Eco-friendly packaging does not necessarily mean the cosmetic is "friendly"

What are gentle cosmetics?

Many people may be concerned about whether their cosmetic containers are made from environmentally friendly materials, but do you also care about the ingredients used in your cosmetics?

Lotion, milky lotion, cream, serum, beauty pack, body cream, hand cream.
Have you ever considered that the products you use, believing they are necessary for healthy skin, may contain microplastics?

Microplastics in cosmetics

The synthetic polymers found in most cosmetics are liquid microplastics - tiny particles that are too small to be seen with the naked eye, but like other plastics, they do not decompose naturally.

Microplastics are washed off our skin and then discharged into the sea. They also pass through the filters of sewage treatment plants and end up in the ocean, where they continue to float.

According to a 2020 survey , there are 14 million tons of microplastics on the ocean floor of our planet. If converted into human-sized amounts, this would be the equivalent of 238 million people weighing about 60 kg (about twice the total population of Japan!).

Part of this may be due to the cosmetics we use.

Why are microplastics used?

Incorporating microplastics into cosmetics can be a cheap and easy way to create textures that consumers prefer.

They are adept at thickening lotions and making creams feel richer. They can also easily turn water-based creams into gels. Many of the textures that users seem to like are created by microplastics.

If it's harmless to the skin, is it okay?

"Hyper irritant and virtually harmless to the skin"
This is why microplastics have been in cosmetics for many years.

But what about consideration for the impact on the natural environment?
Also, does it have zero impact on our body other than our skin, such as on our hormone balance, reproductive function, and carcinogenicity?

In fact, little is known about the effects of long-term application of microplastics on human skin and health around the world.
This is because we have only recently begun to investigate the issue.

The choice is ours

Just because a package is eco-friendly and has a good image does not necessarily mean that it is gentle on the skin or the global environment.
It is up to us to determine and choose what we need and what does not put a strain on the Earth and the natural environment.