PFAS in Foundation & Primer, One Setting Mist Breaks the Pattern

We graded 96 foundation and primer products from bareMinerals, NYX Professional Makeup, CoverGirl, Estée Lauder, Urban Decay, Smashbox and more. Six bareMinerals primers lead at 100 on a brand statement. 42 standard primers grade 75 with no treatment on record. One Laura Mercier primer grades 40 on an undisclosed film-forming agent, and five long-wear primers and setting mists grade 30 on a named water-resistant film.

No single brand sweeps the category. CoverGirl and Estée Lauder each have multiple Excellent-graded primers alongside one product that grades Poor, so the specific formula matters more than the brand.

Summary comparison table

Product	PFAS grade	Formula as recorded
bareMinerals Ready-Set-Go Prime & Set Duo	Excellent, 100/100	Mineral powder base, brand PFAS statement on file
NYX Pore Filler Primer	Excellent, 75/100	Silicone, talc, no PFAS statement
CoverGirl TruBlend Skin Enhancer Primer	Excellent, 75/100	Silicones, glycerin, water, no treatment on record
Laura Mercier Pure Canvas Blurring Primer	Poor, 40/100	Silicone polymers, proprietary film-forming agent, undisclosed
CoverGirl Outlast All Day Primer	Poor, 30/100	Silicone, unspecified waterproofing agents
Estée Lauder Set + Refresh Perfecting Makeup Mist	Poor, 30/100	Aerosol mist, water-resistant film named

How we graded these

Every grade here is a model-based estimate built from publicly available product information and manufacturer disclosures, not a lab test performed by our team. A high score means lower concern based on reviewed sources, never PFAS-free and never safe. Across the 54 products the spread is six at 100, 42 at 75, one at 40 and five at 30. Look up any product in our PFAS product finder.

A correction to this guide

An earlier version of this guide had three bareMinerals primers at 75 because our records had filed them under a second spelling of the brand without its PFAS statement attached. We corrected all three to 100 on 17 September 2026, matching the rest of the bareMinerals primer line.

Why bareMinerals leads at 100

All six bareMinerals primers carry the brand's statement that it no longer produces any products containing intentional PFAS ingredients, including PTFE. That is a brand statement we have not independently verified, not a certification, but it is the only PFAS statement on file anywhere in this category, which is why these six sit above every other product here.

Why 42 primers grade 75

Standard primers from NYX, CoverGirl, Estée Lauder, Urban Decay, Too Faced, Laura Mercier, Smashbox, Shiseido, Neutrogena, L'Oréal, Benefit and Kat Von D Beauty carry no water-resistant or waterproofing treatment on record. None of these brands has published a PFAS statement, which is why 75 is the ceiling rather than 100.

Why the setting mists and long-wear primers grade 30 or 40

Five products, mostly setting mists and all-day primers from CoverGirl, Estée Lauder, Urban Decay, Smashbox and L'Oréal, are recorded with a named water-resistant or waterproofing film, which our model counts as a treatment. Laura Mercier's Pure Canvas Blurring Primer grades slightly higher, at 40, because its film-forming agent is proprietary and undisclosed rather than explicitly named as waterproofing.

What to avoid

• Setting mists and "all-day" or long-wear primers with a named water-resistant film. Every product in that group here grades 30.
• Assuming one good primer from a brand means the rest of its line matches. CoverGirl and Estée Lauder each sell both Excellent and Poor products.
• Treating bareMinerals' statement as an independent certification. It is a brand statement we have not verified, not a lab result.

Our pick

Based on available materials and data, the six bareMinerals primers are the only products in this guide with any PFAS statement on file, though it remains unverified. Among the 42 at 75, standard primers from any of the listed brands represent the same lower-concern tier. Setting mists and long-wear formulas are the category to double-check before buying.

FAQ

Are bareMinerals primers PFAS-free?

We do not call them PFAS-free ourselves. bareMinerals states it no longer produces products with intentional PFAS ingredients, which we treat as an unverified brand statement, not a lab-confirmed certification.

Why do setting mists grade worse than primers?

Setting mists and long-wear primers use a water-resistant film to extend makeup wear, and five products in this category name that kind of treatment, which our model counts against them the same way it would for any category.

Does one Excellent-graded product mean the whole brand is safer?

No. CoverGirl and Estée Lauder both sell multiple Excellent-graded primers alongside a product that grades Poor. Check the specific SKU in our product finder rather than the brand name.