Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

A Scalable and Surfactant-Free Emulsion Method for Producing Microbeads from Varied Biomass Feedstocks

Researchers developed a scalable, surfactant-free emulsion method for producing microbeads from non-derivatized biomass such as cellulose, offering a biodegradable alternative to plastic microbeads still used in personal care and consumer products despite national and international regulations.

2024 Langmuir
Article Tier 2

Effect of Addition of Spheroidal Cellulose Powders on Physicochemical and Functional Properties of Cosmetic Emulsions

The cosmetics industry has historically used tiny plastic microbeads as scrubbing and texturizing agents in face creams, but these are now widely banned due to environmental harm. This study evaluated spheroidal cellulose powders — derived from plant material — as a biodegradable replacement, finding that creams containing cellulose particles of two different sizes (2 and 7 µm) performed best, delivering good skin hydration, favorable texture, and high consumer sensory ratings. The results support cellulose-based particles as a viable and genuinely biodegradable substitute for synthetic microplastics in personal care products.

2025 Polymers 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Application of Spray Coating in the Fabrication of Free Standing Nanocellulose Films and Barrier Coating on the Paper Substrates

Researchers developed cellulose acetate microspheres as a sustainable alternative to synthetic microplastic beads in cosmetics, producing spherical particles with high surface smoothness through polymer thermal phase separation that provide a smooth sensory texture while being biodegradable and environmentally safe.

2024 Scientific and Social Research
Article Tier 2

Fabrication of cellulose-based particles/capsules using gamma radiation-initiated radical precipitation polymerization

Researchers used radiation-initiated polymerization to create biodegradable cellulose-based microparticles as an alternative to fossil-fuel-derived microplastics used in cosmetics and personal care products. The bio-based particles showed promising properties and degraded more readily than conventional synthetic alternatives. Replacing conventional microplastic beads with biodegradable cellulose particles could reduce environmental pollution.

2022 International Journal of Polymeric Materials 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Functional Cellulose Microspheres for Potential Biomedical and Cosmetological Applications

This review examines cellulose microspheres (CMs) as biodegradable, biocompatible alternatives to plastic microbeads used in cosmetics and personal care products, summarizing their production methods, physicochemical properties, and applications in chromatography, drug delivery, wound dressing, blood filtration, and cosmetic formulations.

2022 OpenMETU (Middle East Technical University)
Article Tier 2

The Degradation Rate of Bio Microbeads Derived from Cellulose and Impregnated with Moringa Leaf Flavonoids Extract

This study developed biodegradable microbeads derived from cellulose as an eco-friendly replacement for synthetic plastic microbeads, which are banned in many countries because they pass through wastewater treatment and accumulate in the environment. The bio-based microbeads showed competitive degradation rates while meeting functional requirements for personal care product applications.

2023 Materials science forum 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Cellulose Acetate Microsphere in Cosmetics Application and Sustainability Benefits

Researchers developed biodegradable cellulose acetate microspheres as a sustainable replacement for synthetic microplastic particles in cosmetics, producing smooth spherical particles via thermal phase separation that deliver comparable sensory performance while avoiding persistent plastic pollution in the environment.

2024 Journal of the Society of Powder Technology Japan
Article Tier 2

Electrospraying of environmentally sustainable alginate microbeads for cosmetic additives

Biodegradable microbeads made from seaweed-derived alginate were fabricated as replacements for the plastic microbeads used in cosmetics. This technology addresses a well-documented source of microplastic pollution entering waterways through bathroom drains.

2019 International Journal of Biological Macromolecules 54 citations
Article Tier 2

Aquatic Toxicity of Polyethylene and Microcrystalline Cellulose Microbeads Used as Abrasives in Cosmetics

When companies replaced plastic microbeads in cosmetics with microcrystalline cellulose as a supposedly greener alternative, this study tested whether that swap actually reduced harm to aquatic life — and found neither polyethylene nor cellulose microbeads caused significant toxic effects on a water plant or a common crustacean at tested concentrations. However, because polyethylene persists indefinitely in the environment while cellulose degrades, the study still recommends phasing out plastic microbeads from personal care products.

2023 Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Quarterly 2 citations
Article Tier 2

An Eco-friendly Alternative to Polyethylene Microbeads in Personal Healthcare Products

This paper proposes eco-friendly, biodegradable alternatives to polyethylene microbeads used as exfoliants in personal care products like shower gels. Replacing synthetic plastic microbeads with natural materials would reduce a direct source of microplastic pollution entering waterways through drain runoff.

2020 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology (IJISRT)
Article Tier 2

Effect of surfactant concentration on the synthesis of hydrogel microbeads using the emulsion polymerization process for acrylamide/acrylic acid copolymers

Researchers examined the effect of surfactant concentration on the synthesis of hydrogel microbeads as biodegradable replacements for the plastic microbeads commonly used in personal care and cosmetic products, optimising formulation parameters to produce spherical particles with properties suitable for exfoliant applications.

2025 E3S Web of Conferences
Article Tier 2

Assessing the biodegradability of microparticles disposed down the drain

This study tested the biodegradability of microparticles made from natural and biodegradable materials proposed as alternatives to synthetic microplastic particles in personal care products, finding that they broke down efficiently under standard conditions. The results support the use of naturally derived microparticles as safer substitutes for plastic microbeads in cosmetics.

2017 Chemosphere 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Eco-Friendly Synthesis of Biodegradable, PLA-Based Exfoliant Microbeads via Droplet Microfluidics for Sustainable Cosmetics

Biodegradable microbeads made from polylactic acid (PLA) were fabricated using droplet microfluidics and shown to degrade significantly faster than conventional plastic microbeads in both aqueous and soil environments. This work directly addresses the microplastic pollution problem in cosmetics by providing a viable, scalable, biodegradable alternative to the polyethylene microbeads that have been banned in many countries.

2026 ACS Applied Polymer Materials
Article Tier 2

Biosourced spherical microbeads from brewer's spent grain for sustainable personal hygiene products

Researchers developed biosourced spherical microbeads from brewer's spent grain as a sustainable substitute for petrochemical plastic microbeads used as exfoliating agents in personal care products. The bio-based particles were characterized for size, shape, and mechanical properties to confirm suitability for cosmetic formulations.

2024 Journal of Polymer Science 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Development of Cellulose Acetate Spherical Microparticles by Means of Melt Extrusion of Incompatible Polymer Blend

Researchers developed cellulose acetate (CA) spherical microparticles using melt extrusion of incompatible polymer blends comprising CA with triacetin plasticizer and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), followed by selective removal of the secondary polymers. Drawing on Wu's equation, particle size was controlled by adjusting shear rate and viscosity ratios, offering a biodegradable alternative to synthetic microplastic particles.

2025 Polymers
Article Tier 2

Plastic microbeads from cosmetic products: an experimental study of their hydrodynamic behaviour, vertical transport and resuspension in phytoplankton and sediment aggregates

Researchers studied the hydrodynamic behavior of plastic microbeads from cosmetic products, finding that their physical properties — size, shape, and density — govern how they disperse and settle in aquatic environments after release from consumer products.

2018 Elementa Science of the Anthropocene 102 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of surfactant concentration on the synthesis of hydrogel microbeads using the emulsion polymerization process for acrylamide/acrylic acid copolymers

Researchers synthesized hydrogel microbeads from acrylamide/acrylic acid copolymers via emulsion polymerization as a potential biodegradable alternative to the microplastic microbeads commonly found in personal care products. They found that increasing surfactant concentration produced smaller, more homogeneous particles but reduced swelling capacity, characterizing the products by SEM and FTIR.

2025 Springer Link (Chiba Institute of Technology)
Article Tier 2

Waste utilization and optimization of calamansi peels: a formulation study on biodegradable microbeads

Tiny plastic beads used as exfoliants in cosmetics are a direct source of microplastic pollution — and this Philippine study developed a biodegradable alternative made from the cellulose in calamansi citrus peel waste. The resulting beads matched industry size standards for exfoliants and performed well in both hand sanitizer and facial gel formulations, with good stability and texture. The work demonstrates a circular-economy approach: converting agricultural food waste into an eco-friendly substitute for synthetic microplastics in personal care products.

2026 Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems
Article Tier 2

Biodegradable chito-beads replacing non-biodegradable microplastics for cosmetics

Biodegradable microbeads were prepared by reacetylation of chitosan as a direct substitute for synthetic polymer microbeads in cosmetic exfoliators. The chitosan-based beads demonstrated suitable mechanical properties and high cleansing efficiency, offering a viable biodegradable alternative to conventional microplastic microbeads.

2021 Green Chemistry 76 citations
Article Tier 2

Biosourced Spherical Microbeads from Brewer’s Spent Grain for Sustainable Personal Hygiene Products

Researchers developed biodegradable microbeads from brewer's spent grain as a sustainable replacement for plastic microbeads in personal care exfoliants, which are banned in many countries due to their environmental persistence. The biosourced spherical particles showed mechanical properties comparable to plastic microbeads, offering a genuinely plastic-free alternative that breaks down naturally.

2023 1 citations