87% of products from major cosmetic brands contain microplastics

 

In a startling revelation, a study found that a staggering 87% of products from major cosmetic brands contain microplastics. The research examined 7,704 cosmetic and personal care products from the top ten brands of Europe's four largest cosmetics manufacturers, including L'Oréal Paris, Elvive/Elseve, Garnier, Nivea, Gillette, Oral-B, Head & Shoulders, Dove, Rexona, and Axe, which are owned by L'Oreal, Beiersdorf, Procter & Gamble, and Unilever.

Out of the 7,704 products analyzed, a mere 13% were determined to be microplastic-free. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) estimates that more than seven kilograms of microplastics from cosmetics and personal care products enter the European environment every minute.

These numbers could be even higher if a broader definition of microplastics were used. In fact, a calculation by the Fraunhofer Institut für Umwelt for Germany suggests that the amount of microplastics could be at least 25 times higher on a Europe-wide scale.