Are microplastics in your skincare?

More than likely.

Remember Lily Tomlin as the Incredible Shrinking Woman?

We thought that was preposterous way back when, but that screen writer may have been on to something.

Up until now, most research on microplastics in skincare has been focused on exfoliating beads.

You know, the little round scrubby things that common drugstore facial and body scrubs contain.

New studies, however, in the UK are now focusing on the plastic container itself.

They believe that tiny particles from plastic containers are leaching into your serum or moisturizer.

And absorbing into your skin.

This is similar to how water bottles have been shown to contain teeny tiny microplastics that are ingested into the body.

Why should we care?

While this is a developing area of study, here are some things things we know:

Microplastics accumulate in the body over time, particularly in organs like the liver, lungs and brain.

Researchers at the University of New Mexico found that brain tissue from individuals with dementia contained significantly higher levels of microplastics compared to brains without dementia.

Microplastics may be linked to a wide range of health issues including inflammation, damage to your gut's microbiome and hormone disruption.

So what can we do?

TIP #1 

Purchase skincare packaged in glass

Glass has been used for centuries and it is the most non-reactive packaging out there.

In fact, when skincare companies first test a product, they always test it in glass first to make sure the formula is stable, because glass is the least likely packaging to leach into the skincare you put on your face.

To us, this is a no brainer.

SKIN AT WORK formulas are so complex that glass is the only possible packaging for us.

And bonus, no risk of microplastics.

TIP #2

Avoid products with plastic beads

Not only do the beads end up in the ocean, but studies have shown that they end up in your body, too.

That's no bueno!

TIP #3 

Avoid products containing acrylates

Acrylates are used in skincare to create the feeling of smooth, soft skin.

In truth, they merely layer over your skin with microplastics and silicones to create the illusion of smooth, soft skin but don't provide any exfoliation or actual moisture.

Look for products that restore your skin's barrier naturally with ceramides & fatty acids and that smooth your skin with gentle fruit or lactic acids instead of spreading a cake layer of plastic on the dermis.