How to avoid microplastics in your beauty products

Are there microplastics in your beauty products?

This year (2024) the global theme for Earth Day is ‘planet vs. plastics’.

EarthDay.org calls for “the end of plastics for the health of people and the planet,” and demands a 60 percent reduction in plastic production by 2040.

Here at CV Skinlabs we are an environmentally conscious company. We’re working hard to do our part to protect you and the planet. We think it is important what you put on your skin and what those ingredients can do to the earth. Our products are always free from harmful and toxic ingredients.

We are also committed to the continuous improvement of conscious sourcing and packaging. Our packaging is recyclable and we print our brochures on the inside of our boxes to save resources. In an ongoing effort to reduce virgin plastic, we are working to use post-recycled materials (PCR) in our packaging.

We also strive to increase awareness about plastics in cosmetic products. Of particular concern are small components called ‘microplastics’ as they are difficult to filter from wastewater treatment plants. That means they can reach watercourses more easily and run off into the oceans where they can be consumed by marine animals, plankton and other biota, negatively impacting the entire food chain.

What can you do to help reduce the dangerous spread of plastics and microplastics when it comes to your beauty products? Below we have some ideas.

What are microplastics?

Microplastics are small plastic pieces less than 5 millimeters long that can be harmful to the ocean and aquatic life. They are the most common type of marine debris found in the ocean and the Great Lakes.

The problem with microplastics is that they are not easily broken down into harmless molecules. They can take hundreds or thousands of years to synthesize, harming the environment in the meantime. She have been detected in marine life, from plankton to whales, in commercial seafood and in some locations even in drinking water.

Microplastics come from two common sources:

1. Larger plastics that have fragmented and broken down over time
2. Intentionally created microplastics found in commercial products such as cosmetics, detergents, paints, medications and more

Microplastics in the form of microbeads used to be added to some cosmetics. These were used to help exfoliate and cleanse, and you’ll likely find them in body washes and toothpaste. In 2015, President Obama signed the Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015, banning these microbeads in cosmetics and personal care products.

Microplastics are more than microbeads

Although most cosmetic manufacturers have now eliminated the use of microbeads in their products, many still contain microplastics in their formulas.

That’s because ‘microplastics’ is a broad category. In addition to the dangerous microbeads that have now been phased out, it can also include “synthetic polymer substances that are persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic,” the organization said.Defeat the microbead.”

Polymers are simply large molecules made by chemically linking a series of building blocks together. All plastics are made of polymers, but not all polymers end up as plastics.

When used in personal care and beauty products, polymers are the building blocks for some key ingredients. They can occur in liquids and gels (instead of beads, for example). Some polymers swell in water and can act as binders that hold ingredients together. They can also be used as a thickener in shampoos, conditioners and lotions to make them flow more easily from a bottle.

Manufacturers have long used synthetic polymers to do the following:

• Prevent an emulsion from separating into the liquid and oil components; make sure the emulsion stays nicely mixed together
• Form a thin film on the skin, hair or nails, as in a conditioner or lotion
• Fix the hair, add volume and protect it from moisture

Whether liquid and gel polymers like these are as toxic as solid forms, we still need more research to know for sure. In the meantime, many consumers feel safer purchasing products that avoid these ingredients.

Which microplastics are the most toxic?

Beat the Microbead has compiled a list of more than 500 microplastic (synthetic polymer) ingredients “commonly used in cosmetics and personal care products.”

That’s a bit overwhelming! Furthermore, we lack the research we need to know exactly which of these ingredients could be harmful to the environment or human health.

Beat the Microbead has created a list to help consumers determine which of their products are safest to use, based on the absorption of certain types of microplastics.

Red

These products appear to contain synthetic polymers that are commonly considered microplastic ingredients. They include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Polyethylene (PE)
• Polypropylene (PP)
• Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)
• Nylon (PA)
• Polyurethane
• Acrylates Copolymer

Orange

These products contain synthetic polymers that Beat the Microbead calls “skeptical microplastic.” That means there isn’t enough information available to know how poisonous they are or aren’t.

• Poloxamer
• PEGs
• PPGs
• Certain types of polyquaterniums
• Liquid polymers
• Soluble polymers

Vegetable

Products on the green list do not contain ingredients from the red and orange lists. They may not be free from it all microplastic ingredients, however.

Zero

Products on this list are completely free of ingredients from the red and orange lists. They also carry the ‘Zero Plastic Inside’ certification logo because their manufacturers have declared them completely free of microplastic ingredients.

How do you know if your products contain microplastics?

As we have long recommended here at CV Skinlabs, the first thing you want to do is turn the product over and read the ingredients list. If you see ingredients like those on the red list above – specifically polyethylene, polypropylene and polymethyl methacrylate – you know the product contains microplastics.

The problem is that these products are so widespread in our world. If we all only used them occasionally, the impact would be smaller. But think about how many beauty and personal care products are in our homes right now, then multiply that by the entire population, and you can see why we have a problem.

You can do your part by avoiding products with these ingredients as much as possible. In addition to reading the ingredients list, you can also purchase your products from conscientious companies such as CV Skinlabs with products that are free of harmful ingredients such as microplastics.

Did you know that microplastics are in beauty products?

_{Featured image by Karolina Grabowska via Pexels.}