Microplastic-Free Certification for Cosmetics and Personal Care
Independent certification for skincare, cosmetics, and personal care products, covering both the formulation and the packaging surfaces it touches.
Why cosmetics and personal care
Cosmetics are applied directly to skin, lips, and hair, so the formulation itself and the packaging it contacts are both exposure surfaces. US federal law addressed one narrow piece of this: the Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015 banned plastic microbeads, but only in rinse-off cosmetics that exfoliate. Leave-on products, other intentionally added polymer ingredients, and packaging contact are outside that ban. Many brands formulate beyond the legal minimum and market their products as microplastic free. Certification turns that marketing language into a reviewed, verifiable claim.
What we review
For cosmetics and personal care, our review covers the full ingredient list against known microplastic and liquid polymer ingredients, the primary packaging surfaces the formulation contacts, and applicators or tools included with the product. We review supplier documentation for raw materials and evaluate everything against the published CMF Standard v1.0. Intentionally added microplastics of any size are disqualifying, as are microplastic-forming coatings on packaging contact surfaces.
The review is documentation based. We do not perform lab testing; we evaluate the ingredient and material evidence your suppliers already provide, which keeps review costs accessible for independent brands.
Getting started
Review the certification criteria and our article on substantiating microplastic-free marketing claims, then submit an initial application. The eligibility screening is free.
Related reading: What does microplastic-free actually mean?
What the seal covers
- Every exposed surface: the parts that contact skin, mouths, food, or beverages during normal use
- Primary packaging where the contents touch it
- Materials, coatings, adhesives, and liners on those surfaces
- An absolute standard: no contamination threshold, no partial credit
- Annual renewal confirming materials and suppliers are unchanged
What it does not cover
- Laboratory testing of the finished product. We review documentation, not samples
- A guarantee that no microplastic particle will ever be present in or around the product
- General product safety or regulatory compliance beyond microplastics
- Chemical safety, carbon footprint, recyclability, or organic content
- Outer and shipping packaging, which we assess for shedding risk but do not certify