PFAS in Moisturizer, CeraVe, Neutrogena, La Mer and Drunk Elephant Graded

We graded 15 moisturizers, lotions and hydrating serums from Neutrogena, CeraVe, La Mer and Drunk Elephant. All 15 grade 75 out of 100. None has a coating or treatment of concern on record, and none of these brands has a PFAS statement on record.

A moisturizer stays on your skin for hours, which is a good reason to check it, but price is not a PFAS signal. A drugstore CeraVe lotion and a La Mer cream grade the same, and the ingredient list is what would tell them apart.

Summary comparison table

Product	PFAS grade	Formula as recorded
CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion	Excellent, 75/100	Water, glycerin, ceramides, niacinamide
Neutrogena Daily Facial Moisturizer	Excellent, 75/100	Water, glycerin, dimethicone, emollients
La Mer Moisturizing Cream	Excellent, 75/100	Water, mineral oil, petrolatum, glycerin, wax
Drunk Elephant B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Serum	Excellent, 75/100	Water-based serum with glycerin and humectants

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. All 15 moisturizers grade 75, the baseline of 20 for this kind of product, plus 15 because no maker here has a PFAS statement on record, minus 10 for a formula base not linked to PFAS. Our records do not include an ingredient-by-ingredient check for fluorinated compounds. Look up any moisturizer in our PFAS product finder.

Why price does not change the grade

Moisturizers are built from water, humectants such as glycerin and hyaluronic acid, emollients, oils, waxes and silicones like dimethicone. None of those is a PFAS. What would lift a moisturizer above 75 is a published PFAS statement or a certification that restricts PFAS, and none of these four brands has either on record, so a drugstore lotion and a luxury cream land on the same number.

What to look for on the label

PFAS in personal care show up as named ingredients. In a December 2025 report, the FDA said 51 PFAS were listed as ingredients in 1,744 cosmetic formulations. On a moisturizer label, look for PTFE or any ingredient whose name contains perfluoro, polyfluoro or fluoro. Dimethicone and other silicones are not fluorinated. A label without a fluoro name does not list a fluorinated ingredient.

Moisturizers with SPF are regulated as over-the-counter drugs in the US, so read their inactive ingredients the same way. Our sunscreen guide covers that label.

A correction to this guide

An earlier version of this guide compared these brands with pros and cons as if some graded better than others. All 15 moisturizers in our data grade the same, and on 17 September 2026 we rewrote this guide to say so and to point to the ingredient list.

What to avoid

• Moisturizers whose ingredients include PTFE or a name with perfluoro, polyfluoro or fluoro, if avoiding PFAS is your aim.
• Treating clean, clinical or luxury positioning as a PFAS statement.
• Assuming silicones are PFAS. Dimethicone and cyclopentasiloxane are not fluorinated.

For other leave-on products, see our cosmetics guide and foundation and primer guide.

Our pick

Based on available materials and data, every moisturizer here grades 75 out of 100, so choose the one that suits your skin and check its ingredient list for PTFE or fluoro names. The CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion grades the same as the most expensive cream here. 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 moisturizer contain PFAS?

None of the 15 moisturizers we graded has a fluorinated ingredient or coating on record, but our records do not check every ingredient. Some cosmetic formulas do list fluorinated ingredients, so read the label for PTFE or names containing fluoro.

Is CeraVe PFAS-free?

CeraVe has no PFAS statement on record for the moisturizers we graded, and our records show no fluorinated ingredient. They grade 75. We do not call any product PFAS-free ourselves.

Is dimethicone a PFAS?

No. Dimethicone is a silicone, built on silicon and oxygen, and contains no fluorine. PFAS ingredients carry fluoro in their names, such as PTFE or perfluorononyl dimethicone, which is a different, fluorinated compound.