Microplastics in Cosmetics

Microplastics in Cosmetics – what it does, how to identify & avoid it

You've probably heard the word microplastics before, otherwise you probably wouldn't be here. In this article, we'll give you a quick crash course on what microplastics do and why they are harmful.
According to a 2021 study, microplastics have a major impact on climate change, even if the direct effects still need to be investigated more precisely.¹ The numerous additives in plastic pose a health risk to humans and living organisms. In addition to direct contact through your own consumption, such as when using conventional cosmetics, you also come into contact with microplastics indirectly through the environment.²
We'll now tell you what microplastics are doing in your cosmetics, how to identify them, and why you should avoid them as much as possible.

What to expect:

What is microplastics? How harmful are microplastics in cosmetics? Consequences for our health & the environment Identify and avoid microplastics In which cosmetic products are microplastics found? Cosmetics without microplastics: Choose natural cosmetics FAQ

What are microplastics and why are microplastics used in cosmetics?

Microplastics are plastic particles smaller than 5 millimeters. This makes them virtually invisible to the human eye.
You're probably wondering why cosmetics even use plastic in their products, right? Well, secondary plastic might be understandable, as it "happens" unintentionally. But intentionally producing microplastics probably sounds as incomprehensible to you as it does to us. So why? In fact, microplastic particles have many functions. On the one hand, they can act as abrasives, like those you find in exfoliants or shower gels. On the other hand, they are binding or filling agents. Especially in creams or makeup, they act as film formers to make your skin feel smooth after applying cream or makeup.

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Have you ever noticed that conventional shampoos foam extremely, while natural cosmetics often produce hardly any foam? One reason for this, you probably guessed it, is microplastics. And why does your hair often feel softer after washing with conventional shampoo and conditioner than after washing with solid, natural soap? Plastic again. But that doesn't mean that plastic has such great conditioning properties. Rather, it creates the illusion and feeling of silky soft and shiny hair and skin by applying a thin film of particles to the surface.

How harmful are microplastics in cosmetics?

Through direct contact with your skin, but also through indirect trace substance entries from cosmetics, microplastics, along with many other toxic particles, enter the environment and your body. We'll only briefly explain the exact effects this has and can have. You can find more information on this topic in this book.

Consequences for our health & the environment

You've probably seen plastic on the beach, in the park, or in the stomachs of (marine) creatures yourself. Ten million tons of plastic waste end up in the world's oceans every year. Imagine a truck dumping an entire load of plastic into the sea every minute. These large quantities become brittle due to UV radiation and turn into microplastics over years. However, not only your shampoo bottle is responsible for these masses of waste, but also your shirt, your car tires, the sausage packaging, fishing, and so on.

Plastic bags are visible; they could still be fished out of the water. But what about particles smaller than 5 millimeters? You wash your face with your anti-pimple cleansing scrub from a well-known brand and then apply an anti-wrinkle cream from another well-known manufacturer. You go to sleep. Some of the cream remains on your pillow, some on your face, which you wash the next morning. Thus, the particles enter the wastewater through the drain and later, when washing your pillowcase. The problem is that the small microplastic particles cannot be completely filtered out by sewage treatment plants and thus end up in waters and, via sewage sludge, on fields and in the air. There, it takes hundreds of years for them to fully degrade. Until then, highly toxic pollutants accumulate on the particles. Due to their size, they are often mistaken by marine organisms for their natural food. And if the organism doesn't die from this, we eventually eat our own plastic waste, including many pollutants, again. Yummy...
But microplastics not only enter your body through the food chain, but also through direct contact of your plastic exfoliant or lip balm with your skin. A study (3) from this year first detected tiny plastic particles in our bloodstream. How dangerous this is for humans still needs to be investigated more precisely. On average, 5 grams of plastic, i.e. about one credit card, of microplastics end up in your gastrointestinal tract every week. The additional pollutants that enter the body with the small plastic particles and the disruption of the gut microbiome are definitely concerning. (4)

Identify and avoid microplastics

By now, you should be aware of what microplastics are, how they enter the environment and your body, and what consequences they can have. This awareness is important so that we can change something. More conscious consumption. But how can these small particles be identified if sewage treatment plants cannot filter them and they are barely visible to the naked eye? Basically, certified natural cosmetics are free of petroleum-based microplastics. Polylactic Acid, a plastic made from renewable raw materials, is unfortunately permitted, but it is also difficult to degrade and should be avoided. With most conventional cosmetics, the only option is to read the INCI.

What is hidden behind the ingredients (INCI)?

However, plastic has many names in the ingredient list. Here are a few terms to look out for:

- Acrylates Copolymer (AC)
- Acrylates Crosspolymer (ACS)
- Dimethiconol
- Methicone
- Polyamide (PA, Nylon)
- Polyacrylate (PA)
- Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)
- Polyquaternium (PQ)
- Polyethylene (PE)
- Polyethylene Glycol (PEG)
- Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)
- Polypropylene (PP)
- Polypropylene Glycol (PPG)
- Polystyrene (PS)
- Polyurethane (PUR)
- Siloxane

Fortunately, there are now apps that take care of memorizing and reading. All you have to do is scan the product's barcode with the app, and it will show you the questionable ingredients. We, for example, like to use CodeCheck or ToxFox. Both apps are free.

In which cosmetic products are microplastics found?

In too many. Many conventional cosmetic products still contain microplastics, even or especially the big brands that we don't want to name here. It will probably still take some time and a greater demand for pollutant-free cosmetics, even if larger corporations are now trying to change their ingredients. Fortunately, there are alternatives so that no one is forced to smear microplastics and harmful substances on their skin. And before you throw away all your old cosmetics: nobody is perfect and you don't have to save the world overnight. Use your cosmetics until they are empty and then, next time you shop, try natural cosmetics without harmful additives.

Cosmetics without microplastics: Choose natural cosmetics

As already mentioned, natural cosmetics are your new best friend if you want to avoid microplastics. Why? Because not only petroleum-based microplastics are forbidden here, but also many other substances that you don't really want on your face. You can find more detailed information on natural cosmetics in this article. In addition to natural ingredients, companies that produce natural cosmetics also pay attention to fair resource utilization and ethical, social production.

Instead of microplastics in your peeling, we use, for example, clay in our face wash, which, in addition to its cleansing function, also has nourishing properties. And our moisturizer provides your skin with the care substances it needs to be soft and refreshed, instead of just creating the illusion with a plastic film. A colleague introduces the most important information in short videos.

In general, all our products are free of microplastics. From shower gels to beard care to face care, you'll find everything a man needs: good for you and for the environment.
We would love to hear your opinion on this whole issue. Do you have any tips you'd like to share with us and the community on Instagram and Facebook?

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FAQ

What are primary and secondary microplastics?

Primary microplastics are specially manufactured industrially and then added to cosmetics, cleaning products, or other items. Secondary microplastics result from the breakdown of larger plastic parts over a longer period, such as plastic bags or straws in the ocean, as well as synthetic fibers from clothing. Depending on the definition, water-soluble, liquid, or gel-like plastics also fall under the term microplastics. However, when people talk about microplastics, they usually mean the solid, spherical particles.

Do I have to memorize INCI descriptions?

No, you can, but there are good apps for that nowadays. ToxFox and CodeCheck are our favorites.

What should I do with my existing cosmetics? What's the best way to dispose of them?

Whether you use them or throw them away doesn't change much regarding the trace substance entries into the environment. And generally, too much is being thrown away these days. So: feel free to use your products until they are empty. And then, for your next purchase, you can check out the natural cosmetics section of your drugstore or on BrooklynSoap .

Interesting studies used in the text:

(1) Balzer, S., Saha, S. Microplastics: Invisible health hazard. MMW - Fortschritte der Medizin 163, 20–21 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s15006-021-0240-x

(2) Heinrich Böll Foundation. (2019). The Plastic Atlas. Get your free version from https://www.boell.de/de/2019/05/14/plastikatlas?dimension1=ds_plastikatlas

(3) Leslie, H., van Velzen, M., Brandsma, S., Vethaak, A., Garcia-Vallejo, J., & Lamoree, M. (2022). Discovery and quantification of plastic particle pollution in human blood. Environment International, 163, 107199. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107199

(4) Gruber, E.S., Stadlbauer, V., Pichler, V. et al. To Waste or Not to Waste: Questioning Potential Health Risks of Micro- and Nanoplastics with a Focus on Their Ingestion and Potential Carcinogenicity. Expo Health (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12403-022-00470-8