What are microplastics?
‘Microplastic’ refers to tiny pieces of plastic of all kinds present in the marine environment. This microplastic originates from a variety of sources, mainly from the breakdown of larger plastics, and these microplastics are known as ‘secondary microplastics’. ‘Primary microplastics’ are those which are directly released to the environment as small particles.
What is the concern about microplastics?
Microplastics do not break down easily in the environment so they are described as ‘environmentally persistent’. These substances are likely to remain in the environment for a long time and concentrations may increase in the future. This is the basis of the concern.
Have 'plastic microbead' microplastics been banned in cosmetics?
Yes. As an environmentally responsible industry, in 2015 the UK and European cosmetics industry volunteered to phase-out exfoliating plastic microbeads in wash-off personal care products, because ingredients in wash-off products go directly down the drain.
The vast majority of plastic particles in wash-off products were used as exfoliants to help clean the skin by exfoliation and to remove stains and plaque from teeth. Exfoliation removes dirt and helps to unclog pores. Dead skin cells are loosened and removed to leave a surface layer composed of fresh, younger cells. This leaves the skin feeling soft, smooth and looking brighter.
Companies that previously used plastic microbeads have replaced these with alternatives, including beeswax, rice bran wax, jojoba waxes, starches derived from corn, tapioca and carnauba, seaweed, silica and clay.
Since the voluntary phase-out by industry, the UK Government has also banned plastic microbeads in wash-off personal care products in 2019, four years after the industry began its voluntary removal.
Are other types of microplastics used in cosmetics?
Over recent years, solid, synthetic polymers which do not break down in the environment have also been considered microplastics by regulatory authorities and other organisations because these ingredients are likely to remain in the environment for a long time. However, there are also solid, synthetic polymers which do break down in the environment.
Solid polymers are safe ingredients which play an essential role in many cosmetic and personal care products. For example, solid, synthetic polymers bind together the ingredients in toothpaste to make it easy to use to protect our oral health. Solid polymers boost the effectiveness of certain UV filters in suncare, allowing a non-greasy, spreadable product which covers skin evenly. They also enable make-up to have an even, long-wearing finish. Polymer-based coatings ensure that makeup is waterproof, long lasting and does not smudge.
A survey of the European cosmetics industry conducted in 2018 found that no alternative ingredients were available in 85% of cases. Therefore, removing all microplastics from cosmetics would mean we are likely to notice a big difference in the way our cosmetics look, feel and work, or even that some are no longer available. We hope that this figure is decreasing as innovation progresses, but the process of developing new ingredients and products which are just as safe and effective as before takes time.
What are the laws around microplastics in cosmetics?
In the EU, a law was passed in 2023 which will ban solid, synthetic polymers which do not break down in the environment from being used in cosmetics and personal care products. However, these safe ingredients currently play an essential role in many cosmetic and personal care products and alternative ingredients which do the same job are not yet available.
As companies across Europe begin to phase-out these ingredients in preparation for the new law, we are likely to notice a difference in the way our cosmetics look, feel and work, or even that some are no longer available. This will also be the case in the UK because most companies in the UK also sell in Europe so they will need to ensure their products can be sold in both regions.
In the UK, the cosmetics industry is working with the Government to promote a science-based, proportionate approach which meets environmental objectives whilst ensuring that our products still support our health and wellbeing.
Read more: European Chemicals Agency Report
Are microplastics in cosmetics safe for my health?
All cosmetic products and their ingredients must be safe to use. In the case of microplastics used within cosmetics, we can be confident that these are subject to the same extremely strict UK and EU safety laws as for all cosmetic ingredients. The use of these substances in cosmetics will have been carefully reviewed and approved by an experienced and qualified safety assessor who will have confirmed that they do not pose any risk to human health before they are made available as required by the strict laws.
What is the cosmetics industry doing?
The cosmetics industry is an innovative, science-based industry. Companies are working hard to increase the range of ingredients which break down easily in the environment whilst ensuring that our everyday products work as they should and remain safe.
To prove that substances break down in the environment, companies use internationally standardised test methods which have been developed as a collaborative effort by expert environmental scientists from industry, regulatory authorities and universities. Companies won’t just do one test, but will follow a defined and stringent process to make sure that the tests are relevant to real-life conditions.
The cosmetics industry works together at a global level, and with other partners, to further scientific research into environmental science. Outputs are published in peer-reviewed scientific journals, shared in technical reports and presented at academic conferences, with the ultimate aim of being shared widely as best practice across many companies and industries.
How do I know if a product contains a microplastic?
Every cosmetic and personal care product sold in the UK will display a full ingredients list. Microplastics cannot be identified by name because they are defined by whether they are solid, whether they break down in the environment, and other factors which are not described by the ingredient’s name. For example, an ingredient with the same name could be solid in one product but liquid in another. If you would like information on any of the ingredients in your product, please contact the manufacturer. Contact details will be available on the pack.
Do all microplastics from cosmetics go down the drain?
The cosmetics industry and Governments around the world have already taken extensive action to ban plastic microbeads in cosmetic products. For example, in 2015, the cosmetics industry across Europe chose to voluntarily remove plastic microbeads from rinse-off products because these substances went directly down the drain, and alternative ingredients are available.
A survey conducted by Kantar TNS on behalf of the European cosmetics industry in 2018 interviewed 8,000 consumers in 8 European Union Member States (UK, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Spain and Sweden) to gain insights into consumer removal and disposal habits of leave-on cosmetics products. The survey found that 75% of make-up users removed their make-up using wipes or cotton pads which were disposed of in the bin. Therefore, any make-up products containing plastic microbeads are very unlikely to end up in the aquatic environment.
How much do microplastics from cosmetics contribute to plastic waste?
The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has undertaken the most extensive investigation of microplastics by a regulatory authority anywhere in the world. ECHA has estimated that microplastic emissions from cosmetics account for 0.03% of the total amount of plastic waste. This is equivalent to 3 in 10000, or 3 drops in a pint of water.
What are polymers?
A polymer is a substance made up of a repeating sequence of one or more types of units, or monomers, which are bonded together to form a chainlike structure.
Polymers made up of one type of monomer unit are called homopolymers e.g. A-A-A-... and polymers made up of more than one type of monomer unit are called co-polymers e.g. A-B-A-B-....
Polymers can have different properties depending upon the type of monomer unit, the number of monomers in the polymer, how the monomers fit together and whether the monomers have any additional chemical groups. They can be elastic, durable, flexible, hard, soft, solid or liquid.
There is a vast number and variety of polymers, including natural, synthetic, plastic and non-plastic. DNA, oyster shells and starch are examples of natural, solid polymers.
