Last week, our partner the Plastic Soup Foundation released the results of their latest study: Plastic – The Hidden Beauty Ingredient. It’s the first research of its kind and covers major household cosmetic brands. By analyzing data from their Beat The Microbead app, the Plastic Soup Foundation discovered that a staggering 87% (yes, take a moment to let that number sink in—maybe even lie down for a second?) of products from the biggest brands contain so-called microplastics.
A remarkable fact—especially since many producers have been promising for quite some time to remove microbeads from their ingredient lists. This suggests that these companies are well aware of the potential dangers hidden in such ingredients. And understandably so. You don’t need to be a biologist or medical expert to realize that using toothpaste, shampoo, or face cream full of microplastics every day could turn out to be harmful—to both humans and the environment. So why do they keep using them anyway? A guess might be… it rhymes with “wealth.” But why should you care about some plastic report?
Did you know that in Europe alone, 7 kilos of microplastics from cosmetics are flushed into the environment every single minute? And did you know there are countless types of microplastics whose long-term health effects we still know little to nothing about? Scientists are deeply concerned about the current state of plastic pollution in our world. And have you heard about the Dutch study that, for the first time in human history, found microplastics in the bloodstreams of 80% of the participants? Yet another milestone we’re not exactly celebrating. So—scientists are in agreement. The major manufacturers are aware but still deny. Consumers and the environment are left to carry the burden. So, what now?
The team at PSF compares this situation to a casino—one that carries serious health risks. Imagine a roulette table where only 13% of the numbers win you fairly simple prizes: silky hair, a hydrated complexion, or minty-fresh teeth. But behind the remaining 87%? Hidden “rewards” like microscopic plastic particles entering your body or irreversible environmental damage. Now, would you sit down and play at that table without asking any questions? Or would you demand a slight change in the rules? Because right now, as PSF puts it, most of us are still choosing to play.
And this is where the #DareToCare campaign comes in! The Plastic Soup Foundation is calling on the makers of our cosmetics to be transparent and to stop using all potentially harmful microplastics—right now. At Smyle, we fully support their message and join their call to everyone who uses cosmetics and cares about their health and the future of the planet. Please take a moment to message your favorite brand and ask them to stop using all microplastics—with no exceptions. You can do this by searching for the brand on the PSF website and sending them a clear, pre-written message. It only takes a minute—and it’s always worth asking.
Together, we can send a powerful signal. Enough is enough.
Or in the words of our friends at the Plastic Soup Foundation:
“We want plastic out of our bodies and out of the environment—now!”
Sign the petition, go to the website of the Plastic Soup Foundation.
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