{"id":2855,"date":"2024-01-13T20:32:36","date_gmt":"2024-01-13T12:32:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/greenitio.com\/?p=2855"},"modified":"2024-01-13T20:43:00","modified_gmt":"2024-01-13T12:43:00","slug":"overcoming-the-microplastics-crisis-navigating-the-polymer-transition-in-beauty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/greenitio.com\/overcoming-the-microplastics-crisis-navigating-the-polymer-transition-in-beauty\/","title":{"rendered":"Overcoming the Microplastics Crisis: Navigating the Polymer Transition in Beauty"},"content":{"rendered":"
Plastics have been in the spotlight for many years now for the damage they cause to the environment. Recently, microplastics have been gaining recognition since several studies and posts sharing just how present microplastics are in the environment and humans have surfaced. What is really going on?<\/span><\/p>\n Microplastics are tiny pieces of plastic that measure less than 5 mm in length, come in various forms, and are now becoming a topic of widespread concern.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Two types of microplastics exist: manufacturers intentionally produce small plastic particles to be added into products which are called primary microplastics, while environmental conditions lead to the formation of secondary microplastics through the breakdown of large plastic items.<\/span><\/p>\n While secondary microplastics come about due to the breakdown of large plastic items due to environmental factors like sunlight, heat, mechanical action, and weathering, primary microplastics have applications in various day-to-day products in cosmetics, personal care, and home care items, such as skin care items, detergents, soaps, toothpaste, among others. Manufacturers intentionally add microbeads, microfibers, and liquid polymers as examples of primary microplastics in beauty products for performance, function, or other specific needs.<\/span><\/p>\n These microplastics enter the environment and can cause ecosystem disruption and impact biodiversity. They also impact the food chain by moving up the chain through bioaccumulation in organisms, reaching up to higher level organisms like humans, causing toxicity and health issues.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Microplastics are difficult to detect and remove from the environment because of their small size and widespread distribution, ultimately ending up in the environment where they persist for a long period.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Researchers have found their presence to be <\/span>everywhere<\/span><\/a> – in human lungs, in excrement, in blood, in placentas, and now, also in <\/span>packaged bottles of water<\/span>.<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n In Germany, researchers<\/span> uncovered<\/span><\/a> that a whopping 97% of children between the ages of 3 and 17 years have plastic and microplastic debris in their bodies, likely from being exposed in their homes, via their clothing, food, and in their surrounding environment.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n However, microplastics are not the only synthetic polymer-based ingredients around.<\/span><\/p>\n Conditioners are a very common product in most homes, used several times a week by people. But do you know what helps conditioners impart silkiness and shininess to our hair? Silicones and polymer ingredients in conditioners contribute to enhanced hair texture, shine, and manageability resulting in the appearance of healthier, more polished hair. These ingredients form a protective coating around the hair shaft, smoothing out cuticles and preventing moisture loss.<\/span><\/p>\n However, their<\/span> use has raised safety, health, and environmental concerns<\/a>.<\/span> Over time, these substances can accumulate on the hair, leading to a build-up that may weigh down strands and reduce volume. Additionally, some individuals may experience adverse reactions, such as irritation or allergic responses, to specific silicones. From an environmental perspective, silicones do not easily biodegrade, and when they wash down our drains, they contribute to long-term ecological impact.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n An example of a non-renewable polymer ingredient used in daily care products is Polyethylene Glycol (PEG). PEG is a petroleum-based polymer that is commonly found in skincare and cosmetic formulations. It is used for various purposes, such as thickening, and moisture retention, and as a solvent for other ingredients.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n While PEG can offer functional benefits in personal care products, it is derived from non-renewable fossil fuel sources, raising concerns about sustainability and environmental impact.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Another example of a non-renewable polymer ingredient used in daily care products is Polyacrylamide. Polyacrylamide is a synthetic polymer that is often used in hair care products such as styling gels and creams. It provides benefits like enhancing texture, improving product consistency, and aiding in the styling process. However, like other non-renewable polymers, it is derived from petrochemical sources.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n A lot of the beauty and personal care products we use today wouldn\u2019t be possible if not for these polymer ingredients. <\/span>These synthetic polymeric ingredients impart a lot of benefits to our products:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n However, there are drawbacks to synthetic polymers. We\u2019ve seen just how harmful microplastics are for humans and the environment, and these lesser-known synthetic polymer ingredients are just as hazardous. They wash down our drains and enter our aquatic systems, posing potential health risks through absorption or ingestion. <\/span><\/p>\n Moreover, as petroleum-based, these polymers contribute to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and wastage.<\/span><\/p>\n Consumers are becoming more aware and demanding eco-friendly, sustainable products. Specifically, consumers are:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n However, it\u2019s still challenging for the cosmetics and personal care industry to find bio-based alternatives that will:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n A solution to the synthetic polymer ingredients found in cosmetics and personal care products is the adoption of natural polymers. These biodegradable alternatives, derived from renewable sources like plants, biomass, and microorganisms, offer a more sustainable choice. However, natural polymers also have their own set of challenges. As we saw above, it can be difficult for natural polymers to meet the standard that synthetic polymers have set out.<\/span><\/p>\n Despite these challenges, ongoing research and innovation are focused on overcoming these limitations, making natural polymers a promising avenue for enhancing the sustainability of cosmetic and personal care products. Greenitio<\/a> is such a pioneering startup that is working on unlocking the potential of natural polymers<\/a> through AI-aided technology<\/a> and has designed high-performing natural polymers that unlock a ton of benefits and bring specific solutions to challenges faced by the cosmetics and personal care industry.<\/span><\/p>\n Synthetic polymers and microplastics have provided various benefits through cosmetics and personal care products over the years. However, they pose considerable health and environmental challenges and risks, and the current spotlight on microplastics is effectively proving this, having unveiled a broader issue in the industry – its dependence on synthetic polymer ingredients. Natural polymers, here, prove to be an effective solution and a great opportunity for the industry to integrate into their skincare, haircare, and other daily-use products. Products like Greenitio\u2019s plant-based natural polymers<\/a> help address the many challenges that the industry currently faces.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Plastics have been in the spotlight for many years now for the damage they cause to the environment. Recently, microplastics have been gaining recognition since several studies and posts sharing just how present microplastics are in the environment and humans have surfaced. What is really going on? What are microplastics, and how are they harmful? […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2856,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[12,32],"tags":[18,31,10,19,17,33,27,13,24,21,25,23,26],"class_list":["post-2855","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-biopolymer","category-cosmetics-personal-care","tag-bio-alternative","tag-climate-change","tag-cosmetics-industry","tag-cosmetics-products","tag-green-chemistry","tag-microplastics","tag-natural-polymers","tag-organic-products","tag-personalcareproducts","tag-plant-based-biopolymers","tag-sustainability","tag-sustainablecosmetics","tag-synthetic-polymers"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/greenitio.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2855"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/greenitio.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/greenitio.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greenitio.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greenitio.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2855"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/greenitio.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2855\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2861,"href":"https:\/\/greenitio.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2855\/revisions\/2861"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greenitio.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2856"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/greenitio.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2855"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greenitio.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2855"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greenitio.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2855"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}What are microplastics, and how are they harmful?<\/span><\/h2>\n
Other non-renewable ingredients in daily-use products<\/span><\/h2>\n
Silicones in conditioners<\/span><\/h3>\n
PEGs in skincare and cosmetics formulations\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
Other examples of non-renewable ingredients in skincare and cosmetics products<\/span><\/h3>\n
Contribution to the cosmetics and personal care industry<\/span><\/h2>\n
\n
Harmful effects on humans and the environment<\/span><\/h3>\n
Challenges for the beauty industry<\/span><\/h2>\n
\n
\n
The solution to Synthetic polymers: Natural polymers<\/span><\/h2>\n
What might products, cost, production, and processes look like with natural polymers\u2019 potential unlocked?\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
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Delving into natural alternatives<\/span><\/h2>\n