Microplastics – How to recognize and avoid the tiny plastic parts in your cosmetics

Microplastics – This is how you can identify and avoid the tiny plastic parts in your cosmetics

Have you heard of Microplastics?

Microplastics are tiny plastic particles less than 5 mm in size. They are caused by plastics’ abrasion, such as shoes or tires, or are deliberately produced by the cosmetic industry. So that? There are three main tasks microplastics are designed for. It serves as inexpensive filler, a peeling particle, or a so-called film former for a more comfortable skin feel. Sounds pretty crazy, doesn’t it?

The plastic of the cream should feel smooth and well-groomed to the face and body.

According to code verification, microplastics are already contained in every third face peel, every third sunscreen, every fourth shower gel, every five face creams, and every 10th makeup. So our pharmacies are full of it and mostly without us noticing. We wash and take care of ourselves every day with plastics of various shapes and names. However, the worst part is that sooner or later, all this plastic ends up in our wastewater. With long-term consequences that have yet to be explained because microplastics don’t just disappear. The tiny plastic particles are too small for sewage treatment plants to filter through and only biodegrade very slowly on their own. This is becoming more and more of a problem for our environment and also for ourselves.

Researchers have already detected microplastics in all areas of our rivers, lakes, and seas and have become part of our food chain.

What does that mean? Animals mistake microplastics for their natural food because of their small size. The plastic first enters the smallest organisms, which are then eaten by larger animals and fish. So it’s only a matter of time before the plastic lands on our plates. Not a good idea, is it? Of course, I don’t want to hide the fact that there are several sources of microplastics in addition to cosmetic products. As already mentioned above, tire abrasion, for example, plays an important role, but so do plastic fibres, which dissolve in wash water when washing synthetic fibre clothes (more on this shortly). However, unlike other causes, microplastics in cosmetics can be avoided very easily and effectively. By doing so, you are doing something good for the environment and yourself and your skin.

Or do you want to voluntarily put plastic on your face?

No? Then grab my cheat sheet and head to the bathroom. I have summarised the most common names of plastics in cosmetics for you. Review the content of your products at home, and you will get smarter. After inventory, it remains only to decide whether to replace the corresponding product with a microplastic-free alternative. And here they are. You just need to shop consciously and carefully read the creams and company index. If you don’t feel like doing it in the store, the Codecheck app is a great help for your mobile phone purchases. Quick and easy. Scan the barcode, and you know the problematic content of a product. But it can be even easier because, with certified natural cosmetics, you are ALWAYS on the safe side of microplastics. Natural cosmetics do not contain any petroleum-based ingredients, that is, completely without plastics. This also applies to decorative cosmetics such as lipsticks, makeup, and cosmetics. (Still) it’s a good reason to switch to organic cosmetics in the long run. Or you can make your cosmetics properly.