From Microplastics to Mineral Extraction: The Real Cost of Makeup

Remember when I said that I typically avoid opening Pandora's box with my blog posts? Today is different because I want to talk about a sustainability nightmare—makeup. Makeup includes everything—microplastics, toxins, excessive packaging, plastic pollution, animal testing, the list goes on and on.

We apply makeup directly to our faces, and I'm no exception to using toxic makeup, so let's talk about it. Using the Yuka scanner (unpaid recommendation), I first checked the label of my eyeshadow palette. Result: Red = health implications are high. My other products, like the mascara from Maybelline and my BB cream, had no barcode left because I had been using them for years, but I can only imagine they probably would have shown the same results.

This brings up another important question: Should I avoid being wasteful by using up my products, or should I discard them because I'm essentially applying plastic to my face? So let's dive in and talk about makeup and what we can do better.

What's the Environmental Impact of Makeup?

The environmental impact of makeup is quite significant, primarily due to the materials and ingredients used during production, packaging and disposal. Here are a few key reasons why makeup is so harmful to the environment:

• Chemical Contamination: Some makeup products contain potentially harmful chemicals, such as parabens, phthalates, and synthetic dyes, that can enter water systems when washed off. These chemicals can harm aquatic life and disrupt ecosystems.

• Resource-Intensive Production: The production of makeup requires the extraction of natural resources like minerals, oils, and water, often involving energy-intensive processes. This leads to environmental degradation through mining, deforestation, and high carbon emissions. The production also uses a lot of water.

• Plastic Waste in Packaging: Many makeup products come in plastic packaging, including bottles, tubes, and compacts. Due to low recycling rates for cosmetic packaging, these plastics often end up in landfills or oceans, contributing to long-lasting pollution.
  

It's estimated that the beauty industry procudes over 120 billion pieces of packaging annual, much of which is not recyclable.

Wait, why does it need minerals and oil to produce makeup?

• Oils such as coconut oil, palm oil, or various synthetic oils are used in makeup for moisture, texture, and blend-ability. Oils help makeup adhere to the skin, hydrate, and create a smooth, even application. They also serve as carriers for active ingredients, like pigments and antioxidants, in formulations.

• Many makeup products, especially foundations, eyeshadows, and blushes, use mineral-based ingredients for colour and texture. Common minerals like mica, titanium dioxide, and zinc oxide are used to create pigments, provide UV protection, and give products their smooth finish.

I was curious about other sectors using the minerals we use in makeup, just to get a better idea of what I'm applying to my face. It turns out that the minerals used in makeup products are also essential in other industries like construction, electronics, paints, and pharmaceuticals. This feels very weird. So, the same mineral—zinc oxide—that enhances the durability of tires also plays a key role in protecting our skin from the sun in many makeup products.

The environmental concerns are often similar across different sectors, including issues of unsustainable mining practices, water contamination, and the energy-intensive nature of mineral processing. However, the cosmetics industry tends to have a smaller volume of demand for these minerals compared to large-scale industrial uses, which reduces the overall environmental footprint.

Microplastics - What Is That?

Microplastics deserve their own section. Microplastics are one of the biggest problems of our time and many of us are probably not aware of it.

• So, what are microplastics? Microplastics are small plastic particles, typically less than 5mm in size, that are either intentionally added to products or created when larger plastics break down.

• Why are microplastics used in makeup? In cosmetics, they are often used as an exfoliator, stabilizer, texture, or filler to increase product volume.

• Why are they bad if they are so "micro"? Certain microplastics are too small to be filtered out by water treatment plants. They end up in oceans, affecting marine life and entering the food chain. Regular-sized plastic, while also an issue, can be collected and cleaned up relatively easily.

Let's add a "fun fact": According to a study commissioned by the World Wildlife Fund, the average person ingests about 5 grams of plastic every week, which is roughly the weight of a credit card. (source) The same is true for animals. How do we ingest it? Through our food, our water and even the air we breathe. So, it's literally impossible to avoid microplastics.

We can probably all agree that we don't want microplastics in our bodies. The actual impact on our bodies is still being studied, but what is clear is that microplastics have been found in all our organs.

The biggest Makeup Brands in the World

Let's take a look at two of the biggest makeup brands in the world and what they are focusing on regarding sustainability.

L’Oréal

L’Oréal dedicated a whole page on their website to microplastics in cosmetic products. They are highlighting that they have been reducing the use of microplastics in some categories. As of 2020, L’Oréal announced that all of their rinse-off products, such as shampoos, shower gels, and exfoliants, are formulated without microplastics. This move was part of L’Oréal’s broader sustainability program, “L’Oréal for the Future”, which set ambitious environmental and social goals for 2030.

Is this greenwashing or a legitimate step towards sustainability? Signs of serious intentions are that “L’Oréal for the Future” is a long-term strategy with measurable goals, with the elimination of microplastics as a clear milestone, third-party reporting that provides greater transparency, and a clear target to protect natural resources and water, which are significant and costly shifts. It's actually quite interesting to look around their website and learn more about the various initiatives. Of course, this is all to be taken with a grain of salt as it is still a global beauty giant dependent on mass production, plastic packaging, and a fast-beauty model, which inherently has sustainability challenges. Be vigilant when looking at the sustainability campaigns of big companies. BUT, we can't blame a company for trying.

MAC Cosmetics

As a side note, when I was googling the different beauty companies, I realized that most of them are owned by Estée Lauder Companies, which I didn't know.

Here comes my first surprise about MAC Cosmetics: The Back-to-M.A.C. Recycling Program was implemented over 30 years ago and encourages customers to return empty MAC product containers for recycling. This is great1

But the more I dug, the more I realized that MAC Cosmetics' focus is mainly on packaging; it's really their flagship initiative. But when it comes to microplastics, there's only a partial effort, and MAC is neither vegan nor cruelty-free. Further, MAC doesn’t publish full sustainability or climate impact reports. Chat GPT created the following table which I think provides a good overview (I did my own research though):

What Can We Do?

Awareness is the first step and I hope this article created a few "aha" moments for you. Check your products and see what ingredients they use.

Now, regarding the question of using your old products vs using products that are better for your body, I think we all have to make this decision ourselves. Here are some things to think about when deciding what to do in the future:

• Use it up responsibly: If your makeup is still within its shelf life and you enjoy using it, consider finishing the product instead of throwing it out right away. You might want to try using it more mindfully, making sure you apply only what you need and avoid over-purchasing in the future.

• Recycling: Look for makeup brands that offer eco-friendly packaging or recycling programs. Some brands offer refillable options or encourage you to return empty containers for reuse.

• Eco-friendly alternatives: If you're concerned about plastic, consider switching to brands that prioritize sustainability, use natural ingredients, and offer minimal or biodegradable packaging.

• Donation: If you decide to discard products but they’re still in good condition (especially unopened), you could donate them to a friend or a charity.

My top recommendation for sustainability is to support local brands, choose eco-friendly options, and know where your products come from. To support you on this mission, I intend to interview a local makeup producer and will soon share the interview on the blog. Additionally, I've started a sustainable makeup starter kit and a sustainable beauty cheat sheet. If you're interested in these resources, feel free to reach out, and I'd be happy to share them with you.