When we started the Beat the Microbead campaign in 2012, our focus was solely on the five ingredients most commonly known to be used as microbeads in cosmetic products: Polyethylene (PE), Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), Polypropylene (PP), Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) and Nylon. That is why the BTMB app, which we launched in 2012, only focused on these five plastic ingredients.

Now, thanks to the extensive research done by the European Chemical Agency, we know there are more than hundreds of microplastic ingredients widely used in cosmetics and personal care products. You will find microplastic ingredients not only in scrubs but also in products like lipstick, eyeliner, sunscreen and other everyday products. The Beat the Microbead campaign grows wider in scope to accommodate research surrounding microplastic ingredients.

In April 2022 we launched the #DaretoCare campaign as part of the Beat the Microbead campaign. In this campaign, we analyzed the data from the Beat the Microbead that is gathered since 2020. We looked into the data about the 4 biggest producers of care products in Europe. And from their ten most popular brands 9 out of 10 appeared to contain microplastic ingredients.