Is it safe to use skincare creams without checking for microplastic fillers?
No. Many lotions and treatment creams contain microplastics that get absorbed through skin.
What's actually in it
Some skincare formulas include acrylate copolymers, polyethylene beads, and nylon powder as texture enhancers, film-formers, or mattifying agents. These ingredients function as microplastics in the product. On the label, they show up as "acrylates copolymer," "polyethylene," "nylon-12," "carbomer", or ingredients ending in "crosspolymer." The microbead ban in 2015 only covered rinse-off products like face scrubs. Leave-on creams weren't covered.
Leave-on products sit on the skin all day and get absorbed.
What the research says
A 2026 study in J Xenobiot identified, quantified, and characterized microplastics in skincare and treatment creams. The particles were small enough to cross skin barriers, especially on damaged or thin skin (eyelids, lips, dry or eczema skin). The risk assessment flagged regular users as a concern population.
Checking skincare ingredients through the Beat the Microbead app or the EWG Skin Deep database takes a minute and flags the plastic ingredients. Simpler products (plain hyaluronic acid serum, cold-pressed oils, shea butter) skip the synthetic fillers entirely. Brands with COSMOS Organic, EWG Verified, or MADE SAFE certifications have been screened for this. Cost isn't a reliable signal: some luxury skincare has more filler than drugstore basics.
The research at a glance
What to use instead
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