But before we get to the regulation, why were they banned? What impact do microplastics in cosmetics have on the environment and also on the human health? Is there a danger related to that?

Plastics themselves are known to be relatively inert, so they're not that reactive.

But the challenge with plastics is the additives in them, largely.

So things are added to those plastics to make them moldable, to make them usable.

So they often will have what are called plasticizers.

So they also have colorants in them, depending on the application that they're being designed for.

They may have PFAS in them.

So is there any effective alternative to microplastics in cosmetics? And if so, what are they?