PLASTICS IN SKINCARE - NOT JUST FROM THE PACKAGING BUT ADDED AS INGREDIENTS. WTAF!

When we recently ran a Meta ad for Vitis V Face TonIQ featuring the line “Skincare – Not Plastic,” we assumed the image spoke for itself. After all, our blend contains no plastics whatsoever, not in the bottle, and certainly not in the product.

But the comments told another story:

“Wait… what do you mean there’s plastic in skincare products?”

It turns out, many people simply don’t know that plastic isn’t just in the packaging, it’s in the formula as ingredients.
And that’s exactly the problem.

THE CONFUSION: SOLID PLASTIC VS SYNTHETIC POLYMERS.

When we think of “plastic,” we picture something solid. But in chemistry, plastics are simply the solid form of synthetic polymers.

Synthetic polymers can exist not only as solids, but also as liquids, gels, or semi-solids. It’s these forms of synthetic polymers that are added to skincare to alter texture, thickness, slip, and be film-forming, all product attributes with no skin benefits.

Beat the Microbead, found that 9 out of 10 commercial skincare products they analysed contained microplastics. 

Source: Beat the Microbead Executive Summary (2022)

Think of it this way:

• Plastic is a type of synthetic polymer that’s moulded and hardened.

• Synthetic polymers in skincare are the same chemical class just chemically engineered to stay soft.

DEFINITIONS THAT MATTER.

Plastic

Definition:
Solid, synthetic materials made from synthetic polymers, which are long chains of repeating molecular sub units (monomers) that can be shaped when soft and hardened into durable forms.

Key Features:

• Derived from fossil fuels.

• Contain stabilisers, colourants, and plasticisers.

• Do not biodegrade, they persist for decades or centuries, breaking down into microplastics.

In Skincare:
Used as film-formers or texture enhancers (e.g. acrylics, polyethylene, PVP).

Synthetic Polymers

Definition:
Human-made macromolecules created by chemically linking monomers, usually from petrochemical sources.

Key Features:

• Chemically engineered to mimic natural polymers.

• Polymers are generally to large to penetrate the skin barrier but micro- and nano-sized plastic particles have been shown to be absorbed through the skin

• May contain residual monomers or additives such as phthalates, bisphenols, PFAS, and heavy metals — substances linked to endocrine disruption and toxicity.

• Persist in the environment as microplastics.

Common in Skincare:
PEGs, Acrylates Copolymer, Nylon-12, Dimethicone.

Microplastics

Definition:
A subset of synthetic polymers, tiny plastic particles smaller than 5 mm, either deliberately manufactured or formed when larger solid plastics fragment over time.

Key Features:

• Insoluble and non-biodegradable.

• Found in oceans, soil, air, and human tissue.

• Include both solid particles and liquid or gel polymers that behave the same way environmentally.

The European Commission (2023) defines microplastics as synthetic polymer particles smaller than 5 mm that are organic, insoluble, and resistant to (bio)degradation.

Note: In chemistry, “organic” means containing carbon, it does not mean organic as in “plant-derived” or “naturally grown.”

Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/2055 - Restriction of microplastics intentionally added to products

In cosmetics, intentionally added microplastics in personal care products have been given a phase-out period of 4 to 12 years in the EU. While we already know that microplastics are damaging to humans, animals, soils, and oceans, there appears to be no urgency in phasing them out, even though these ingredients provide no real skincare benefit.

Solid plastics like microbeads and glitter may be banned, but liquid microplastics such as acrylate polymers and silicones are still widely used in cosmetics and personal care products. They are just as persistent, damaging, and bio-accumulative in the environment.

*Remember 9 in 10 skincare products contain microplastics as analysed by Beat the Microbead 

SKINCARE, NOT PLASTIC. WHY UNDERSTANDING POLYMERS MATTER

A polymer is a long, repeating molecular chain of subunits called monomers.
Natural or synthetic, most polymers are too large to penetrate the skin, they stay on the surface and wash away. But synthetic polymers don’t biodegrade; they persist and become microplastics.

The difference lies in origin and afterlife:

• Natural polymers - proteins (collagen, silk, wool), polysaccharides (cellulose), DNA — are found in nature, biocompatible, and biodegradable.

• Semi-synthetic polymers - modified natural materials (e.g. cellulose derivatives, chitosan blends), their biodegradability depends on how they’re altered but can also be a source of microplastics. 

• Synthetic polymers - fully man-made, not found in nature (polyethylene glycol, acrylates, polyacrylates, nylon, silicone), all derived from petrochemical feedstocks, and the source of microplastics in the environment.

WHY THEY’RE USED.

Synthetic polymers are used because they’re cheap, versatile, and lightly regulated. 
They make products feel smoother, last longer, and look more uniform.

While these ingredients give a formula its texture, skin feel, the slip, the film, the long wear, they add nothing to your skin’s nutritional needs.
What they do add is toxic load and persistence: once rinsed off, they enter waterways and accumulate as microplastics.

COMMON SYNTHETIC POLYMERS IN SKINCARE

• Polyethylene Glycol (PEG): Humectant, emulsifier, solvent.

• Silicones (Dimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane): Creates slip and shine; forms a barrier.

• Polyacrylamides & Acrylates Copolymers: Thickeners and film-formers.

• Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA): Water-soluble film former.

They make products glide, stick, and shine, but offer no nutritional value to the skin. Once rinsed away, they enter waterways and persist as microplastics.

WHY SYNTHETIC POLYMERS IN SKINCARE ARE STILL PLASTIC.

Let’s be clear: whether it’s a solid nylon bead or a liquid acrylate polymer, the chemistry is the same. These are synthetic polymers, the same class of molecules that make up  plastics.

• They do not biodegrade.

• They accumulate in the environment as microplastics.

• They contain toxic chemicals — residual monomers, phthalates, bisphenols, PFAS, and heavy metals.

• They offer no nutritional value to your skin. All they do is give products a thicker texture, smoother feel, a longer wear, and a shinier finish.

When applied to your face or lips, some micro- and nano-sized particles can penetrate the skin barrier, entering your body. When washed off, they persist in waterways, soils, and oceans, becoming part of a growing microplastic problem affecting humans, wildlife, and ecosystems.

Beat the Microbead identifies over 500 synthetic microplastic ingredients currently widely used in cosmetics and personal care products, most consumers oblivious to the fact they are the same class of molecules as plastic. These are deliberately engineered polymers added as ingredients not accidental contaminants. 

Put simply: if it contains synthetic polymers:

• The silky serum on your face? Plastic.

• The moisturizer on your hands? Plastic.

• The lipstick you wear? Plastic.

The bottom line: it’s still plastic on your skin and when washed off, it becomes microplastics in the environment.

Guide to Microplastics – Beat the Microbead

The detailed Red List is 19 pages long and lists 571 synthetic microplastic ingredients. The Orange List adds another 645 synthetic polymers lacking sufficient safety data on human or environmental health.

“We advise against products that contain these ‘skeptical microplastics’ until there is sufficient information about their impact on human and environmental health.” — Beat the Microbead, 2022

These plastics are added for texture, film-forming, or stabilising properties not for any skin benefit. They’re persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic to both you and the planet.

You lose. The planet loses. The only winners? Petrochemical companies.

As a rule of thumb: if you see anything starting with “Poly…”, be sceptical

A BIO-ESSENTIAL ALTERNATIVE: VITIS V FACE TONIQ.

Vitis V Face TonIQ is bio-essential and bioactive.
Instead of product attributes derived from synthetic ingredients, Vitis V Face TonIQ is made from naturally occurring, biocompatible ingredients your skin actually recognises and can use.

• Nourishing, not masking every drop delivers essential fatty acid, vitamins and multiple sources of antioxidants

• No persistent plastics what touches your skin is fully biodegradable, naturally sourced, and free from petrochemicals.

• Simplicity perfected by nature one intelligent blend replaces multiple synthetic-laden products in your routine.

With Vitis V, you get skincare that respects your skin biology and the planet.
No gimmicks. No hidden microplastics. Just the bio-essentials and bioactives your skin truly needs.

Vitis V Face TonIQ is utilised by your skin to strengthen its own regenerative functions, not washed down the drain to damage our planet.

Skincare - Not Plastic. Because what washes off really matters. 

Avoid plastics in your skincare while giving your skin the nourishment it truly needs. Use Vitis V Face TonIQ to simplify your routine into a single, bio-essential ritual. One blend that supports radiant, healthy skin without adding microplastics to your body or the environment.