What you use as part of your daily oral care routine really matters. That's why it's important to know and understand what ingredients are in your oral care products. Microplastics have an extremely harmful human and environmental impact and should never be found in your oral care or personal care routine. 

What are Microplastics?

Microplastics are tiny particles of plastic. There are two categories of microplastics: primary and secondary. Primary microplastics are created specifically for cosmetic products, usually acting as an exfoliant, while secondary microplastics come from larger plastic items once they start to break down, like plastic water bottles or plastic packaging. 

What are Microplastics Used In/For?

Microplastics created specifically for cosmetic purposes are called microbeads and can be used to create a scrubbing or exfoliating effect in products. For this reason, they are commonly found in items like shower gel, hairspray, sunscreen, make-up, and oral care products. 

What Are The Effects Of Microplastics?

Microbeads have devastating consequences to our health and environment. Microplastics are easily mistaken as food by fish, birds, and other wildlife. When animals fill their stomachs with microbeads, they can spread the plastic up the food chain, which can lead to contamination of the fish and food we eat. Once in the environment, microbeads are almost impossible to remove. The impact microbeads and microplastics have had on our environments is unmeasurable at present, but we know they have infiltrated every aspect of our ecosystem. According to Britannica, microplastics have been detected in drinking water, beer, and food products, including seafood and table salt as well as in human tissues and organs. 

Our mouths are 50 times more absorbent than our skin, so the ingredients in our oral care products really matter. At Spotlight Oral Care, we use only the highest quality clean, active ingredients, and all of our oral care solutions are free from triclosan, sulphates, palm oils, parabens DEA, SLS, and never include primary or secondary microplastics or microbeads. Our recyclable sugarcane toothpaste tubes also ensure that once they have been used, they will not contaminate our water systems with unsafe secondary microplastics.