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- aqueous shampoo base with surfactants
- Fragrance allergens and sensitization. The product contains fragrance (listed generically on label). Specific…
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- water-based emulsion with silicones and mineral pigments
- Formaldehyde / VOCs. Water-based emulsions require antimicrobial preservatives; Neutrogena typically uses…
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- silicone, glycerin, water-based pigments
- Fragrance allergens (unspecified fragrance or flavor compounds). Product does not list fragrance or scent as…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- aqueous shampoo (water, surfactants, polymers)
- 1,4-dioxane (processing contaminant). Common impurity in ethoxylated surfactants used in mass-market…
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- Water-based gel serum and cosmetic primer
- Preservative-related irritation or contact allergy. Water-based gels require robust preservative systems…
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- water-based emulsion with mineral sunscreen filters
- 1,4-dioxane (manufacturing byproduct). Water-based emulsions can contain trace 1,4-dioxane from ethoxylated…
- water-resistant lotion with mineral UV filters
- Fragrance allergens. Sunscreen lotions often contain fragrance blends (not typically disclosed individually…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- Oil-free sunscreen (aqueous base with UV filters, silicones)
- UV filter allergenicity and photostability. Chemical sunscreen filters (if used in this formulation) can…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- water-based gel lotion with waterproofing agent
- Fragrance allergens and sensitizers. Cosmetic fragrances in sunscreen formulations commonly include limonene…
4 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- water-resistant cosmetic emulsion, likely silicone or polymer-based
- Fragrance allergens and preservative sensitivizers. Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry Touch contains fragrance and…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- Water-resistant lotion emulsion with mineral and organic UV filters
- Organic UV filter photodegradation and residual efficacy. Organic filters (e.g., octinoxate, oxybenzone…
4 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Which Neutrogena products contain PFAS? Poor and Bad, we’d swap these
- Water-based emulsion cosmetic formula
- 1,4-dioxane (cosmetic contaminant). Water-based emulsions may contain trace 1,4-dioxane as a byproduct of…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
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- water-based liquid foundation, pigments, glycerin, preservatives
- Fragrance allergens (undisclosed). Product label does not specify fragrance components; typical water-based…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
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- liquid foundation with water and pigments
- Fragrance allergens and sensitizers. Liquid makeup of this brand and price tier typically contains fragrance…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
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- liquid foundation with emollients and pigments
- Heavy metals. Iron oxides are regulated cosmetic colorants but sourcing and impurity testing vary by…
4 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Find an alternative on AmazonWhat to buy instead Good or better, in the categories Neutrogena sells
- aqueous liquid shampoo (typical surfactants, conditioning agents, water)
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Surfactant irritation (skin/eye contact)
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- water-based shampoo/cream emulsion
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Formaldehyde / VOCs
4 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- salt crystals, mineral-based scrub
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Mechanical irritation from particle size
- Plant oils, butters, waxes
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Fragrance allergens
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- Water, oils, glycerin, botanical extracts
- The brand calls it PFAS-free, which we have not verified
- Fragrance allergens (botanical extracts)
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- Water-based serum, niacinamide and zinc actives in glycerin base
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- 1,4-dioxane as a manufacturing byproduct
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- Mineral sunscreen, zinc oxide base
- A third party reports verifying it as PFAS-free
- 1,4-dioxane (non-intentional contaminant from surfactants/emulsifiers)
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- mineral sunscreen (zinc oxide or titanium dioxide base)
- The brand calls it PFAS-free, which we have not verified
- Synthetic fragrance allergens
- Aqueous lotion with mineral sunscreen (titanium dioxide/zinc oxide) and ceramides
- Fragrance allergens and sensitizers
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Neutrogena and PFAS, common questions
- Does Neutrogena have PFAS?
- Neutrogena averages 74 out of 100 on PFAS Authority's PFAS and toxin screen across the 31 Neutrogena products graded as of October 2026, and 27 of them reach its 70 point pass mark. Grades are model-based estimates built from published materials, ingredients and disclosures, not lab tests. Neither Neutrogena nor its parent Kenvue publishes a PFAS policy that we could find.
- Is Neutrogena non-toxic?
- Neutrogena Hair Restore Strength + Purity Shampoo is the highest-graded Neutrogena 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 Neutrogena products are lower concern for PFAS?
- The highest-graded Neutrogena products we have scored are Neutrogena Hair Restore Strength + Purity Shampoo, Neutrogena Hydrating Grip Primer Hydro Boost Hyaluronic Acid, Neutrogena T/Sal Therapeutic Shampoo. That is our model-based estimate from materials and public disclosure, not a lab test.
- Which Neutrogena products should I avoid?
- The lowest-graded Neutrogena products we have scored are Neutrogena Sensitive Skin Serum Foundation, Neutrogena Healthy Skin Liquid Makeup SPF 20, Neutrogena Healthy Skin Liquid Makeup, Buff 310w, 1 fl. oz, Size: 1 fl oz (30mL). Each one links to the evidence behind its grade.
Every grade uses the same public rubric. How grades work →