Introduction

Plastic pollution, and in particular microplastics (MP), is currently one of the most discussed topics in the scientific community and the general population.
Microplastics is the term used to define very small plastic particles that cause a very large problem, mainly because they are practically indestructible.
Microplastics are a problem especially if they end up in the environment, where they accumulate.
This will eventually cause damage to both nature and people.
The cosmetics industry is responsible for around 10% of all microplastics in the environment, which places it in a high third place among polluters.

Microplastics in cosmetics

Microplastics are often encountered in cosmetics.
It is of concern because it has a combination of the following properties:

• microplastics are smaller than 5 mm, which means they can be consumed by both animals and humans,
• is indestructible, which means it stays in the environment for a long time,
• It is difficult to remove from the environment, which is why it ends up in our drinking water,
• breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces, making the above 3 points even more worrying.

Microplastics are intentionally added to both rinse-off and non-rinse-off cosmetics. Cosmetics that are rinsed off are washed down the drain, cosmetics that are not rinsed off stay on the body for a while and are then also washed off or removed with a tissue or cotton pad, which usually end up as landfill waste.
Examples of cosmetics that are rinsed with microplastics are hair dye products, shampoos, shower gels, soaps, etc.
Microplastics in non-rinse-off cosmetics can be added to skin care (such as body lotions, face cream), make-up (foundations, powders, concealers, mascaras, eye shadows, eye pencils, eyeliners), lip care, deodorants, sun care, hair care (such as non-rinse-off conditioners, dry shampoos), nail care products, etc.

Microspheres in cosmetics

Microspheres with a cleansing or exfoliating function in cosmetics were patented in 1972 and were rarely used until the early 1990s, when cosmetic manufacturers started to replace the most popular inorganic exfoliating ingredients.
By the early 2000s, microbeads were used to such an extent that it was estimated that every household uses at least one microbead-containing scrub daily or at least weekly.
The cosmetic industry preferred plastic microbeads to natural alternatives, as they were shown to be safe to use and effective in removing keratinocytes and in tightening skin pores.
At the same time, they had a number of advantages over the inorganic ingredients used in the past, as they:

• less coarse and provide a smoother exfoliation,
• were cheaper,
• had a lower density, making it easier to wash them off without blocking drainage,
• were highly compatible with other compounds in the product.

On the consumer side, the microbeads were also a commercial success, leaving the skin feeling clean and pleasantly soft.

What is microplastics anyway?

As we have already said, the cosmetics and personal care industries use plastic ingredients in a wide range of products.

The plastic materials in question are synthetic, non-degradable, water-insoluble, solid materials composed of polymers mixed with additives that give the materials their desired properties and functionality.
The particles of plastic used in cosmetics are, as we have already said, very small (usually no more than a millimetre, but they can be as small as a few tens of nanometres), many of them invisible to the naked eye.

Particles can be spherical or amorphous.
Types of plastics used in cosmetics include thermoplastics and thermoset plastics, including silicones.
Within these plastic categories there is a wide variety of polymers and copolymers.

What is the function of microplastics in cosmetic products?

Microplastics are added by manufacturers to cosmetic products for the various functions they perform.
The functions of these materials in products are: film-forming, viscosity control, texture control, stabilisation of emulsions, exfoliation and many other functions.
Let’s look a little more specifically: microplastics can be found in cosmetic products where they have a really wide range of uses, including small plastic particles that act as abrasives.
They are added to scrubs and toothpastes as exfoliants and include polyethylene, polypropylene and nylon.
Most manufacturers go to great lengths to avoid the use of this type of microplastic and therefore replace it with natural and vegetable raw materials.
It is more complicated to replace microplastics (synthetic polymers) which give the consistency to the products.
These are liquid polymers that are dissolved in the product and make a bubble bath or body lotion feel good on the skin, make it easier to comb the hair after shampooing, etc.
These substances, which include for example copolymers of acrylic acid, polyethylene glycol, polyurethane and silicone oils, are as non-biodegradable as the aforementioned scrubs and also have a negative impact on the environment and living organisms.
In addition, plastics can bind harmful substances such as phthalates (plasticisers), silicones or the endocrine disruptor bisphenol A (BPA).

Plastic ingredients are therefore highly functional and can be found in many types of cosmetics and personal care products, such as soap, shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste, anti-wrinkle creams, moisturisers, shaving cream, sunscreens, face masks, make-up (e.g. lipstick or eye shadow) and bubble bath for children.

Why are microplastics bad?

As we have already said, plastics are one of the main reasons for our huge pollution problem and are problematic in terms of biodegradability in particular.
Take the plastic bag, for example: it will not simply disappear after a while.
Instead, it will break down into smaller particles – macro and microplastics, known as primary and secondary plastics – which are even more harmful to our atmosphere.
Plastics permeate all spheres of our lives, including many everyday objects, especially packaging, where they are largely unnecessary.
This means that we are causing a great deal of environmental damage in our daily lives – damage that is compounded by the fact that macro and microplastics have a similar density to water, which poses a major risk, particularly to aquatic organisms.
Due to their size, these plastics do not settle on the seabed but float in or on the water, which means that they can be found in all marine regions.
These materials come from our industry and our daily lives and end up in the world around us.
They are practically ubiquitous and end up in the soil and all bodies of water.
For example, they pass through our waste water into rivers and the ocean, or are carried there by the wind, where they are ingested by animals and various other organisms.
These animals are then eaten and the microplastics end up on our plates, enter our bodies and accumulate through our food intake.
Because it is indigestible, it can cause biochemical process disturbances such as hormonal imbalances.

We have known for years that microplastics are problematic, but more and more studies are highlighting how much they affect the environment and our health.
Scientists have warned that the situation is spiralling out of control.
Microplastics have been found virtually everywhere they look: on mountains, in the ocean, on Arctic sea ice, and in our air, drinking water and bodies.

How to identify microplastics in a product?

So far, we have talked about the huge impact of the cosmetics industry on the release of microplastics into the environment.
In order to identify these microplastics in cosmetic products, it is first necessary to define the term ‘microplastics’. What is the exact definition of “microplastics” and how do you know if a product contains them? There are different definitions of the term “microplastics”.
The most thorough work on the exact definition of microplastics has been carried out by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) and Beat the Microbead.
In order not to be too long, I will not list here the definition of microplastics according to the two models, but I will use the criteria used by Beat the Microbead, as their criteria are stricter than those of ECHA.
Beat the Microbead (BtM) uses a list of more than 500 ingredients, on the basis of which they have created four groups to classify products: Red: these are products with microplastics; Orange: these are products with potential microplastics, for which there is not yet enough data; Green: these are products with no microplastics or potential microplastics; Zero: this means all the products of the brand are plastic-free.

With BtM ‘s app (which is also free to download on your mobile phone), consumers can check for themselves whether a personal care product contains microplastics.
The app identifies more than 500 different microplastic ingredients, plus more than 400 questionable ingredients .

Phasing out microplastics in the cosmetics industry

Phasing out all microplastics will be one of the biggest challenges facing the cosmetics industry this decade.
Everyone agrees that this is necessary.
But the question remains: how to start? The initiative should not be with the legislators, but with consumers.
It is up to consumers to express their desire to use safe products.
Safe for themselves and safe for the environment.
It is up to consumers to send a clear signal to the cosmetics industry about the direction in which they should develop their products – because only together can we help to make the world a little bit better.

NANU’s position on microplastics

At NANO, we are strictly opposed to microplastics as they have an extremely harmful impact on the environment.
That is why NANU does not manufacture products containing microplastics.
We do not see them as a necessity and replacements for them are available in all cases.
With regard to liquid microplastics, our recommendations include COSMOS-certified vegan xanthan gum, which can thicken cosmetic formulations in a similar way to a polymer.
Many other natural and biodegradable ingredients can be used for a pleasant silicone-like feel.

Conclusion

Although the cosmetics industry is completely free of microplastics and has various alternatives available, the unfortunate truth is that microplastics are still used in cosmetic products and are not biodegradable.
Nevertheless, steps are being taken in the right direction.
In January 2018, the European Commission launched a procedure to restrict microplastics in cosmetic products.
In mid-October this year, a ban on the sale of glitter powder and plastic microbeads under European chemicals legislation (REACH) came into force.
The new European legislation to restrict microplastics should prevent the release of around half a million tonnes of microplastics into the environment.
In the EU, 42,000 tonnes of microplastics are estimated to be released into the environment each year as a result of deliberate additions to products.
The restriction covers all synthetic polymer particles smaller than five millimetres that are organic, insoluble and poorly degradable.
Microplastics, as we now know, are contained in many cosmetic products, such as skin peels (which contain mainly microbeads), and are also added to achieve a desired texture, scent or colour.
Legislation adopted or
The legislation adopted, or the ban currently in force, only applies to glitter and microbeads, while other products containing microplastics are subject to transitional adjustment periods (with effect from 2031). Sources:https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1382668918305635https://assets.vu.nl/d8b6f1f5-816c-005b-1dc1-e363dd7ce9a5/702e44d9-2b00-43c9-8c6c-efce1179d2ad/Plastic_ingredients_in_Cosmetics_07-2014_FINAL_tcm296-409859.pdfhttps://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/reel.12269https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X20310018https://cosmeticseurope.eu/how-we-take-action/leading-voluntary-actions/all-about-plastic-microbeads/https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0269749123001082https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9657586/