Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

[Microplastic and skin-an update].

This review summarizes current evidence on microplastics (1–5000 µm) and nanoplastics as skin-relevant pollutants, covering how they enter and interact with skin tissue. Evidence suggests dermal uptake is possible, particularly through damaged skin, and that these particles may carry additional chemical hazards.

2026 Dermatologie (Heidelberg, Germany)
Article Tier 2

Cellular response of keratinocytes to the entry and accumulation of nanoplastic particles

Researchers studied how nanoplastic particles interact with human skin cells when the protective outer skin layer is compromised. They found that nanoplastics readily penetrate and accumulate inside skin cells, triggering stress responses and activating inflammatory pathways -- suggesting that people with damaged or sensitive skin may be especially vulnerable to nanoplastic absorption.

2024 Particle and Fibre Toxicology 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Penetration of Microplastics and Nanoparticles Through Skin: Effects of Size, Shape, and Surface Chemistry

This review examines how micro- and nanoplastics can penetrate human skin, with smaller particles being more likely to pass through. Beyond direct toxicity, these tiny plastic particles may also carry harmful chemicals through the skin barrier, acting as unwanted delivery vehicles for toxic substances we encounter in the environment.

2024 Journal of Xenobiotics 37 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in dermatology: Potential effects on skin homeostasis

This study highlights the growing concern that microplastics and nanoplastics may affect skin health by disrupting the skin's natural balance. While research is still early, the findings suggest that these synthetic particles could interfere with skin homeostasis, pointing to a need for further investigation into how everyday plastic exposure might affect our largest organ.

2024 Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology 68 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Cosmetics: Emerging Risks for Skin Health and the Environment

This review examines microplastics in cosmetics and personal care products and their potential effects on skin health. Evidence suggests that microplastics can penetrate the skin barrier and trigger oxidative stress, inflammation, and premature aging. Despite growing regulatory efforts to ban microplastics in cosmetics, global inconsistencies in these rules mean many products still contain them.

2025 Cosmetics 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of altered human exposome on the skin and mucosal epithelial barrier integrity.

This review examined how modern environmental exposures including microplastics, air pollutants, and chemical toxicants disrupt the epithelial barrier integrity of skin and mucous membranes, arguing that the 'exposome' of chronic low-level chemical exposures is a major but underappreciated driver of barrier dysfunction and associated inflammatory diseases.

2023 Tissue barriers
Article Tier 2

Microplastics, Skin Disease, and Dermatology

This review examined the risks that microplastics and nanoplastics pose to skin health, noting that particles can penetrate compromised skin barriers and cause oxidative stress, inflammation, and cellular senescence in fibroblasts. The authors recommend that dermatologists incorporate microplastic exposure into clinical assessments of skin conditions.

2025 Dermatologic Clinics
Article Tier 2

Human skin and micro- and nanoplastics: a mini-review

This review explores how micro- and nanoplastics interact with human skin, a less-studied route of exposure compared to ingestion and inhalation. Researchers found that tiny plastic particles can penetrate the skin barrier through cosmetics, contaminated water, and airborne pollution. The study suggests that skin exposure to these particles may contribute to overall human microplastic burden, though more research is needed to fully understand the health implications.

2024 MOJ Ecology & Environmental Sciences 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Prospects on the nano-plastic particles internalization and induction of cellular response in human keratinocytes

Researchers isolated nano-sized plastic particles from commercial face scrubs and tested their effects on human skin cells (keratinocytes), finding that plastic nanoparticles adhered to cells and were taken up into them. This raises concerns about microplastic absorption through the skin from cosmetic products.

2021 Research Square (Research Square)
Article Tier 2

Understanding the Risk of Microplastic Dermal Absorption

This review examines the understudied pathway of microplastic absorption through the skin, highlighting a significant research gap compared to inhalation and ingestion routes. Researchers analyzed the potential mechanisms by which small plastic particles in skincare and cosmetic products could penetrate skin barriers. The study calls for more research into dermal absorption risks, particularly given the continued growth of the personal care product industry.

2026 Scholarly review .
Article Tier 2

The effects of size and surface functionalization of polystyrene nanoplastics on stratum corneum model membranes: An experimental and computational study

Researchers studied how polystyrene nanoplastics of different sizes and surface modifications interact with the outermost layer of human skin, the stratum corneum. Using both experiments and computer simulations, they found that particle size and surface chemistry significantly affected how nanoplastics disrupted skin barrier membranes. The study provides early evidence that nanoplastics could potentially compromise the skin's protective barrier, which is relevant to understanding dermal exposure risks.

2023 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science 30 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Microplásticos y nanoplásticos: mecanismos de bioacumulación y toxicidad

This systematic review summarizes current scientific evidence on how micro- and nanoplastics interact with living systems. It found that these tiny particles can accumulate in biological tissues and trigger toxic responses, underscoring growing concerns about their potential effects on human health.

2025 Dialnet (Universidad de la Rioja)
Article Tier 2

Emerging mechanisms of microplastic-induced skin diseases: a perspective from the gut–skin axis

This review explores how microplastics may cause skin damage through the gut-skin axis, a system connecting intestinal and skin health through immunological and neuroendocrine pathways. The study suggests that microplastics can disrupt gut microbial balance and intestinal barrier integrity, allowing harmful bacteria and metabolites to enter the bloodstream and contribute to skin inflammation, metabolic imbalance, and oxidative stress.

2026 Journal of Translational Medicine
Article Tier 2

Emerging mechanisms of microplastic-induced skin diseases: a perspective from the gut–skin axis

This review examined the emerging mechanisms by which microplastics may contribute to skin diseases through the gut-skin axis. Researchers found evidence that microplastics can induce gut microbiota dysbiosis and compromise intestinal barrier integrity, which in turn may impair skin barrier function and trigger inflammatory skin conditions through shared immunological and neuroendocrine pathways.

2026 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Emerging mechanisms of microplastic-induced skin diseases: a perspective from the gut–skin axis

This review examined the emerging mechanisms by which microplastics may contribute to skin diseases through the gut-skin axis. Researchers found evidence that microplastics can induce gut microbiota dysbiosis and compromise intestinal barrier integrity, which in turn may impair skin barrier function and trigger inflammatory skin conditions through shared immunological and neuroendocrine pathways.

2026 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics in the Environment: Sources, Fate, Toxicity, Challenges and Mitigation Strategies

This review covers the formation, environmental fate, and health risks of nanoplastics, emphasizing their capacity to penetrate biological barriers and cause oxidative stress, inflammation, DNA damage, and endocrine disruption, alongside current strategies for mitigation.

2025 Asian Journal of Environment & Ecology
Article Tier 2

Prospects on the nano-plastic particles internalization and induction of cellular response in human keratinocytes

Researchers isolated nanoplastic particles from commercial face scrubs and found they were internalized by human skin cells (keratinocytes) through a macropinocytosis pathway, triggering cellular stress responses. The findings raise concerns about dermal exposure to nanoplastics from cosmetic products.

2020 Research Square (Research Square)
Article Tier 2

Impacto ambiental de productos dermatológicos: Una revisión sistemática sobre ecofarmacovigilancia.

Not relevant to microplastics — this Spanish-language systematic review examines the environmental impact of dermatological pharmaceutical products from an eco-pharmacovigilance perspective, focusing on how active drug compounds enter and affect ecosystems rather than microplastics specifically.

2026 ASCE MAGAZINE
Article Tier 2

Epithelial Barrier Theory: The Role of Exposome, Microbiome, and Barrier Function in Allergic Diseases

This review presents the epithelial barrier theory, which proposes that damage to the body's protective barriers is a key driver of allergic diseases. Researchers identified numerous environmental factors including microplastics, nanoparticles, detergents, and processed food additives that can weaken epithelial barriers in the skin, lungs, and gut. The study suggests that the rising prevalence of allergies may be linked to increasing exposure to barrier-disrupting substances in our modern environment.

2023 Allergy Asthma and Immunology Research 40 citations
Article Tier 2

Epithelial Barrier: Protector and Trigger of Allergic Disorders

This review explores the epithelial barrier hypothesis, which proposes that disruption of skin, lung, and gut epithelial barriers by environmental exposures such as microplastics and pollutants drives the rising incidence of allergic and inflammatory diseases.

2022 Journal of Investigational Allergology and Clinical Immunology 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Environmental factors in epithelial barrier dysfunction

This review examines how environmental factors from the modern industrialized world -- including air pollution, detergents, nanoparticles, and microplastics -- damage the protective lining of the skin, gut, and airways. Researchers describe how these exposures degrade the proteins that hold barrier cells together, increasing permeability and triggering immune responses linked to allergies, asthma, and inflammatory conditions. The study presents an "epithelial barrier hypothesis" suggesting that widespread barrier dysfunction from environmental pollutants may be driving the rise of chronic inflammatory diseases.

2020 Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 347 citations
Article Tier 2

Dysregulation of the epithelial barrier by environmental and other exogenous factors

This review examines how environmental and industrial factors can damage the body's epithelial barriers, which serve as the first line of defense against external threats. Researchers found that exposure to agents linked to industrialization and urbanization, including microplastics and other pollutants, can disrupt these protective barriers and trigger immune responses. The study suggests that epithelial barrier dysfunction may play a key role in the increasing prevalence of allergic and inflammatory conditions.

2021 Contact Dermatitis 71 citations
Article Tier 2

Botanical and Upcycled Bioactives for Advanced Topical Formulations: Mechanistic Pathways, Cutaneous Delivery, and Sustainability-by-Design

Researchers reviewed how plant-derived bioactive compounds interact with skin biology and how advanced delivery systems such as nanoemulsions and solid lipid nanoparticles can improve their cutaneous bioavailability, proposing a translational framework linking phytochemistry, delivery science, and sustainability for rational dermatological formulation development.

2026 Pharmaceutics
Review Tier 2

Immunotoxicity and intestinal effects of nano- and microplastics: a review of the literature

This review examines the evidence on how nano- and microplastics affect the immune system and intestinal health. The findings suggest that exposure to these particles can disrupt the gut microbiome and impair critical intestinal barrier functions, potentially contributing to the development of chronic inflammatory and immune conditions.

2020 Particle and Fibre Toxicology 658 citations