Hello Explorers! Who here takes pride in your skin’s health? Well, a lot of people do too. The skin care industry is massive, especially with trending skin care products and routines from countries like Japan and Korea. But like all industries, the skin care (or cosmetics) industry generates a lot of waste i.e. the product bottles, containers, and even the wastewater generated after washing off your favourite face soap.

Previously, we looked briefly into how microplastics were found in the fish we commonly eat. Today, I found a research paper that takes us back to one of the sources of microplastics. A big source too in fact.

This paper aimed to study the possible impact of microplastics found in facial cleansers in New Zealand on the marine environment. The research team noted that in recent years, skin care companies started to replace the natural exfoliants (e.g. oatmeal, apricot, salts) in facial cleansers with small plastic beads. These microplastics are so small, the diameters of these particles are less than 5mm in length! That’s really small. Of the 4 brands they tested microplastics were found to be present in all of them. The plastics varied in shape, texture (smooth edged or jagged edged) and colours and are made of polyethylene which means they can float in water (Fendell, Sewell, 2009). And if you recall from the short video we watched last week, we saw that small organisms like plankton can actually mistake these small recepticles for food particles! Slightly larger organisms that rely on filter feeding, such as echinoderms; polychaetes; bivalves and barnacles are also at risk of ingesting these plastics, Fendell and Sewll suggest.

At the time of their research in 2009, it was mentioned that not much research had been done on the effects of microplastic accumulation in the ocean. In less than 15 years since, it is clear that the issue of microplastics is ever more urgent with studies showing microplastics present in large fish species (our seafood). Maybe think twice before you grab that bottle and check if it has polyethylene listed as an ingredient!

That’s all mateys!

Sea you all next time

P.S. I personally discovered some of my facial products have these microplastics. Currently in a dilemma between throwing it out entirely or finishing the product and never purchase it again (in an attempt to not waste the money I spent on it). 

References

Fendell L. S., Sewell M. A., Contributing to marine pollution by washing your face: Microplastics in facial cleansers. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 2009.