10 Natural Skincare + Beauty Brands That Are Free From Microplastics
Liquid microplastic and microbeads have been found in 87% of the most popular cosmetics. Here are 10 eco-friendly beauty brands that are free from plastic particles
This site is reader supported and uses affiliate links to sustainable brands
Want to avoid smearing liquid microplastics on your skin, hair and teeth?
Yeah… me too!
The fact that companies are still adding liquid polymers and microbeads to cosmetics, like makeup, and any toiletries that are excluded from the microbead ban is shocking.
Not only are microplastics bad for the oceans and wildlife, but there isn’t enough research on the impact of them being absorbed through human skin every single day.
Something has to be done on a legislative level, but until that happens, you can take steps to reduce the microplastics you use on your body.
Keep reading to learn about 10 beauty and cosmetic brands that don’t contain solid or liquid microplastics in the UK, US, and Australia.
COMING UP
Wait, aren’t microbeads banned?
Why are microplastics added to cosmetics?
Which beauty products contain microplastics?
Do microplastics absorb through your skin?
Are microplastics harmful in skincare?
10 eco-friendly beauty brands that are free from microplastics
Wait, aren’t microbeads banned?
You may have seen headlines a few years ago saying microbeads are banned in cosmetic products but this was not communicated accurately.
Microbeads are problematic because they’ve created a catastrophic amount of ocean pollution due to water treatment plants are not designed to filter them out.
When you shower, any microplastics on your body get rinsed down the drain and into the ocean where sea creatures, birds and fish ingest them and get sick.
Because of this, many places, including the UK, EU, and US, have banned microbeads. Unfortunately, there are 3 major problems with the bans.
Microbead ban loophole
The loophole? The microplastic ban only included rinse-off products. Basically, any beauty products or toiletries that get washed off down the plughole, like shampoo and face wash, are not allowed to contain plastic beads.
But leave-on products like sunscreen and makeup are not included.
When this legislation came about in the UK in 2018, the media made it sound like they were banned completely. This is not the case. Microbeads can still be used in beauty products, sunscreen, and certain toiletries.
The USA introduced the Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015, but it also only bans microbeads in rinse-off products.
This loophole allows makeup and skincare brands to continue filling their products with microplastics that will eventually get washed off in the shower, just not immediately.
JUNE 2023 UPDATE: The EU is now preparing to ban microplastics in cosmetics (hooray) but the catch is that brands have 6-12 years to implement this in some products, like makeup. Yep, you heard right - 12 years!!
…So carry on reading ingredient lists and using the Beat The Microbead app to scan for microplastics.
2. Brands are breaking the rules
Another problem is that companies in the US and Europe are ignoring the ban and continuing to use microplastics in rinse-off products. They are simply changing the name of the ingredient to “acrylic copolymer.” Or worse - brands are outright lying and listing them as “apricot kernels.”
3. Not all microplastics are solid beads
Microplastics have been defined as tiny plastic particles, but plastic polymers can also come in the form of liquid and wax. A German study found there were 50x more liquid microplastics in the sea than microbeads.
The manufacturer of these synthetic polymers (which are giant chemical corporations) claim that liquid microplastics are not harmful to the environment and lobby against the ban on these substances.
Seeing as they are made from petroleum, a fossil fuel, and the full impact of their impact hasn’t been studied, it makes sense to swap to eco-friendly alternatives.
There are so many ethical beauty brands proving that it is possible to create effective products without microplastics - I’ve included my favourite ones from different countries in the list at the bottom of this blog post.
Why are microplastics added to cosmetics?
Microplastics and microbeads have a variety of purposes in beauty products.
Solid microbeads are added to cosmetics to help remove dry, dead skin cells and unclog pores. Liquid microplastics keep mascara on your lashes all day. They also assist with the thickness, feel and finish of the product. It’s that slippery soft feeling of your conditioner, foundation, or primer.
Which beauty products contain microplastics?
Microplastics are a huge problem in mainstream beauty products.
The cosmetics industry uses 8,700 tons of microplastics every year. Of this, an estimated 3,800 tonnes are released into the environment every year.
Because of the tiny size of the plastic particles, this pollution is almost impossible to clean up.
Here are some of the worst culprits for containing microplastics and polymers:
Makeup
The Plastic Soup Foundation examined 7,704 cosmetic and personal care products from the ten most popular brands in Europe and found a significant amount of them contained microplastics.
Microplastics were more frequent in the following product categories:
Mascara (90%)
Lipsticks and lip glosses (85%)
Foundation (74%)
Highlighters (69%)
Face powders (43%)
Cosmetics
Codecheck analysed 50,737 cosmetic products for 159 poorly biodegradable, synthetic polymers. They found them in almost one-third of all beauty products.
They found liquid polymers in:
Hair styling products (64%)
Sunscreen (58%)
Nail polish (56%)
Peelings (54%)
Shampoos (39%)
Skincare (37%)
Face masks (35%)
Shower gel (45%)
Source: The Invisible Danger: Hidden Polymers in Cosmetic Products by Codecheck
Do microplastics absorb through your skin?
It’s common knowledge that the skin absorbs the substances put on it - think of nicotine patches. While research on microplastics is limited, it is predicted that plastic particles could enter the body via sweat glands, skin wounds or hair follicles.
There is also research that human organs and tissues can absorb traces of nano and microplastics.
In a 2020 study, 47 samples were taken from the four organs most likely to be exposed to microplastics - the lungs, kidneys, liver, and spleen - and then exposed to a range of microplastics. The results revealed traces of plastic in each sample.
Every tissue sample was also contaminated with BPA, a hormone-disrupting chemical that’s still used in soft plastics, like food containers, even though it’s known to be harmful.
Are microplastics harmful in skincare?
It’s likely you’ve got beauty products that aren’t eco-friendly or natural at home because pretty much everyone does. You may be wondering if they are safe to use.
There is currently no research that has looked at the ability or impact of microplastics and human skin, yet they have been found in head hair, saliva, and faeces.
What we do know is that plastic contains harmful chemicals that mimic and disrupt hormones, for example, phthalates, BPA, and carcinogenic flame retardants.
Microplastics can also absorb heavy metals, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and pesticides.
This is more concerning because we know chemicals can leach out of plastics and lead to increased exposure.
Then there is the research done on sea creatures.
Studies show microplastics can harm the reproductive health of marine life, for example, the number of egg cells ovulated by certain fish is significantly reduced ovulation and sperm motility count is reduced.
Microplastics have also been shown to damage white blood cells resulting in immunotoxicity.
Right now, there is no conclusive evidence that microplastics cause any serious diseases, including cancer, in humans. However, I’m personally of the opinion that if we don’t know that it’s safe, then we shouldn’t be using it.
This is not to say that your synthetic products are harmful. The best thing to do is to read the ingredients lists on each product and buy “natural” ones as they run out.
10 eco-friendly beauty brands that are free from microplastics
I read the ingredients lists for the following 10 brands and scanned their products on my laptop with the Beat The Microbead app if they weren’t Zero certified. Many of them I already knew because I’ve been using them for a long time.
Let me know if you’ve tried any in the comments at the end of this post.
1. Ethique
Made in: New Zealand
Ships: Internationally (global stockists)
Microplastic-free: Yes
Palm oil: None - certified palm oil free by Orangutan Alliance
Packaging: Cardboard (compostable)
Certifications: B Corp, cruelty-free (leaping bunny), living wage employer
Vegan: Yes
Products: Solid skincare, lipstick, haircare, bath, and body
Where to buy:
Holland and Barrett (UK)
Sephora (UK)
Ethique (USA)
Biome (AUS)
The Well Store (AUS)
2. Evolve Beauty
Made in: UK
Ships: Internationally
Microplastic-free: Yes
Palm oil: None
Packaging: Mostly glass and recycled plastic
Certifications: Ecocert Cosmos Organic, Cruelty-free (leaping bunny), Vegan Society, B-Corp, Living Wage employer, some Fairtrade ingredients
Vegan: Yes
Products: Skincare, haircare, bath and body
Where to buy:
Evolve Beauty (UK)
Credo (USA)
3. Earth Harbor
Made in: USA
Ships: Internationally
Microplastic-free: Yes
Palm oil: Yes - RSPO certified
Packaging: over 95% is glass. The only plastic is some closures that are being changed to recycled plastic or metal. They also have a refill scheme.
Certifications: Cruelty-free (leaping bunny), some Fairtrade and organic ingredients (good sourcing policy/no GMOs or petrochemicals), 1% For The Planet member
Vegan: Yes
Products: Skincare, Sunscreen, hair, and body
Where to buy:
4. Odylique
Made in: UK
Ships: Internationally
Microplastic-free: Yes
Palm oil: None
Packaging: Glass or plastic. 200ml & 500ml bottles, 50g & 175g jars and deodorant roll-ons are made from 100% recycled plastic (locally sourced to lower carbon footprint)
Certifications: Soil Association Organic, Cruelty-free PETA, Fairtrade ingredients, Vegetarian,
Vegan: Most products are vegan, but some contain organic beeswax or organic honey from ethical sources
Products: Skincare, sunscreen, makeup, essential oils, haircare, baby, bath, and body
Where to buy:
Odylique*
Discount code: LAZY20 for 20% off
5. Upcircle
Made in: UK
Ships: Has stockists in the UK, USA, EU
Microplastic-free: Yes
Palm oil: None
Packaging: Glass jars and bottles with either aluminium or plastic lids, aluminium tubes, and some plastic pump parts
Certifications: B-Corp, Plastic Negative, Some certified organic products (can’t certify all ingredients, as they upcycle food waste, like coffee grounds)
Vegan: Vegan society approved, and certified cruelty free leaping bunny
Products: Skincare, body care, sunscreen, shampoo, and accessories (like plastic free razors + makeup wipes)
Where to buy:
USA/CA: Upcycle website (shipped from NJ)
Social Supermarket (UK)
Sephora (UK)
6. Kadalys
Made in: France (with USA store)
Ships: USA, EU
Microplastic-free: Yes
Palm oil: None/Yes - RSPO certified
Packaging: M
Certifications: Ecocert Cosmos, Cruelty-Free International (leaping bunny)
BIPOC-owned/woman-owned
Products: Skincare, haircare, bath, and body
Where to buy:
7. Nakin
Made in: UK
Ships: Internationally
Microplastic-free: Yes
Palm oil: Some products contain palm derivatives
Packaging: Glass and bio-plastic (made from sugar cane and recyclable)
Certifications: Cruelty-free (leaping bunny)
Vegan: All products are vegan, except the lip treatment which contains beeswax
Products: Facial skincare
Where to buy:
8. Earth Mama Organics
Made in: USA
Ships: USA + CA - contact them for international shipping
Microplastic-free: Yes
Palm oil: Some products contain palm derivatives
Packaging: Plastic (BPA-free PET)
Certifications: Cruelty-free (leaping bunny), Plastic Neutral Certified (remove as much as they create from the environment), Many products are organic and certified by NOP or Oregon Tilth
Vegan: Products are vegetarian, many contain beeswax so are not vegan
Products: Pregnancy, baby, skincare, sunscreen, deodorant, and herbal tea
Where to buy:
9. Green People
Made in: UK
Ships: Internationally
Microplastic-free: Yes (certified Zero Plastic Inside)
Palm oil: Some products contain certified organic palm oil from the Philippines or Ecuador (no orangutans)
Packaging: Recyclable plastic (sunscreen uses bio-plastic made from sugar cane)
Certifications: Soil Association organic, Cruelty-free
Vegan: All products are vegetarian, some products contain beeswax so are not vegan. Check individual ingredient lists for more info.
Products: Skincare, haircare, SPF, makeup, men, pregnancy, children, essential oils
Where to buy:
10. Face Theory
Made in: UK
Ships: Internationally - UK and US stockists
Microplastic-free: Yes
Palm oil: some products contain palm oil - 100% RSPO certified
Packaging: Mainly aluminium tubes, glass bottles, and jars
Certifications: Cruelty-free (leaping bunny + PETA), B-Corp
Vegan: All products are certified vegan
Products: Skincare, haircare, SPF, makeup, accessories
Where to buy:
UK - Facetheory website
US - Facetheory website
Sustainably Lazy is making sustainable choices simpler for conscious consumers around the world. If you love what we do, please support our work by sharing this post (tap the red arrow in the bottom corner) or donating what you can towards the website fees. For the price of a cuppa you can help us inspire thousands more people.