There could be ‘liquid plastic’ in the beauty products you’re slapping on your face

If the plastic jars and tubes your skincare products are packaged in was the only cause for concern, you might have skimped on the plastic imbued into their formulations

What commenced as an awareness-generating conversation at the beginning of the last decade has now transpired into a pressing crisis. The beauty industry’s imprudent use of plastic is not unheard of, and yet, we keep spotting a plethora of products that continue to indulge in plastic profligacy. 

The grey space is rather decipherable—it’s time-, effort- and cost-effective to stick to plastic. While that is a hundred per cent true when it comes to the packaging of products, what many aren’t cognisant of is that perilous formats of plastic have also broken into the formulations of common skincare items. Enter liquid plastic, also called microplastics, used in the making of shampoos, shower gels, conditioners and body lotions.

Furthermore, the exfoliative beads that go into face and body scrubs are nothing but yet another form of plastic, called microbeads. While much has been done in order to replace plastic with more eco-friendly packaging materials, a lot has yet to be done in the matter of liquid plastic. We speak to two dermatologists to understand the impact of liquid plastic.

Where is liquid plastic hidden?

“Liquid plastic is basically a polymer made of petrochemicals but has the property of fluid (not gas). It is often used in the making of cosmetics, skin and hair care for improving the product’s performance and sensoriality,” explains Mumbai-based dermatologist Dr Madhuri Agarwal. According to Dr Geetika Mittal Gupta, celebrity dermatologist and founder, ISAAC Luxe, the ingredients that fall under the liquid plastics bracket are deliberately added to skincare products and cosmetics to create a glossy finish and as fillers to bulk out [the texture of] beauty products. So now you know the secret behind the slime-like, uber-creamy texture of your favourite shower creams and hair conditioners.

Recapitulating some common types of liquid plastic, Agarwal mentions silicone, polyester, epoxy, petrolatum, butylene, polyethylene glycols, polymers like acrylates and copolymers, carbomers and polyurethane. “Ingredients ending with ‘-siloxane’ and ‘-cone’ are usually liquid plastics; Cyclomethicone and Cyclopentasiloxane are two examples.” 

A research study by Plastic Soup Foundation reveals that 87 per cent of products from the ten best-selling cosmetics brands contain microplastics—that’s nine  in every 10 products, to be precise. Owing to the viscosity of such substances, they are called liquid plastics, and theoretically, they have no substantial benefits to offer. “The liquid plastic thickens a product, makes its formula stay put on the applied area and prevents it from slipping off. These polymers also provide aesthetic benefits like increasing the gloss, shine and smoothing effect; like it or not, these are elements that consumers want in their cosmetic and skincare products,” says Mittal Gupta. “It can boost the moisturising properties of a product, at times,” claims Agarwal. However, these ephemeral tendencies don’t always make a strong case for the mindless injection of microplastics.

How jeopardising is liquid plastic?

Both Agarwal and Mittal Gupta say that liquid plastics are not biodegradable. And yet, over seven kilograms of liquid plastic barges into the European environment alone, suggests a survey by the European Chemical Agency. “They are problematic for the environment as they cannot be degraded or recycled easily. They create a mountain of waste and add to the overall pollution which can be hazardous in the long run for both— people’s health and the environment. It can lead to an increase in cardiac and respiratory health concerns. It is often found in the ocean beds and consumed by marine life as food causing marine ecosystem imbalance,” says the Mumbai-based dermatologist. However, she informs us that they are not that problematic for the skin.

Throwing light on the detrimental effects of microbeads on marine life, Mittal Gupta says, “Microbeads and plastic glitters can easily be washed down the drains and into our sewer systems and waterways. Once there, they can be accidentally consumed by marine life, which is unable to digest the plastic, and already battling to survive in a habitat infiltrated by the tons of plastic waste that humans dispose of. It is thought that regular exposure to high concentrations of plastic particles is having a detrimental effect on fish, altering their size, swimming ability, behaviour and their chances of reproducing.” She also intimates that such ingredients [microplastics and microbeads] can trigger skin problems like dryness, itchiness, redness and ailments like dermatitis.

Below are two picks that keep the nasties out:

What can you do?

As a consumer, if you can boycott products that contain the aforementioned liquid plastic components, it will lead to a dramatic decrease in their demand and, thereby, in their production altogether. “The best way is to keep an open mind and be more accepting of plastic-free options even if they may come at a higher cost and not be as sensorially pleasing; the long-term health and environment benefits need to be considered,” suggests Agarwal. She encourages consumers to research such concepts and scrutinise the label. “Many products add the approvals and labels that certify them ‘plastic-free’,” she highlights. 

More often than not, opting for certified organic, clean, toxin-free products can make the cut. “Cellulose and activated silk 33B are some of the promising replacements for liquid plastics. The latter is an individual silk protein (a monomer), which can be used in topical formulations to bind together emulsions, just like the plastic polymers, but with added skin benefits minus the environmental issues that come with it,” advises Mittal Gupta, as she talks about looking out for better substitutes for liquid plastics. Moreover, reading ingredient labels must be a non-negotiable mandate. 

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