From Paris to Berlin, the global beauty market is projected to reach $590 billion (€516 billion) by 2030, driven by a surge in skincare, makeup, and anti-ageing products. Yet many of these items may still contain microplastics—tiny plastic particles that persist in the environment and whose health impacts are under scrutiny.
In 2023, the European Commission adopted Regulation (EU) 2023-2055, the broadest restriction on intentionally added microplastics in the bloc’s history. The rule covers not only cosmetics but also fertilisers and detergents. However, your bathroom cabinet might still hold products with microplastics, thanks to phased transition periods.
Why Are Microplastics in Beauty Products?
Microplastics serve multiple functions in cosmetics: they provide smoothness, act as binders, or create glitter effects. According to Iseult Lynch, an environmental chemist at the University of Birmingham, “the challenge with plastics is the additives in them largely—things like plasticisers, colourants, and toxic chemicals such as PFAS.” These additives can leach out and pose risks to human health.
Alternatives exist. Lynch points to bio-based polymers derived from non-edible plant components, such as processed rice husks, which can replace microplastics in scrubs and creams.
Transition Periods and Market Realities
Hélène Duguy, an environmental lawyer at ClientEarth, explains that the restriction sets different deadlines depending on the product type. Rinse-off cosmetics must be phased out by 16 October 2027, leave-on cosmetics by 16 October 2029, and makeup by 16 October 2035. Critically, these dates apply to placing products on the market, not to existing stock. “Companies are still going to be able to use the remaining stocks that they have, so microplastics are going to be around for a while,” Duguy notes.
This gradual approach reflects the complexity of regulating a vast group of polymers. Duguy calls the microplastics restriction “the broadest restriction that we’ve had in Europe on chemicals” and a precedent for future group-based bans, such as the proposed comprehensive restriction on all PFAS chemicals.
The EU’s move is part of a broader push to tackle persistent pollutants. For context, the bloc is also advancing accession talks with Serbia and other Western Balkan countries, underscoring its commitment to regulatory harmonisation across the continent.
While the transition periods may frustrate environmental advocates, they give industry time to reformulate. As Lynch emphasises, “there are alternatives,” and the shift toward biodegradable materials is already underway in labs from Birmingham to Milan.
