63Good

Shellac Review, Is Shellac Non-Toxic?

The verdict
Shellac averages 63 out of 100 on PFAS Authority's PFAS and toxin screen across the 3 Shellac products graded as of October 2026, and 2 of them reach its 70 point pass mark.
Free to quote with attribution to PFAS Authority and a link to pfasauthority.com/brands/shellac.

Shellac grades Good on our four-band scale. On disclosure, the brand says nothing publicly about PFAS. See what every brand has published about PFAS for how that compares.

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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3M Aqua-Pure AP802B Whole House Filter Housing

Aqua Pure

3M Aqua-Pure AP802B Whole House Filter Housing

95ExcellentPFAS grade
  • 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. See all of them.

AQUASURE Premier Series 75 GPD Under Sink Reverse Osmosis Water Filtration System

Aquasure

Premier Series 75 GPD Under Sink Reverse Osmosis Water Filtration System

100ExcellentPFAS grade
  • 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. See all of them.

Avocado Vegan Mattress

Avocado

Vegan Mattress

100ExcellentPFAS grade
✓ MADE SAFE Certified✓ Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)
  • 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. See all of them.

Worth buying from Shellac Good or better, best-graded first

CND Shellac Masquerade

Shellac

CND Shellac Masquerade

75ExcellentPFAS grade
  • Gel-based lacquer (proprietary Shellac formula)
  • We found no PFAS statement from the brand
  • Residual monomers and uncured resin components, Gel nail products may contain small amounts of unreacted…

4 hazards checked on this product. See all of them.

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CND Shellac Xpress5 Top Coat

Shellac

CND Shellac Xpress5 Top Coat

75ExcellentPFAS grade
  • Nail gel polish (proprietary resin blend)
  • We found no PFAS statement from the brand
  • Volatile organic solvents (uncured gel exposure), Gel polishes typically contain solvents like ethyl acetate…

5 hazards checked on this product. See all of them.

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Graded and flagged Poor and Bad, we’d swap these

Shellac Nail Polish

Shellac

Nail Polish

40PoorPFAS grade
  • Gel-resin UV-cured polish blend (proprietary)
  • We found no PFAS statement from the brand
  • UV radiation exposure from curing lamps, Shellac requires 2-minute UV curing cycles per manicure. While…

5 hazards checked on this product. See all of them.

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Shellac and PFAS, common questions

Does Shellac have PFAS?
Shellac averages 63 out of 100 on PFAS Authority's PFAS and toxin screen across the 3 Shellac products graded as of October 2026, and 2 of them reach its 70 point pass mark. Grades are model-based estimates built from published materials, ingredients and disclosures, not lab tests.
Is Shellac non-toxic?
CND Shellac Masquerade is the highest-graded Shellac 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 Shellac products are lower concern for PFAS?
The highest-graded Shellac products we have scored are CND Shellac Masquerade, CND Shellac Xpress5 Top Coat. That is our model-based estimate from materials and public disclosure, not a lab test.
Which Shellac products should I avoid?
The lowest-graded Shellac products we have scored are Shellac Nail Polish. Each one links to the evidence behind its grade.

Every grade uses the same public rubric. How grades work →