Polyethylene
Severity 7/10Editorialexfoliant beads · film former
Is Polyethylene safe?
Polyethylene carries significant published concerns (environmental impact).
In plain language
The plastic behind the microbead scandal — banned as a rinse-off scrub ingredient across many jurisdictions and being phased out of cosmetics under the EU microplastics restriction.
A Caredermis plain-language explanation to help you read the label — not a regulator statement. The sourced facts are the classifications and status shown on this page.
Documented concerns
Concerns marked Editorialare Caredermis' own dermatological review; the rest are drawn from official data — see the cited sources ↓
Environmental impact
Editorial7/10Classic microplastic; plastic microbeads banned in many countries; EU microplastics restriction phasing it out.
Official regulatory status
Pulled directly from official regulatory datasets and expert reviews — not our own judgement.
Guidance by skin profile
Caredermis editorial guidance based on the concerns above — checked against the official records on every build, but not itself a regulator statement.
- Sensitive skinNo specific concern
- Oily & acne-proneNo specific concern
- Dry skinNo specific concern
- PregnancyNo specific concern
- Babies & kidsNo specific concern
- Eczema-proneNo specific concern
Sources
Each authority below is shown only because our ingested copy of its data lists Polyethylene — not because we asserted it. Follow a link to verify the classification or regulation directly.
CIR conclusion from the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Quick Reference Table — cir-safety.org (snapshot in data/sources/)(point-in-time snapshot; CIR's live record may have been updated since).
See our methodology for how these map to concern levels. Informational only — not medical advice.
Products in our library containing Polyethylene
- unileverDove Déodorant Stick Anti-Transpirant Original Protection 48h 40ml
- NuxeStick Lèvres hydratant
- Dovemen care stick clean comfort 50 m
- unileverDove Women Invisible Dry Deodorant Stick
- CarrefourStick lèvres Réparateur
- unileverREXONA MEN Stick Anti-Transpirant Invisible Black & White 50ml
- L'OREAL NORGE ASMaybelline New York Tattoo Liner 900 Deep Onyx Automatic Gel Pencil
- DoveWomen Cool Essentials
- NeutrogenaVisibly Clear Désincrustant Points Noirs
- canencoIlovemystyle
- CliniqueRedness solutions
- EYEKOSPORT WATERPROOF
Related ingredients
Ingredients with a similar role or shared type of concern — useful for comparing what's on your label.
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