Uploaded January 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 hours ago
Hi, I’m a PhD candidate, also a cosmetic scientist - I study the impact of environmental misinformation on environmental outcomes, through the lens of beauty. What I’ve been seeing? Misinformation, even when it’s coming from good intentions, which reeaaallllllly doesn’t matter as much as people think when it comes to outcomes, seems to make environmental outcomes worse.
Microplastic misinformation about cosmetics formulations is just the tip of the iceberg for plastic misinformation. On the environment side, there are also ideas around plastic packaging being inherently worse for the environment… looking at totality of product impacts, in beauty, many times products packaged in plastic actually have lower total impacts. End consequence? We sometimes switch to materials that increase overall impact, while failing to address the bigger drivers of harm, like overconsumption. In the process, we get tunnel vision on plastic pollution and lose sight of other critical environmental issues, climate change.
There is soooo much microplastic misinformation out there. If you want loads more detail on the realities of microplastic, I have a series of posts here + an e-book chapter, with expert commentary by Dr. Oli Jones, who specifically researches microplastics.
Find the resources here:
Truth in Beauty E-Book, find Dr. Jones’ section on microplastics starting at pg17: docsend.com/view/zp3rp83nzuqavbw9
My latest post on microplastics specific to cosmetic formulations: instagram.com/p/DTBIljcDrXn/?img_index=1 (Sorry for my spelling error 🥲)
My summary of general microplastic misinformation: instagram.com/p/DHJE4qSOOEl/?img_index=1
References
Anagnosti, L., Varvaresou, A., Pavlou, P., Protopapa, E., & Carayanni, V. (2021). Worldwide actions against plastic pollution from microbeads and microplastics in cosmetics focusing on European policies. Has the issue been handled effectively?. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 162, 111883.
Andrady, A. L. (2011). Microplastics in the marine environment. Marine pollution bulletin, 62(8), 1596-1605.
Cosmetics Europe. (2018). ECHA workshop 30–31st May 2018 intentionally added microplastics to products break-out session: cosmetics. ECHA Workshop Plenary Session 30th and 31st May 2018.
Department of the Environment and Energy. (2018). An Assessment of the Sale of Microbeads and Other Nonsoluble Plastic Polymers in Personal Care and Cosmetic Products Currently Available Within the Australian Retail (in Store) Market Department of the Environment and Energy, Canberra.
Ford, A. T., Ali, A. H., Colla, S. R., Cooke, S. J., Lamb, C. T., Pittman, J., ... & Singh, N. J. (2021). Understanding and avoiding misplaced efforts in conservation. Facets, 6(1), 252-271.
Gouin, T., Avalos, J., Brunning, I., Brzuska, K., De Graaf, J., Kaumanns, J., & Wolf, T. (2015). Use of micro-plastic beads in cosmetic products in Europe and their estimated emissions to the North Sea environment. SOFW J, 141(4), 40-46.
Kutralam-Muniasamy, G., Pérez-Guevara, F., Elizalde-Martínez, I., & Shruti, V. C. (2020). An overview of recent advances in micro/nano beads and microfibers research: Critical assessment and promoting the less known. Science of The Total Environment, 740, 139991.
SAPEA (2019). A scientific perspective on microplastics in nature and society. Science Advice for Policy by European Academies, Berlin, 10.26356/microplastics
Stoll, T., Stoett, O., Stoett, P., Vince, J., Hardesty, B. (2020). Governance and measures for the prevention of marine debris. Handbook of Microplastics in the Environment, Springer International Publishing.
#microplastics #beautyblogger #cosmetics #skincare #greenliving #ecofriendly #sustainability #pollution #plasticfree #greenbeauty #cleanbeauty #sciencefacts #science #scienceshorts
Hi, I’m a PhD candidate, also a cosmetic scientist - I study the impact of environmental misinformation on environmental outcomes, through the lens of beauty. What I’ve been seeing? Misinformation, even when it’s coming from good intentions, which reeaaallllllly doesn’t matter as much as people think when it comes to outcomes, seems to make environmental outcomes worse.
Microplastic misinformation about cosmetics formulations is just the tip of the iceberg for plastic misinformation. On the environment side, there are also ideas around plastic packaging being inherently worse for the environment… looking at totality of product impacts, in beauty, many times products packaged in plastic actually have lower total impacts. End consequence? We sometimes switch to materials that increase overall impact, while failing to address the bigger drivers of harm, like overconsumption. In the process, we get tunnel vision on plastic pollution and lose sight of other critical environmental issues, climate change.
There is soooo much microplastic misinformation out there. If you want loads more detail on the realities of microplastic, I have a series of posts here + an e-book chapter, with expert commentary by Dr. Oli Jones, who specifically researches microplastics.
Find the resources here:
Truth in Beauty E-Book, find Dr. Jones’ section on microplastics starting at pg17: docsend.com/view/zp3rp83nzuqavbw9
My latest post on microplastics specific to cosmetic formulations: instagram.com/p/DTBIljcDrXn/?img_index=1 (Sorry for my spelling error 🥲)
My summary of general microplastic misinformation: instagram.com/p/DHJE4qSOOEl/?img_index=1
References
Anagnosti, L., Varvaresou, A., Pavlou, P., Protopapa, E., & Carayanni, V. (2021). Worldwide actions against plastic pollution from microbeads and microplastics in cosmetics focusing on European policies. Has the issue been handled effectively?. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 162, 111883.
Andrady, A. L. (2011). Microplastics in the marine environment. Marine pollution bulletin, 62(8), 1596-1605.
Cosmetics Europe. (2018). ECHA workshop 30–31st May 2018 intentionally added microplastics to products break-out session: cosmetics. ECHA Workshop Plenary Session 30th and 31st May 2018.
Department of the Environment and Energy. (2018). An Assessment of the Sale of Microbeads and Other Nonsoluble Plastic Polymers in Personal Care and Cosmetic Products Currently Available Within the Australian Retail (in Store) Market Department of the Environment and Energy, Canberra.
Ford, A. T., Ali, A. H., Colla, S. R., Cooke, S. J., Lamb, C. T., Pittman, J., ... & Singh, N. J. (2021). Understanding and avoiding misplaced efforts in conservation. Facets, 6(1), 252-271.
Gouin, T., Avalos, J., Brunning, I., Brzuska, K., De Graaf, J., Kaumanns, J., & Wolf, T. (2015). Use of micro-plastic beads in cosmetic products in Europe and their estimated emissions to the North Sea environment. SOFW J, 141(4), 40-46.
Kutralam-Muniasamy, G., Pérez-Guevara, F., Elizalde-Martínez, I., & Shruti, V. C. (2020). An overview of recent advances in micro/nano beads and microfibers research: Critical assessment and promoting the less known. Science of The Total Environment, 740, 139991.
SAPEA (2019). A scientific perspective on microplastics in nature and society. Science Advice for Policy by European Academies, Berlin, 10.26356/microplastics
Stoll, T., Stoett, O., Stoett, P., Vince, J., Hardesty, B. (2020). Governance and measures for the prevention of marine debris. Handbook of Microplastics in the Environment, Springer International Publishing.
#microplastics #beautyblogger #cosmetics #skincare #greenliving #ecofriendly #sustainability #pollution #plasticfree #greenbeauty #cleanbeauty #sciencefacts #science #scienceshorts
