A breakthrough in sustainable skin care: new microbeads made from poly(β-amino ester) polymers break down in water, providing a plastic-free alternative to traditional exfoliants.
A New Microbead Proves Effective as a Plastic-Free Skin Scrubber
The development of a new microbead that breaks down in water has the potential to replace plastic exfoliants in skin cleansers. This breakthrough could be a game-changer for companies looking for more environmentally friendly alternatives.
Breakdown and Degradation
The newly-developed microbeads are made from a type of polymer known as poly(β-amino ester). These polymers have been used in biomedical applications, such as carrying medicines through the body. The researchers tested how the spheres degraded in boiling water and found that after two hours, more than 94% of the polymer had broken down into molecules related to sugars and amino acids.
Effectiveness as a Skin Scrubber
The microbeads were also tested for their ability to remove permanent marker and eyeliner from animal skin samples. The results showed that wiping the marks with the mixture containing the microbeads removed about 74% of the ink, while wiping the marks with just soap foam removed about 38%. The cleansing mixture was even more effective at removing eyeliner, with ten wipes removing nearly twice as much eyeliner as soap foam alone.
Potential Applications
The polymer microbeads also absorbed copper ions from water, suggesting that they could cleanse skin of metals encountered in certain types of dust. This performance boost could drive more companies to adopt more sustainable materials in the future. According to Ben Elling, a polymer chemist at Wesleyan University, “A lot of the fear of looking to more renewable or more degradable materials is that oftentimes they have worse properties than what you’re replacing.” However, he notes that it’s possible to have the best of both worlds.
Conclusion
The development of this new microbead has the potential to revolutionize the skin care industry by providing a plastic-free alternative. With its ability to break down in water and effectively remove permanent marker and eyeliner, this breakthrough could be a major step towards a more sustainable future.
