The personal care industry is under pressure to transition towards more sustainable, ecofriendly, and human-healthy practices, and one of the biggest challenges is microplastics in cosmetics. These tiny plastic particles (under 5mm), found in many products, come in two forms: primary (intentionally added beads) and secondary (resulting from the breakdown of other plastics).
While many companies are phasing out primary microplastics like microbeads, secondary microplastics, often used as thickeners and stabilizers, are harder to replace. Alarmingly, the Plastic Soup Foundation found microplastics in 87% of products from leading cosmetic brands!
These particles can have a negative impact on both the environment and human health. A 2024 study even showed they can irritate skin, cause inflammation, and disrupt skin function. And microplastics have recently been found in brain tissue.
But there's a new solution. We produce cellulose and other biopolymers using fermentation and sugar which makes it biobased. During fermentation, we can modulate the properties of the materials we produce, avoiding the use of chemical functionalization which makes the materials biodegradable. This makes it the natural way for industry stakeholders to meet their sustainability goals.
