The Problem with Microplastics in Beauty Products.

In today's world, we are becoming more aware of what we put on our skin and for good reason. While we often focus on ingredients like parabens or synthetic fragrances, there’s another hidden danger lurking in many beauty products: microplastics.

What Are Microplastics?

Microplastics are tiny plastic particles — usually less than 5mm in size that are either intentionally added to products or formed when larger plastics break down. In beauty and personal care products, they often appear as exfoliating beads, film-formers, or texture enhancers.

You'll find microplastics under names like polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), and nylon on ingredient lists although they’re often not immediately obvious unless you know what to look for.

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Why Are Microplastics a Problem?

Environmental Impact

When we rinse off face washes, body scrubs, or toothpastes containing microplastics, these tiny particles wash down the drain. Because they're too small to be properly filtered out by water treatment systems they flow directly into rivers, lakes, and our oceans.

Once there, microplastics don’t biodegrade. Instead, they acumulate polluting delicate marine ecosystems and often being mistaken for food by fish, birds, and other wildlife. Studies have even found microplastics in the bodies of deep-sea creatures, showing just how far-reaching the problem is.

Impact on Human Health

The environmental issue is bad enough, but there is growing concern about how microplastics could affect our health too. Research has shown that microplastics can enter the food chain and ultimately our own bodies through the seafood we eat, the water we drink, and even the air we breathe.

While the long-term effects are still being studied, early research suggests potential risks including inflammation, toxicity, and even hormone disruption.

A Hidden Ingredient

Unlike other additives, microplastics don’t offer any direct benefits to your skin. They are mainly used for product texture, stability, or as cheap fillers. That means many beauty products could contain unnecessary plastics simply because it's an easy, low-cost option for manufacturers at the expense of the environment and your health.

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Okay now you know so what can you do?

Read labels carefully: Look out for ingredients like polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), nylon, acrylates copolymer, and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA).

Choose plastic-free beauty: Look for brands that are certified microplastic-free or proudly state they don't use synthetic polymers.

Support legislation: Many countries such as the Netherlands, the UK, Australia, Canada, France, Italy, New Zealand, Sweden and the United States have already banned microbeads in cosmetics. The Netherlands was the first to ban microbeads in rinse off cosmetics in 2014, but broader bans on microplastics in cosmetics are still in progress. Adding your voice to campaigns can help drive faster change.

Spread the word: Sharing information helps raise awareness the more people know, the greater the demand for truly sustainable beauty products.

Beauty Without Plastic

The good news is that the beauty industry is changing. Many small, ethical brands and increasingly some larger ones are working to eliminate microplastics in favour of natural, biodegradable alternatives.

At the end of the day, truly beautiful skin and a truly beautiful world doesn’t need plastic in it. By making more informed choices, we can help protect both our health and the planet for generations to come.

"The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it."

— Robert Swan