Microplastics in Cosmetics and Personal Care Products: What to Avoid and Safer Alternatives (2026)
Every day, the average person applies 9 to 15 personal care products to their body before leaving the house. Shampoo, toothpaste, moisturizer, sunscreen, deodorant, foundation. According to a 2023 study by the Plastic Soup Foundation, 87% of these products contain at least one type of microplastic ingredient. That means most people are rubbing, spreading, and rinsing synthetic plastic polymers directly onto their skin, hair, lips, and gums every single morning.
These are not just the visible plastic microbeads that made headlines a decade ago. Most of the plastic in your cosmetics is invisible: liquid polymers that create silky textures, film forming agents that make makeup last longer, and synthetic waxes that give lip products their shine. The Microbead Free Waters Act of 2015 banned solid microbeads in rinse off products, but it left the vast majority of plastic ingredients in personal care completely untouched.
The good news: switching to plastic free personal care is easier and more affordable than it was even two years ago. This guide breaks down exactly which products contain the most microplastics, how to read ingredient labels, and the best alternatives for every step of your routine.
What Are Microplastics in Cosmetics?
Microplastics in cosmetics come in three main forms, and understanding the differences matters because regulations only cover one of them.
Microbeads
Microbeads are tiny solid plastic spheres, typically 0.1 to 1 millimeter in diameter, added to products as exfoliants or abrasives. They are usually made from polyethylene (PE) or polypropylene (PP). These are the type most people picture when they hear "microplastics in cosmetics." Microbeads were the target of the 2015 US ban and similar bans in the UK, Canada, and the EU. However, the bans only apply to rinse off products, and enforcement has been inconsistent.
Liquid and Dissolved Polymers
This is the category most people miss entirely. Liquid polymers are synthetic plastic compounds that exist in solution or gel form. They include silicones (dimethicone, cyclomethicone), acrylates copolymers, polyurethane dispersions, and polyester resins. These ingredients serve as emulsifiers, texture enhancers, viscosity controllers, and skin conditioning agents. They are not covered by any microbead ban and are present in the vast majority of conventional personal care products.
Film Formers and Plastic Powders
Film forming polymers create a thin plastic coating on your skin or hair. They are what make waterproof mascara resistant to water, long wear foundation stay put, and hair spray hold your style. Common film formers include VP/VA copolymer, PVP (polyvinylpyrrolidone), acrylates/octylacrylamide copolymer, and nylon 12. Plastic powders like polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) are used in foundations and setting powders for a "blurring" effect on pores and fine lines.
Which Products Contain the Most Microplastics?
Not all personal care products carry the same microplastic load. Here is how common product categories rank, based on research by the Beat the Microbead coalition and published ingredient analyses.
Face Scrubs and Exfoliating Products
Despite the microbead ban, many exfoliating products still contain plastic polymers. While the visible plastic beads are mostly gone, manufacturers have replaced them with polyethylene powders, nylon fibers, and silicone microspheres that serve the same purpose. Some products labeled "natural exfoliant" still contain synthetic polymers as binding or texturizing agents elsewhere in their formula.
Body Wash and Shower Gel
Conventional body washes rely on synthetic polymers for texture, lather, and that "silky" feel on skin. Common plastic ingredients include polyethylene glycol (PEG) compounds, carbomer (a crosslinked polyacrylic acid), and various acrylates copolymers. Products marketed as "moisturizing" are especially likely to contain dimethicone or other silicones.
Toothpaste
While microbeads in toothpaste received the most media attention, many conventional toothpastes still contain plastic polymers used as binders, thickeners, or for visual appearance. PEG compounds, carbomer, and polyethylene are still found in numerous mainstream brands. The concern with toothpaste is especially acute because these plastic particles are applied directly to mucous membranes and are frequently swallowed in small amounts.
Sunscreen
Sunscreen is one of the most challenging categories because many UV filters themselves are polymer based. Chemical sunscreens often contain acrylates copolymers to create a uniform, water resistant film. Even some mineral sunscreens use silicone based coating agents on their zinc oxide or titanium dioxide particles. This category requires careful label reading.
Lip Products
Lipstick, lip gloss, and lip balm deserve special attention because whatever you put on your lips, you inevitably ingest. Studies estimate that the average lipstick wearer consumes roughly 24 milligrams of product per day. If that product contains synthetic polymers like polybutene, polyethylene, or microcrystalline wax blended with synthetic plastics, you are eating plastic directly. A 2023 study in Science of the Total Environment detected polyethylene particles in 62% of lip products tested.
Makeup (Foundation, Mascara, Eyeshadow)
Modern makeup relies heavily on plastic ingredients. Foundations use PMMA and nylon 12 as "soft focus" blurring powders. Mascaras contain film forming polymers like acrylates copolymer and PVP to create waterproof coatings. Eyeshadows use plastic based binders and synthetic mica coated with polymers for shimmer effects. A single makeup routine can involve applying five to ten different plastic ingredients to your face.
Shampoo and Conditioner
Shampoos use polyquaternium compounds (synthetic polymers) for conditioning and detangling effects. Conditioners are even more reliant on plastic ingredients, using dimethicone, amodimethicone, and other silicones to create that smooth, slippery feeling. These ingredients coat each hair strand in a thin layer of plastic that does not fully wash off, building up over time.
How to Read Ingredient Labels
The biggest challenge with avoiding microplastics in personal care is that they hide behind complex chemical names. Here is your cheat sheet for the most common plastic ingredients and where they tend to appear.
Toothpaste and Oral Care
Toothpaste is one of the most important products to get right because you use it at least twice a day, it contacts your mucous membranes directly, and you inevitably swallow small amounts. A 2019 study in Environmental Science and Pollution Research found that brushing with a polyethylene containing toothpaste released approximately 4,000 microplastic particles per brushing session.
What to Avoid in Toothpaste
- Polyethylene (PE): Used as an abrasive and for those colored specks. This was the original microbead controversy target.
- PEG compounds (PEG 8, PEG 32, etc.): Used as humectants and solvents. They are synthetic polymers derived from petroleum.
- Carbomer: A crosslinked polyacrylic acid used as a thickener and gel former.
- Triclosan: Not a microplastic but a synthetic antibacterial that the FDA banned from hand soaps in 2016. Some toothpaste formulas still include it.
Recommended Toothpaste Alternatives
| Product | Key Features | Fluoride | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dr. Bronner's All One Toothpaste | No synthetic polymers, organic ingredients, recyclable tube | No | |
| Bite Toothpaste Bits | Zero waste tablets, glass jar, no plastic polymers | Yes (option) | |
| Hello Naturally Whitening Toothpaste | No microplastics, SLS free, vegan, widely available | Yes | |
| Tom's of Maine Whole Care | No synthetic polymers, ADA accepted, recyclable tube | Yes |
For mouthwash, look for brands that come in glass bottles or offer tablet form. Conventional mouthwashes frequently contain PEG compounds and carbomer. Georganics and Bite mouthwash bits are solid alternatives.
Skincare Without Plastic
Skincare is where the personal care industry uses the most varied and creative forms of microplastics. From the cleansing step to the final moisturizer, nearly every conventional skincare product contains at least one synthetic polymer.
Cleansers
Conventional facial cleansers use polyethylene microbeads for exfoliation (now banned in rinse off formulas in many countries) and carbomer as a thickener. Look for cleansers that use natural exfoliants instead: jojoba beads, rice bran, oat flour, or finely ground walnut shell. Bar cleansers are an excellent option as they rarely contain synthetic polymers and eliminate the plastic bottle entirely.
Top picks: Ethique Face Cleanser Bar and Dr. Bronner's Pure Castile Bar Soap are both free of synthetic polymers and come in plastic free packaging.
Moisturizers
This is the category where dimethicone reigns supreme. Dimethicone is a silicone polymer used in the majority of conventional moisturizers because it creates a smooth, silky feel and fills in fine lines temporarily. It works by coating your skin in a thin layer of plastic. Alternatives include natural oils (jojoba, argan, squalane), shea butter, and plant based emollients that actually nourish the skin instead of just sitting on top of it.
Top picks: Plaine Products Face Moisturizer (refillable aluminum bottles) and Cocokind Texture Smoothing Cream (clean ingredient list, recyclable packaging).
Sunscreen
Sunscreen is the most difficult personal care product to find without any plastic ingredients, and sun protection is too important to skip. The best approach is to choose mineral sunscreens with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide as the active ingredient, and look for formulas that minimize synthetic polymers in the inactive ingredient list.
Top picks: Badger Sport Mineral Sunscreen uses zinc oxide in a base of sunflower oil and beeswax with minimal synthetic ingredients. All Good Sport Sunscreen is another clean option with reef safe ingredients.
Makeup Alternatives
Conventional makeup is one of the most plastic intensive personal care categories. Creating long wearing, smooth, blendable cosmetics has traditionally required extensive use of synthetic polymers. Fortunately, a growing number of brands are proving that high performance makeup is possible without plastic.
Foundation and Concealer
Conventional foundations commonly contain dimethicone, nylon 12, PMMA, and acrylates crosspolymer. These create the smooth, pore filling, long lasting finish that consumers expect. Plastic free alternatives use mineral pigments, plant oils, and natural waxes to achieve similar coverage.
| Product | Plastic Free? | Coverage | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| RMS Beauty "Un" Cover Up | Yes, no synthetic polymers | Light to medium | |
| Kjaer Weis Cream Foundation | Yes, refillable metal compact | Medium to full | |
| ILIA True Skin Serum Foundation | Mostly (minimal silicones) | Light to medium |
Mascara
Mascara is especially challenging because waterproof formulas rely almost entirely on film forming polymers. If you want to avoid microplastics, choose non waterproof formulas or look for brands that use natural waxes (beeswax, carnauba wax, candelilla wax) as the primary film former.
Top picks: Kjaer Weis Lengthening Mascara and W3LL PEOPLE Expressionist Mascara. Both use plant waxes instead of synthetic polymers for volume and hold.
Lip Products
Since you eat most of what you put on your lips, this is a high priority category. Avoid lip products containing polybutene, polyethylene, synthetic wax blends, and PET based glitters. Look for products made with beeswax, shea butter, coconut oil, and mineral pigments.
Top picks: Dr. Bronner's Organic Lip Balm and Kjaer Weis Lip Tint (refillable metal compact, no synthetic polymers).
Shampoo and Hair Care
Conventional hair care products are loaded with synthetic polymers. Shampoos contain polyquaternium for conditioning, while conditioners rely on dimethicone and amodimethicone to create smooth, tangle free hair. These silicones coat hair strands in plastic that builds up over time, leading to what the natural hair care community calls "silicone buildup," which eventually makes hair feel heavy, greasy, and flat.
Shampoo Bars
Shampoo bars are one of the easiest and most impactful switches you can make. They eliminate the plastic bottle entirely, typically contain zero synthetic polymers, and a single bar replaces two to three bottles of liquid shampoo. The transition period (two to four weeks while your hair adjusts) is real but temporary.
| Product | Hair Type | Key Features | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ethique Heali Kiwi Shampoo Bar | All types | Compostable packaging, no plastic, pH balanced | |
| HiBAR Maintain Shampoo | Normal | Salon quality ingredients, zero waste | |
| Plaine Products Shampoo (refill) | All types | Liquid formula in refillable aluminum bottles | |
| Dr. Bronner's Pure Castile Liquid Soap | All types | Multipurpose, organic, simple ingredient list |
Conditioner
Conditioner bars are the natural companion to shampoo bars. They use cocoa butter, shea butter, and plant oils to condition hair without silicone coatings. Ethique The Guardian Conditioner Bar is excellent for normal to dry hair. For liquid conditioner, Plaine Products Conditioner comes in refillable aluminum bottles with no silicones.
Styling Products
Hair spray, gel, and mousse are among the most polymer heavy products in any bathroom. Conventional hair spray is essentially PVP and acrylates copolymer dissolved in alcohol. For hold without plastic, look for natural styling balms made with beeswax, flaxseed gel (you can make this at home), or clay based texturizers.
Deodorant
Conventional deodorants and antiperspirants frequently contain dimethicone, cyclomethicone (a volatile silicone), PEG compounds, and synthetic fragrance (which often contains phthalates). The switch to natural deodorant has become mainstream enough that there are now excellent options at every price point.
| Product | Type | Key Features | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Native Deodorant | Stick | No synthetic polymers, many scent options, widely available | |
| Ethique Botanica Deodorant Bar | Bar | Zero waste, compostable packaging, effective 24 hours | |
| Meow Meow Tweet Baking Soda Free Deodorant | Cream | Sensitive skin formula, glass jar, no aluminum | |
| Schmidt's Natural Deodorant | Stick | Plant based, no silicones, many scents |
Trusted Brands and Certifications
With greenwashing rampant in the personal care industry, third party certifications are your most reliable shortcut. Here are the certifications that actually mean something when it comes to microplastic content.
Certifications That Restrict Microplastics
- EWG Verified: The Environmental Working Group's verification requires products to meet strict ingredient standards. EWG Verified products must avoid over 2,500 ingredients of concern, including many synthetic polymers. Check their database at ewg.org/skindeep.
- COSMOS / ECOCERT: The European standard for organic and natural cosmetics. COSMOS certified products must derive at least 95% of their ingredients from natural sources and prohibit most synthetic polymers.
- Zero Plastic Inside: Created by the Plastic Soup Foundation, this certification specifically targets microplastics. Products bearing this logo have been verified to contain zero intentionally added plastic microingredients.
- USDA Organic: While designed for agriculture, this certification requires that 95% of ingredients be certified organic, which effectively eliminates most synthetic polymers.
- Cradle to Cradle Certified: Evaluates products on material health, circularity, clean air and climate, water and soil stewardship, and social fairness. Products at Gold level and above restrict most problematic synthetic chemicals.
Brands You Can Trust
These brands have consistently demonstrated commitment to plastic free formulations across their entire product lines:
- Ethique: Every product is a concentrated bar with compostable packaging. Zero synthetic polymers. One of the most genuinely plastic free brands available.
- Dr. Bronner's: Simple, organic ingredient lists. Their castile soap line uses five to eight ingredients, all natural. Packaging is 100% post consumer recycled plastic or glass.
- Plaine Products: Liquid formulas in refillable aluminum bottles. Clean ingredient lists without silicones or synthetic polymers. They ship replacement bottles and you return the empties.
- HiBAR: Salon quality shampoo and conditioner bars without plastic packaging or synthetic polymer ingredients.
- RMS Beauty: Clean makeup line that avoids synthetic polymers, using organic coconut oil and beeswax as bases instead of dimethicone and nylon.
- Kjaer Weis: Luxury refillable makeup in metal compacts. Formulas built around natural waxes and oils rather than synthetic film formers.
Quick Action Plan
You do not need to throw out every product in your bathroom tonight. Replace products as they run out, starting with the highest impact swaps first.
Week 1: The Big Three
- Switch your toothpaste. You use it twice a day and it goes directly into your mouth. Replace it with a fluoride toothpaste from a brand like Bite, Hello, or Dr. Bronner's.
- Replace your lip products. Whatever you put on your lips, you eat. Switch to a beeswax or shea butter based lip balm with no synthetic polymers.
- Download Beat the Microbead. Scan every product in your bathroom. You will be surprised by what you find.
Week 2 to 4: Daily Essentials
- Switch your body wash or soap. A simple bar soap like Dr. Bronner's eliminates both the plastic bottle and the synthetic polymers in one move.
- Replace your deodorant. Native, Ethique, or Schmidt's. Give yourself a few weeks for the transition period.
- Try a shampoo bar. Ethique or HiBAR. Your hair may take two to four weeks to adjust, but stick with it.
Month 2 and Beyond
- Upgrade your skincare. Replace moisturizer and sunscreen as they run out. This is the most challenging category, so take your time finding products you love.
- Tackle makeup. Start with foundation and mascara, the two highest plastic content items. Kjaer Weis and RMS Beauty are excellent starting points.
- Address hair styling products. This is the lowest priority since most styling products are used in small amounts, but eventually replace gels and sprays with natural alternatives.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Microbead Free Waters Act of 2015 banned plastic microbeads in rinse off cosmetic products like face scrubs and toothpaste in the United States. However, the ban does not cover leave on products like moisturizers, makeup, sunscreen, or other personal care items. Liquid polymers, film forming agents, and plastic powders used in these products remain completely legal and unregulated.
Check the ingredient list for polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), nylon (polyamide), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), acrylates copolymer, acrylates crosspolymer, polyurethane, and any ingredient starting with "poly." Apps like Beat the Microbead by the Plastic Soup Foundation can scan product barcodes to identify plastic ingredients.
Solid microplastic particles larger than 100 nanometers generally cannot penetrate intact skin. However, liquid polymers and nanoplastics (smaller than 100 nanometers) can potentially cross the skin barrier. A 2022 study in Environment International found nanoplastic particles in human blood samples. Additionally, damaged or broken skin, mucous membranes (lips, gums), and areas around the eyes may allow greater absorption.
Yes, as long as it contains fluoride. The American Dental Association confirms that fluoride is the key active ingredient for cavity prevention. Many natural toothpaste brands now offer fluoride formulas without microplastics, artificial colors, or triclosan. Look for the ADA Seal of Acceptance on any toothpaste you choose.
From a microplastic perspective, shampoo bars are generally much better. They eliminate plastic bottles entirely, rarely contain synthetic polymers, and often use simpler ingredient lists. A single shampoo bar typically replaces two to three bottles of liquid shampoo. Look for bars with short ingredient lists that avoid polyquaternium and other synthetic polymer conditioners.
The most reliable certifications for avoiding microplastics include EWG Verified (Environmental Working Group), COSMOS/ECOCERT (European organic cosmetics standard), USDA Organic, Zero Plastic Inside (by the Plastic Soup Foundation), and Cradle to Cradle Certified. These certifications either ban or heavily restrict synthetic polymers in their approved products.
Price is not a reliable indicator of microplastic content. Some luxury brands use just as many synthetic polymers as budget options. What matters is the ingredient list, not the price tag. Some affordable brands like Dr. Bronner's and Ethique are completely free of synthetic polymers, while certain high end brands rely heavily on silicones and film forming plastics for their smooth textures.
A 2021 study published in Marine Pollution Bulletin estimated that personal care products release approximately 3,800 tonnes of microplastics into European waterways each year. Globally, the number is estimated at over 10,000 tonnes annually. These particles are too small to be filtered by most wastewater treatment plants and end up in rivers, lakes, and oceans where they enter the food chain.
Related Articles
- How to Avoid BPA and Phthalates in Everyday Products
Room by room guide to eliminating the most common endocrine disruptors from your home. - Reduce Microplastics in Cleaning Products
Switch to cleaning products that are free of synthetic polymers and harmful fragrances. - How to Start Reducing Plastic Exposure
A practical priority guide for reducing plastic in your daily routine.