30/08/2022
Most people associate microbeads with facial and body scrubs (yes, you might be scrubbing your skin with plastic!) but microplastics are also used in a wide variety of skincare including washes, shampoos, conditioners, lotions, gels, cosmetics and... toothpaste! Sadly, avoiding skincare which contains them is harder than we realise.
Why? Microplastics are often used as texturisers - they are used to make a product feel silky and velvety, or to reduce the feeling of oiliness in a lotion. They’re also used as bulking agents to create a feeling of heaviness or richness in a product, or binding agents, i.e. to help keep lotions and creams stable). They’re also often used in products which need to create a film of protection such as hair conditioners and nail polish or have light-reflecting effects (think make-up). We may literally be covering ourselves in plastic - and guess where it all ends up? These tiny beads of plastic seep into our waterways, soil and into our wider environment and ultimately the food-chain.
Look out for these ingredients which may indicate the use of microplastics in your skincare:
* Polyethylene (PE)
* Polypropylene (PP)
* Polyethylene terephthalate (PET)
* Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)
* Nylon (PA)
(source: choice.com.au)
As always, simple, all natural skincare is best. Get to know the products you use well and slim down the number on your shelf. The fewer skincare products you use, and the more you know about them, the better off your skin, and our environment will be!
For a comprehensive list of microplastic ingredients to watch out for and avoid:
https://www.beatthemicrobead.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Red-List_new_ECHA.pdf
From all of us at Four Cow Farm ❤️
