Microplastic Ingredients in Cosmetics: 103 Names to Avoid (2026)

Solid plastic polymer. The EU restricted intentionally added microplastics in rinse-off cosmetics from October 2023, including polyethylene microbeads.

Solid plastic polymer, often used in scrubs, mascara fibers, and exfoliants.

The same plastic used in bottles, here as glitter or shimmer in cosmetics.

Solid acrylic plastic used as a microbead filler. Banned in EU rinse-off products since 2023.

Plastic powder used in mattifying primers, mascara, and loose powders.

Plastic polymer family, used as a film-former in long-wear makeup and hair products.

Plastic polymer occasionally used as opacifier or microbead.

Solid polyester plastic, PET’s close cousin, used with PET to make cosmetic glitter and shimmer particles.

Synthetic hydrocarbon polymer used as a shine-giving emollient in lip gloss and foundations, a common petroleum-derived swap for mineral oil.

Solid polyamide microsphere used to blur pores and absorb oil. One of the most common intentionally added microplastics in colour cosmetics, and a leave-on product so no rinse-off restriction applies.

Polyamide polymer, chemically the same family as Nylon-12 but a different chain length. Appears as fibres in mascara and as powder in complexion products.

Polyamide used where a harder particle is wanted. Same microplastic classification as other nylons, common in long-wear powders.

The Teflon polymer, and both a microplastic and a PFAS. Used for slip in cosmetics. Being a fluoropolymer, it carries the persistence questions of the whole PFAS class on top of being a solid plastic particle.

Numbered polyester polymers used as film-formers and glitter substrates. Cosmetic glitter is very often polyester film, which is a microplastic by any definition.

Rare in modern cosmetics but still found in some applicators, glitters and novelty packaging. A solid microplastic, and PVC production and plasticiser history make it the least desirable polymer to find anywhere near a cosmetic.

Synthetic film-forming polymer, essentially the base of white glue. Used for hold and water resistance. Forms a plastic film on skin, hair or lashes rather than a solid particle.

Water-soluble synthetic polymer, the film used for laundry and dishwasher pods and for peel-off face masks. Marketed as dissolving, but dissolving is not the same as degrading, and how completely it breaks down in treatment plants is genuinely contested.

Bio-based polyester made from corn or sugarcane, marketed as compostable. Industrially compostable is an end-of-life claim, not a statement about particles: PLA is still a solid synthetic polymer and sheds particles in use.

The chemical family name for nylons. If a label says Polyamide rather than Nylon-12, it is the same class of solid synthetic polymer particle.

Biodegradable polyester positioned as a greener microbead replacement. Genuinely degrades faster than polyethylene under the right conditions, but it is still a solid synthetic polymer particle when you use it.

A PET variant used as glitter and film substrate in cosmetics. Chemically a close relative of the plastic used in drink bottles.

Polyester-family polymer used as a solid particle and film-former in long-wear cosmetics.

EVA, the flexible plastic in trainer soles, used in cosmetics as a wax-like structurant and film-former. A synthetic polymer, though usually present as a soft matrix rather than a hard bead.

Polyethylene-based copolymer used to thicken and suspend. Shares the polyethylene backbone that the EU microbead restriction targets.

Cross-linked polystyrene microspheres, used for a soft-focus optical effect. Solid, spherical, insoluble and cross-linked, which is close to the textbook definition of an intentionally added microplastic.

High-performance synthetic polymer used as a film-former in long-wear mascara and liner for smudge resistance.

Numbered polyurethane film-former, used where a flexible, water-resistant plastic film is wanted on skin or lashes.

Polyurethane film-former common in long-wear and transfer-resistant makeup. Same polymer class as Polyurethane-2, different chain specification.

Blend of the two most common commodity plastics, used as a wax-like texturiser. Both parent polymers are named targets of the EU microbead restriction.

Synthetic elastomer used to give lip and stick products flexible structure and shine. A styrene-based polymer, though present as a soft matrix rather than a bead.

Synthetic film-forming plastic used widely in makeup, sunscreens, and hair fixatives.

Cross-linked acrylic polymer thickener. Same plastic family as Acrylates Copolymer.

Cross-linked polyacrylic acid thickener. Synthetic polymer, though much smaller particles than microbeads.

Polymer thickener / absorbent. Plastic family used in absorbent gels and lotions.

Acrylic plastic family used in nail products and long-wear formulas.

Synthetic polymer film-former, commonly in hairspray and brow gels.

Vinyl-pyrrolidone copolymer film-former, same family as PVP.

Synthetic cationic polymer family used as a hair conditioner.

Solid plastic microparticle used as an opacifier and to give body wash and shampoo their pearly look. One of the microplastics the EU restriction was specifically written to capture in rinse-off products.

Synthetic acrylic polymer used as a thickener and film-former. The polymer itself is large, but the flag is the residual acrylamide monomer, which the IARC classes as a probable human carcinogen.

Vinylpyrrolidone copolymer film-former, the same PVP family, used to make sunscreen and mascara water- and transfer-resistant.

Cross-linked acrylic thickener, extremely common in gels and lotions. A synthetic polymer, but it swells into a gel network rather than existing as a solid bead, which is why most regulators treat it differently from microbeads.

Superabsorbent acrylic polymer, the same material used in nappies. In cosmetics it thickens and holds water. Synthetic and persistent, but water-swellable rather than a solid particle.

Acrylic thickener and stabiliser. Same family as sodium polyacrylate, used to build texture in water-based formulas.

Cross-linked acrylic gelling agent prized for a light, non-tacky feel. Synthetic polymer, gel network rather than particle.

Cross-linked methacrylate microspheres used for soft-focus and oil absorption. Solid, insoluble and cross-linked, so this is a genuine intentionally added microplastic rather than a gel.

Acrylic film-former used for water resistance and long wear. Deposits a thin plastic film rather than a particle.

Acrylic thickener that also carries a PEG-type chain, so it appears in both the acrylate and ethoxylate discussions. Functions as a rheology modifier.

Cross-linked acrylic thickener with an ethoxylated chain. Builds viscosity in surfactant systems.

Synthetic acrylic and vinyl copolymer used as a gelling and stabilising agent, popular in lightweight modern textures.

Acrylamide-based thickener. The polymer itself is large and inert, but the acrylamide family attracts scrutiny because residual free acrylamide monomer is a concern in its own right.

Vinylpyrrolidone copolymer used as a film-former and water-resistance aid, notably in sunscreen and long-wear colour.

Cationic synthetic polymer used as a conditioning agent, one of the most common in shampoo. Water-soluble, so it is a synthetic polymer rather than a solid microplastic.

Cellulose-derived cationic conditioning polymer. Notable because its backbone is modified cellulose, making it partly plant-derived rather than fully petrochemical.

Vinylpyrrolidone-based cationic polymer used for hold and conditioning in styling products. Water-soluble synthetic polymer.

Silicone polymer (polydimethylsiloxane). Not the same as solid microplastic but classed as a synthetic polymer; EU is consulting on tighter limits.

Cyclic siloxanes. D4 and D5 variants are EU-restricted in rinse-off products.

Silicone polymer variant used for slip and shine.

Synthetic silicone polymer family used as film-formers in long-wear makeup.

Cross-linked silicone elastomer that creates the soft, blurring "slip" in primers and pore-fillers. A synthetic polymer network rather than a solid bead, but classed with the siloxanes the EU is tightening.

Amino-functional silicone polymer that binds to hair to smooth and detangle. Same siloxane family as dimethicone, harder to rinse out.

Silicone resin film-former that makes long-wear lipstick and foundation transfer-proof. A synthetic polymer that stays on skin for hours.

Volatile cyclic silicone, the D5 that EU regulators restricted. Not a microplastic, its backbone is silicon and oxygen rather than carbon, but it is restricted for persistence and bioaccumulation reasons.

Cyclic silicone with the strictest regulatory status of the group. Not a microplastic, but classified in the EU as a substance of very high concern for persistence, bioaccumulation and toxicity.

Cyclic silicone grouped with D4 and D5 in EU restrictions. A siloxane rather than a carbon-chain plastic, so not a microplastic.

Hydroxyl-terminated silicone used for shine and slip, especially in hair care. A siloxane, so outside the microplastic definition, though it is a persistent synthetic polymer.

Silicone with a phenyl group that adds gloss and a higher refractive index. Siloxane backbone, so not a microplastic.

Lightweight silicone often used as a replacement for the restricted cyclic siloxanes. Siloxane, not a microplastic.

Wax-like silicone used to structure balms and sticks. A siloxane rather than a plastic.

Long-chain silicone wax used for structure and a silky finish. Siloxane, not a microplastic.

Short-chain silicone frequently used to coat mineral pigments so they disperse evenly and resist water. Siloxane, not a microplastic.

Silicone modified with PEG and PPG chains to make it water-dispersible. Sits in both the silicone and ethoxylate conversations; not a microplastic.

Silica particles surface-treated with a silicone. The core is mineral silica, the coating is a siloxane, so neither part is a microplastic.

Silicone elastomer blend used for smoothing and frizz control. Siloxane chemistry, not a microplastic.

Silicone resin used as a film-former for long wear and gloss. A siloxane resin, so outside the microplastic definition despite being a solid synthetic polymer.

Cross-linked silicone elastomer that gives primers their characteristic velvet slip. Siloxane, not a microplastic.

Saturated silicone wax used for structure and water resistance. Siloxane backbone, not a microplastic.

Synthetic polymer / surfactant family. Often contaminated with 1,4-dioxane during manufacture.

Synthetic polymer in the propylene glycol family.

Ethoxylated emulsifier, one of the most common in lotions. Not a microplastic. The real question with PEGs is manufacturing purity, since ethoxylation can leave traces of 1,4-dioxane, a probable human carcinogen.

Ethoxylated castor oil used to dissolve fragrance and oils into water. Plant-derived backbone, ethoxylated. Not a microplastic; the concern is 1,4-dioxane purity.

Water-dispersible silicone made by attaching PEG chains to a siloxane. Neither part is a microplastic, but it inherits the ethoxylate purity question.

High-molecular-weight PEG used to thicken surfactant systems. Not a microplastic; a water-soluble ethoxylated polymer.

Propylene-glycol-based emollient giving a dry, silky finish. A synthetic polyether, not a microplastic.

Preservatives flagged for endocrine activity; commonly co-occur with plastic polymers in synthetic formulas.

Plasticisers used to soften plastic, banned from many products. Strong endocrine disruptors.

Synthetic antioxidants, co-occurrence flag in plastic-heavy formulas.

The most studied plasticiser and a recognised endocrine disruptor. Banned in EU cosmetics. It reaches food and bodies mainly through plastic packaging and processing equipment rather than through cosmetic formulas.

Phthalate plasticiser historically used to keep nail polish flexible. Banned in EU cosmetics and voluntarily removed by most major nail brands, but it persists in imported and unregulated products.

The phthalate most likely to be hiding in a cosmetic today, because it is used as a fragrance fixative and can be declared simply as "fragrance" or "parfum" rather than by name.

Not a cosmetic ingredient. BPA matters because it is used to make polycarbonate and epoxy can linings, so exposure comes from packaging and food contact rather than a formula. Heat and age increase migration.

The most common BPA replacement, and the reason "BPA-free" is a weaker claim than it sounds. BPS is structurally similar and shows comparable endocrine activity in studies, while being less regulated.

Antibacterial agent, not a plastic. Included because it is a persistent endocrine-active chemical that appears alongside microplastics in the same personal-care products and the same wastewater.

Synthetic floral fragrance ingredient banned in EU cosmetics from 2022 after classification as a reproductive toxicant. Not a plastic, but a good test of whether a brand keeps its formulas current.

Formaldehyde-releasing preservative. Not a plastic. Works by slowly releasing small amounts of formaldehyde, a known human carcinogen by inhalation, which is why it draws scrutiny in leave-on products.

Formaldehyde-releasing preservative in the same family as DMDM hydantoin. Not a plastic.

Another formaldehyde-releasing preservative, generally releasing more formaldehyde than imidazolidinyl urea. Not a plastic.

Formaldehyde-releasing preservative and one of the more common contact allergens among preservatives. Banned in EU cosmetics. Not a plastic.

A PFAS used in some skincare for an occlusive, oxygen-carrying effect. Not a microplastic, but a fluorinated compound from the class defined by extreme environmental persistence.

PFAS used for water and oil repellency in cosmetics. A fluorinated surfactant rather than a microplastic, and among the ingredients state-level PFAS cosmetic bans specifically target.

Fluoropolymer ether used as a conditioning and water-repellent agent. Both a synthetic polymer and a PFAS, which makes it one of the least desirable entries on any ingredient list.

Hair-dye and acne ingredient with thyroid and sensitisation concerns. Not a plastic, included because it co-occurs with the plastics discussion in "clean beauty" screening.

Solvent historically used in nail polish, and one of the original "toxic trio" alongside formaldehyde and DBP. A neurotoxicant and reproductive toxicant. Not a plastic.