PFAS Cosmetics Lawsuits
Last updated: October 4, 2026
Some makeup contains PFAS, the “forever chemicals” that break down very slowly in the body and the environment. Lawsuits over PFAS in cosmetics have mostly been class actions from shoppers who say a label left the chemicals out. Many of those cases were dismissed because the buyers had not tested the products they actually bought.
If you have questions about PFAS in makeup or personal care products you used, you can request a free case review. Pick what fits:
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This page covers beauty and personal care products. For food packaging, carpets, clothing and other treated goods, see PFAS Consumer Product Lawsuits. For contaminated drinking water, see PFAS Water Contamination Lawsuits.
This page provides general educational information about PFAS cosmetics litigation and does not constitute legal advice.
- A 2021 University of Notre Dame study found high levels of fluorine, a marker for PFAS, in roughly half of the 231 cosmetics it screened.
- In December 2025, the FDA said it lacked the data to decide whether most PFAS used in cosmetics are safe.
- The best-known lawsuits against makeup companies are consumer class actions about labeling and price.
- Courts have dismissed several of them because the buyers could not show the products they bought contained PFAS.
- As of early 2026, fourteen states had passed laws banning cosmetics with intentionally added PFAS.
Why PFAS End Up in Makeup
Manufacturers add PFAS to some cosmetics to help them last longer, spread smoothly or resist water. Researchers have focused on products sold as long-lasting or waterproof, such as foundation, mascara and liquid lipstick.
A label can name these chemicals, often as PTFE or an ingredient that starts with “perfluoro.” Testing has shown that many products contain PFAS that the label never mentions.
What the Testing Has Found
The study cited most often in these cases came from University of Notre Dame researchers in June 2021. They screened 231 cosmetics sold in the United States and Canada for fluorine, a marker for PFAS. High fluorine turned up in 56 percent of foundations and eye products, 48 percent of lip products and 47 percent of mascaras.
The team ran detailed tests on 29 of those products and found between four and 13 specific PFAS in each. Only one of the 29 listed PFAS on its label.
In December 2025, the FDA released a report Congress had required under a 2022 cosmetics law. The agency found 51 PFAS used in 1,744 cosmetic formulas and looked closely at the 25 used most often. It found five posed a low safety concern as used, and it flagged one as a possible safety concern. For most of the rest, the FDA said the toxicology data were incomplete or not available.
That leaves the safety question open for most of the PFAS used in makeup.
What the Lawsuits Claim
Most PFAS cosmetics cases are class actions brought by shoppers. They say companies sold products as safe, clean or natural without disclosing PFAS. They seek the difference between what buyers paid and what the products were worth.
The best-known cases against makeup companies have been about labeling and price. Lawsuits that tie PFAS to illnesses such as kidney or testicular cancer have mostly come from drinking water and firefighting foam exposure.
Bought makeup you think contained PFAS, or worried about a diagnosis? Whether either supports a claim depends on the product, the testing and the facts. A free case review can help sort out which path applies.
Request a Free Case ReviewWhy Many of These Cases Were Dismissed
Courts have asked one question first: did the product this person bought contain PFAS? Several cases failed on that point.
- L’Oréal waterproof mascara (Hicks v. L’Oréal). In September 2023, a federal judge in Manhattan dismissed the case. The Notre Dame study had not tested L’Oréal products, and the buyers’ own lab results did not say how many samples contained PFAS. The buyers refiled. In September 2024, the judge let claims go forward for buyers whose purchases were close in time to the testing. He dismissed six who had not said when they bought their mascara.
- Shiseido products sold as clean (Onaka v. Shiseido). The court dismissed the case for lack of standing. The buyers had not shown that the products they bought contained PFAS.
- Coty mascara (Brown v. Coty). The court dismissed the case because the buyers could not show that PFAS appeared consistently across the product line.
The pattern in these rulings is about testing. Cases built on studies of other brands, or on a single lab result, have had trouble getting past the first stage.
State Bans on PFAS in Cosmetics
States have moved faster than federal regulators. As of early 2026, these states had laws banning cosmetics with intentionally added PFAS:
- In effect January 1, 2025: California, Colorado, Maryland, Minnesota and Washington
- In effect January 1, 2026: Connecticut, Maine and Vermont
- Starting in 2027: New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oregon and Rhode Island
- Later deadlines: New Mexico in 2028 and Illinois in 2032
Each state’s law sets its own deadlines and exceptions, and more states may follow.
What to Keep if You Used These Products
If you want a lawyer to look at a PFAS makeup question, start with the product itself. Keep any packaging, receipts or online order history showing the brand, the product name and the purchase date.
Purchase dates have mattered in court. Judges have asked whether a buyer’s product was sold around the time similar products were tested.
If you also have a health diagnosis, write down when you used the product and for how long, and keep your medical records together. Our guide to what evidence helps a lawsuit covers records in more detail.
How This Fits With Other PFAS Lawsuits
PFAS lawsuits come in three main kinds. Water cases involve contaminated wells and public water systems. Firefighting foam cases involve firefighters, military bases and airports. Product cases, like these, involve what a company sold and what its label said.
The PFAS consumer product page covers the product cases outside of cosmetics, and the PFAS guide covers the chemicals themselves.
Sources
- Whitehead et al., Fluorinated Compounds in North American Cosmetics, Environmental Science & Technology Letters (2021)
- FDA: FDA Finds Insufficient Data to Determine Safety of PFAS in Cosmetic Products (December 29, 2025)
- Hicks v. L’Oréal U.S.A., Inc., S.D.N.Y. opinion (September 30, 2023)
- Crowell & Moring: The Hidden Ingredient Problem (May 2026)
- Morgan Lewis: State PFAS Bans in Cosmetics Expand Ahead of 2026
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Find Out If You May Have a Case
Whether a PFAS makeup question supports a claim depends on the product, the testing and the facts. You can request a free, no-obligation case review on Lawsuit Center.
Educational purposes only. Submitting a case review request does not create an attorney-client relationship.
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