PFAS in Mascara, Foundation, and the "Forever Chemicals" Conversation You're Missing

PFAS - the "forever chemicals" - have been detected in waterproof mascara, long-wear foundation, and lipstick. They're added for smoothness, water resistance, and that just-out-of-the-tube glide that lasts twelve hours. They don't break down in your body, and they don't break down in the water supply. The fix is small but specific: look for products that explicitly state "PFAS-free," because U.S. labels almost never spell out PFAS by name.

Half the makeup tested by University of Notre Dame researchers in 2021 came back positive for high fluorine - the chemical signature of PFAS. Foundations. Concealers. Eye products. Long-wear lipsticks. Two hundred thirty-one products, fifty-two percent flagged. Of those flagged products, fewer than nine percent disclosed any PFAS-related ingredient on the label.

Fifty-two percent. Less than nine. That's the conversation we should be having.

The researchers - and I'll save you the deep methodology read - tested for fluorine because PFAS are part of a chemistry family built around the carbon-fluorine bond. It's the strongest bond in organic chemistry. It's why PFAS are useful in cookware, raincoats, firefighting foam, and yes, the mascara you put millimeters from your tear duct twice a day. It's also why scientists call them forever chemicals. They don't break down. Your liver can't process them out. The wastewater plant can't filter them out. They land in groundwater, breast milk, and measurably in the blood serum of nearly every American the CDC has tested.

What PFAS Actually Are (And Why PFAS in Cosmetics Is the Conversation)

PFAS stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, a family of more than 12,000 synthetic chemicals built around the carbon-fluorine bond. PFOA and PFOS are the two most famous members because they're the ones implicated in the Teflon and Scotchgard lawsuits. But "PFAS" is the umbrella, and the family is enormous.

In cosmetics, PFAS show up because formulators want three things from a product: spreadability, water resistance, and longevity. PFAS deliver all three at the same time. They make foundation glide. They make mascara stay through tears. They make lipstick survive coffee. They are, technically, very good at their job. The trade-off is that the same chemical resilience that makes them work as cosmetic ingredients also makes them refuse to leave, your skin, your bloodstream, the rivers downstream of the manufacturing plant, all of it. PFAS in cosmetics is the same molecular problem as PFAS in cookware, just applied to your face.

Health concerns documented in peer-reviewed literature include thyroid disruption, immune suppression, increased cholesterol, decreased vaccine response in children, and the one I keep coming back to, links to kidney and testicular cancers. The CDC has detected PFAS in the blood of 97% of Americans they've tested. That's the surface area of this problem. We've covered the broader endocrine implications in the five endocrine disruptors probably on your counter right now, PFAS belong on that list.

The Notre Dame Numbers — And the EU/US Regulatory Gap That Explains Them

The 2021 Notre Dame study, published in Environmental Science & Technology Letters, tested 231 makeup products sold in the U.S. and Canada. The fluorine screen, meaning likely PFAS presence, came back positive on 63% of foundations, 58% of eye products, 55% of lip products, and 82% of waterproof mascaras.

Waterproof mascaras. Eighty-two percent.

Then the researchers did the part that should have ended the conversation right there. They cross-checked the ingredient labels of the products that tested positive. Of 29 products with high fluorine, only one disclosed PFAS-related ingredients on the label. One. Out of twenty-nine.

This is the gap. Not the science. The science has been clear for two decades. The gap is between what's in the tube and what's printed on the box, and the regulatory regime that allows that gap to stay open.

The European Union restricts the use of more than 200 specific PFAS in cosmetics, with broader restrictions on the whole class phasing in. France's anti-waste law, in effect since 2023, requires PFAS disclosure on consumer goods. The 2024 EU REACH proposal, currently under final review, would restrict PFAS as a class, not chemical by chemical, but the whole family at once.

In the United States, federal cosmetics regulation works the other way around. The FDA does not pre-approve cosmetic ingredients. Manufacturers don't have to disclose PFAS by name unless the specific compound is listed in the ingredient declaration, and most PFAS used in cosmetics aren't required to be. A handful of states have moved on their own. California's AB 2771 banned the intentional addition of PFAS in cosmetics starting January 2025. Minnesota, Maine, and Washington have similar bans phasing in. But this is a state-by-state patchwork, not a federal floor, exactly the same labeling-loophole structure I wrote about in the word "fragrance" is hiding 3,000+ ingredients, and exactly as exhausting to navigate as a consumer.

Mascara, Foundation, Lipstick: Where PFAS Hide, and How to Read the Label

Here's the part that drove me back to my own makeup bag. PFAS in cosmetics almost never appear on the ingredient list as the word "PFAS." They appear as one of dozens of trade names and INCI declarations that don't look like much unless you know what to scan for.

The rule of thumb is brutally simple. If the ingredient contains the letters "fluoro," "perfluoro," "polyfluoro," or "PTFE"  scan past the brand promise and assume PFAS until proven otherwise.

A second rule: long-wear, waterproof, transfer-proof, and 24-hour claims are the highest-risk category. The chemistry that makes a foundation last sixteen hours is, ninety percent of the time, fluorochemistry of some kind. This isn't absolute, there are silicone-only long-wear formulas and natural-wax mascaras that perform well, but if you see the wear claim and the ingredient list contains a "-fluoro-" anything, you have your answer.

The Swap-Out: PFAS-Free Makeup That Actually Performs

The clean makeup category has had a five-year head start on this. PFAS-free claims have moved from a niche flag to a baseline standard for any line worth carrying. When I rebuild a makeup bag for a customer at Free Living Co, I look for three things: explicit PFAS-free language in the product copy or FAQ, third-party certification from MADE SAFE or EWG Verified, and an ingredient list short enough to read in under two minutes.

The clean makeup edit at Free Living Co is built around that filter. Rejuva Minerals for mineral foundation and long-wear color. Rituel de Fille for pigment-rich lipstick that lasts without fluorochemistry. Three Ships Beauty for tinted moisturizer. Beauty by Earth for cream blush. Every one of those brands publicly attests to a PFAS-free formula, and every one is verified before it gets shelf space.

A note on the in-house side. Live Free Skincare, the three-product MADE SAFE certified routine we make (Smooth Sali cleanser, Pore Magic toner mist, Moisturose moisturizer), is the skincare layer underneath all of this. MADE SAFE certification specifically prohibits PFAS as a class. If you're rebuilding around clean makeup, the prep and remove layer matters too, what you cleanse with at night decides whether anything residual stays on your skin overnight or rinses away.

I'll say what I always say. I'm not asking anyone to panic. I'm suggesting you seek to know. The next time you reach for a foundation or a mascara, scan the ingredient list for the letters "fluoro." If you find them, you'll know what you're holding. If you don't, you'll have a quietly better answer than you had ten minutes ago.

Forever chemicals last forever. Your mascara doesn't have to be one of them.

Live Free,
Dana Grinnell, Founder, Free Living Co.

FAQ

What are PFAS and why are they in cosmetics?

PFAS — per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — are a family of more than 12,000 synthetic chemicals built around the carbon-fluorine bond, the strongest bond in organic chemistry. They're added to cosmetics for spreadability, water resistance, and long wear. The same chemical durability that makes them useful in formulation also makes them resistant to breakdown in the body and the environment — which is why they're called forever chemicals.

Is my mascara likely to contain PFAS?

If your mascara is labeled waterproof or long-wear, the odds are meaningful. The 2021 University of Notre Dame study found high fluorine — indicating PFAS — in 82% of waterproof mascaras tested. Look for "PFAS-free" in the brand's product copy, and scan the ingredient list for any term containing "fluoro," "perfluoro," "PTFE," or "polyfluoro." If you see one of those, treat it as PFAS until proven otherwise.

Are forever chemicals being banned in beauty?

Yes — in pockets. The European Union restricts more than 200 specific PFAS in cosmetics and is finalizing a broader class restriction. California's AB 2771 banned intentional PFAS addition in cosmetics starting January 2025. Minnesota, Maine, and Washington have similar laws phasing in. Federally in the U.S., there is no comprehensive ban. The regulatory map is a state-by-state patchwork, which means consumer scanning still matters.

How do I tell if my foundation has PFAS?

Scan the ingredient list for any term that includes "fluoro," "perfluoro," "polyfluoro," or "PTFE" — examples include PTFE, perfluorohexyl ethyl methoxydimethylsilane, perfluorodecalin, and C9-15 fluoroalcohol phosphate. Long-wear, transfer-proof, and waterproof claims are the highest-risk category. The cleanest signal is explicit "PFAS-free" language in the brand's product copy or FAQ, ideally paired with MADE SAFE or EWG Verified certification.

What clean makeup brands are PFAS-free?

Several lines publicly attest to PFAS-free formulas: Rejuva Minerals (mineral foundation and long-wear color), Rituel de Fille (pigment-rich lipstick), Three Ships Beauty (tinted moisturizer), Beauty by Earth (cream blush), and most brands carrying MADE SAFE or EWG Verified certification. Verify on the brand's site or FAQ before purchase. The Free Living Co beauty edit is curated to this filter — every product on the shelf is checked for PFAS before it gets carried.