Researchers at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, are “extremely alarmed” about microplastics in personal care and cleaning products and call for regulatory action on contamination while presenting new alternatives to microplastics. In addition to being a major environmental contaminant, they say the particles may also pose a health risk to people.Small plastic particles, known as microplastics, are less than 5 millimeters in size and are found in a wide range of consumer goods, including face scrubs and shampoos. Microplastics play a variety of functional roles in personal care and cosmetic products, such as stabilization and exfoliation. These particles are either intentionally added to products or result from the degradation of larger plastic items. Despite being efficient in products, they have a negative impact on the environment, according to the study in Cosmetics.
