Improved formula – free from microplastics

None of our HiPP Care products have ever contained or will ever contain any microplastics.

The term microplastics refers to undissolved solid particles that are smaller than 5 millimetres.

They are either primary or secondary microplastics:

 ● Some manufacturers deliberately use primary microplastics as ingredients in cosmetic products. They usually serve as abrasive particles in toothpastes, scrubs or shower gels.

 ● Secondary microplastics, on the other hand, are derived from the breakdown of larger plastic debris. One example of this are plastic bags that turn into microplastics, polluting our seas and oceans.

 So the terms “primary” and “secondary” refer to the origin of microplastics.

Liquid polymers are synthetically produced plastics. In contrast to microplastics, these polymers are not solid particles in cosmetic products but are liquid constituents of the product. Liquid polymers have been widely used in cosmetics (but not by HiPP) where they serve different purposes, such as:
● increasing the viscosity for a gel-like consistency of shampoo
● forming a film on the skin so that it feels soft and supple

In the public debate, the terms microplastics and liquid polymers are unfortunately often used synonymously.

However, microplastics are always solid particles of different forms such as microbeads or thin fibres (smaller than 5 mm).

Liquid polymers, on the other hand, are never found in solid form in cosmetics but always in a solution or emulsion.

In addition to solid microplastics, liquid polymers have increasingly been the subject of public debate as they are only arduously biodegradable or not biodegradable at all.

Most of the microplastics and liquid polymers in body wash or shampoo are rinsed off and enter treatment plants with waste water, where they are retained in the sewage sludge. In some countries, this sludge is largely incinerated, but it is also partly used as fertilizer in the fields.

Also those microplastics or liquid polymers used in creams and lotions can end up in our environment after cleaning the skin or washing the worn clothes or used towels.

The protection of health and the environment is our top priority. We are not aware of any data suggesting environmental problems associated with dissolved or emulsified polymers. However, since they are not biodegradable, we still prefer to stop using them in the future as a precautionary measure.