The issue of micro-plastics isn’t directly linked to the health of your skin or body, but rather to the inconvenience it pushes onto the environment. Do we really want to see micro-plastics in our self-care products?

In this column, we talk about the ingredients listed on our self-care products. We know how tough it can be to understand the gibberish that is often disguised as an ingredient. In our mission to promote healthy skin, and a healthier lifestyle & world in general, we believe that the first step is advocating for educated consumption. Practice self-love by knowing exactly what you’re putting in your body AND on your body.

What you should always remember when looking at a list of ingredients:

• The list goes in order from greatest to least, with the main ingredient being first.
• If it sounds like a science experiment, it’s probably not good for you.
• As a general rule – the fewer ingredients, the better.
  
  

Micro-plastics – the beloved frenemy

The term ‘micro-plastics’ – which refers to any type of tiny, solid plastic particles commonly found in self-care products – might sound familiar to many of you. The use of plastic particulates in cosmetics has been criticized for quite some time now.

In the cosmetic industry, a multitude of obscure names are used to hide the fact micro-plastics are hidden within certain products. In general, only polyethylene (PE) is recognized as a micro-plastic. There are other names, however, like polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), nylon-12, acrylic cross-polymer (ACS) and/or polystyrene (PS). These can be found frequently in exfoliators, shower gels and foundations.

These micro-plastics have been used in the past since they are a cheap & effective component in cosmetics. This argument bears little to no significance today, though; there are plenty of low-price alternatives being used in the field of natural & organic cosmetics. Even toothpaste doesn’t have to contain micro-plastics anymore – environmentally friendly & gentle silicates have replaced them.

Why micro-plastics are an absolute eco no-go

The issue of micro-plastics (also referred to as ‘microbeads’) isn’t directly linked to the health of your skin or body, but rather to the inconvenience & disservice it pushes onto the environment.

Here’s the thing: micro-plastics only come in contact with our skin for a couple of seconds before they make their way down the drain and into our oceans. Ultimately, they eventually end up in the stomachs of fish & seagulls; thus they slowly creep back into our food chain, consequently ending up inside our bodies.

The German Authority of Environment has issued a statement about the risks resulting from plastic garbage in our waters. But the organization has failed to put a full stop on micro-plastics overall. Many cosmetic companies – including L’Oréal, Unilever and Johnson & Johnson – decided to stop using micro-plastics in their products back in 2014. The environmental organization BUND (Friends of the Earth Germany) and the start-up Codecheck recently published a study wherein they examined each of these companies and checked up on whether they actually kept their promise. Sadly, the study showed that various companies have failed to stick to the claims they’ve made concerning eliminating micro-plastics as an ingredient in their formulas.

The Verdict

This verdict is inspired by Franziska Grammes, an expert on micro-plastics & manager at Codecheck.

A general ban on micro-plastics in cosmetics might be the first step we need to take towards safeguarding our environment. We need to think about the use of so much plastic on a daily basis, as well. Micro-plastics can be easily replaced with other, more natural components, like sand, salt, corn, crushed seeds or even cellulose. As a society – and as a global community – we must begin to acknowledge our ability to make a difference… that we can cut the amount of garbage we produce (in half, at least!) by simply making small changes like avoiding ingredients that are harmful to us & toxic to our environment.

If you’d like to learn more about the effects of plastic waste in our oceans, I highly recommend watching the documentaries Plastic Planet and Addicted to Plastic — as a part of your Netflix & chill this weekend, perhaps? 😉

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Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in January 2017 and was updated in July 2018 for accuracy.