By PFAS Authority · Updated September 8, 2026
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Model-based grades, not lab tests. We flunk more than we pass. How grading works
PFAS in Makeup, 101 Foundations and the Long-Wear Split
We graded 101 foundations, cushions and powder foundations from Estée Lauder, MAC, Dior, Chanel, Charlotte Tilbury, Fenty Beauty, Clinique, Lancôme, YSL Beauty, CoverGirl, Rimmel and Elizabeth Arden. 48 grade 75 out of 100. Six grade 30, and all six are long-wear formulas recorded with a water-resistant film whose chemistry is not stated, five Estée Lauder Double Wear foundations and Lancôme's Teint Idole Ultra Wear.
That split matches what independent testing has found. A 2021 study from the University of Notre Dame, published in Environmental Science and Technology Letters, found high fluorine levels in about two thirds of the foundations it tested, most often in products sold as long-wear or waterproof.
Summary comparison table
| Product | PFAS grade | Formula as recorded |
|---|---|---|
| Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation | Excellent, 75/100 | Water-based liquid, no water-resistant film on record |
| MAC Studio Fix Fluid SPF 15 | Excellent, 75/100 | Liquid with silicones and pigments |
| MAC Studio Waterweight SPF 30 Foundation | Excellent, 75/100 | Lightweight liquid with silicones and pigments |
| Dior Forever Skin Glow Foundation | Excellent, 75/100 | Liquid with silicones and pigments |
| Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Foundation | Excellent, 75/100 | Liquid with silicones and pigments |
| CoverGirl Clean Fresh Skin Milk Foundation | Excellent, 75/100 | Water-based liquid |
| Estée Lauder Futurist Skintint Serum Foundation SPF 20 | Excellent, 75/100 | Liquid with mineral pigments and silicones |
| Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Foundation | Poor, 30/100 | Water-resistant polymers, chemistry not stated |
| Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra Wear Foundation | Poor, 30/100 | Water-resistant film, chemistry not stated |
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 foundations the spread is 48 at 75 and six at 30. None of these brands has a PFAS statement on record for the foundations we graded. Look up any foundation in our PFAS product finder.
Why long-wear foundations grade 30
Staying power comes from film-forming ingredients that hold pigment on skin through sweat and humidity. Some are ordinary silicones and acrylates, and some formulas have used fluorinated ingredients such as PTFE or polyfluorinated film formers. When a record describes a water-resistant or waterproof film and the brand does not name what it is made of, our model counts it, and the foundation grades 30. That is the case for five Double Wear foundations and Teint Idole Ultra Wear. It is not a finding that they contain PFAS.
Longwear in a name does not decide it on its own. Fenty Beauty's Pro Filt'r Soft Matte Longwear and Estée Lauder's own Double Wear Sheer are recorded without a water-resistant film and grade 75.
What to look for on the label
PFAS in makeup appear as named ingredients. In a December 2025 report, the FDA said 51 PFAS were listed as ingredients in 1,744 cosmetic formulations. Look for PTFE, or any ingredient whose name contains perfluoro, polyfluoro or fluoro. Dimethicone and other silicones are not fluorinated.
A correction to this guide
An earlier version of this guide compared brands with pros and cons without explaining what separated the grades. On 17 September 2026 we also found that our records had given MAC Studio Waterweight Foundation a water-resistant film because of the word waterweight, which describes texture, not water resistance. We removed it, and it now grades 75.
What to avoid
- Long-wear, transfer-proof or waterproof foundations whose film formers are not named, if avoiding PFAS is your aim.
- Foundations whose ingredients include PTFE or a name with perfluoro, polyfluoro or fluoro.
- Assuming a prestige price means a different formula type. Chanel and CoverGirl both grade 75 here.
For related products, see our foundation and primer guide waterproof mascara guide lipstick guide and cosmetics overview.
Our pick
Based on available materials and data, if you want coverage that lasts, a longwear foundation recorded without a water-resistant film, such as Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r Soft Matte Longwear at 75 out of 100, avoids the one factor that separates foundations in our data. Any of the 48 at 75 grades the same. These grades are estimates built from disclosed materials, not laboratory proof, and nothing here is being called PFAS-free or safe by us.
FAQ
Does foundation contain PFAS?
Most foundations we graded have no water-resistant film or fluorinated ingredient on record and grade 75. Six long-wear foundations with a water-resistant film of unstated chemistry grade 30. Independent testing has found fluorine most often in long-wear and waterproof foundations.
Does Estée Lauder Double Wear have PFAS?
Five Double Wear foundations in our data are recorded with water-resistant polymers whose chemistry Estée Lauder does not state, and grade 30. Estée Lauder has no PFAS statement on record for them. That is not a finding that they contain PFAS, and Double Wear Sheer grades 75.
Is Fenty Beauty foundation PFAS-free?
The Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation is recorded without a water-resistant film and grades 75, and Fenty Beauty has no PFAS statement on record. We do not call any product PFAS-free ourselves.
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