FORMULATION 121


Beyond microplastics: a shift in formulation chassis


Nicolas Blanchon, Renuka Nagarnaik - Bioweg ABSTRACT


The countdown to the European Union’s restriction on intentionally added synthetic polymer microparticles has begun. While the regulation is often framed as a compliance exercise, its technical implications run much deeper. The restriction targets a broad family of


polymeric materials that have historically fulfilled multiple functions in personal care formulations: rheology control, suspension, film formation, long- term stability and of course, sensoriality! These polymers are not isolated ingredients.


They are structural pillars around which entire formulation strategies have been built. Acrylic thickeners, crosslinked polymers, silicone elastomers, and polyethylene-based texturisers have shaped what can be described as the “modern formulation chassis.” Removing them is not a simple matter of replacement; it destabilises the architecture of the system itself. At the same time, consumer perception of


microplastics is rapidly evolving. What was once an invisible formulation detail is now a visible sustainability marker. This convergence of regulation and consumer


expectation signals a fundamental transition: the future of personal care formulations must be fossil-free, microplastics-free, and demonstrably biodegradable - without compromising functional performance.


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The limits of drop-in substitution A common initial response to regulatory pressure is the search for drop-in alternatives - materials that can replace restricted polymers at equal use levels while preserving formulation behaviour. While appealing in theory, this strategy has repeatedly shown its limitations. Synthetic polymers are highly engineered


materials with narrow molecular weight distributions, controlled crosslinking densities, and predictable swelling or film-forming behaviour. Their performance is deeply embedded in


formulation equilibria. Attempting to replicate these properties with natural or biobased materials often leads to compromises in viscosity stability, sensory consistency, or long-term robustness. More critically, the drop-in mindset assumes that the original performance benchmark remains unchanged.


This assumption deserves to be challenged.


Formulations built around silicone-like slip, alkane-driven spreading, or acrylic-induced yield stress are optimised for sensorial paradigms that are themselves the product of petrochemical chemistry. In a post microplastics landscape, the


objective cannot simply be to reproduce these sensations identically. Instead, it must be to redefine acceptable - and desirable - performance within new formulation frameworks.


The forthcoming European Union restrictions on intentionally-added synthetic polymer microparticles mark a structural inflection point for the personal care industry. Beyond meeting compliance requirements, these measures compel formulators to re-examine formulation architectures that have been optimised for decades around fossil-derived polymers, silicones, and synthetic texturising systems. Simply identifying drop-in replacements will not be sufficient. Incremental substitution strategies are increasingly inadequate, and in highly sensorial categories - particularly colour cosmetics - a more fundamental redesign of the formulation chassis is often required. This article examines the technical challenges of moving away from legacy polymer networks, the limitations of direct sensorial mimicry, and the potential of bio-based, biodegradable polymers - especially bacterial cellulose - as a new class of high-performance structuring materials. It also proposes a practical roadmap to help formulators navigate the transition to fossil-free, microplastics-free formulations while maintaining performance and, where necessary, redefining sensoriality


Changing the formulation chassis: an unavoidable step A formulation chassis can be defined as the structural logic that governs ingredient interactions, phase organisation, and macroscopic behaviour. For decades, the chassis has relied on synthetic polymers to provide tolerance, formulation latitude, and sensorial control. Transitioning away from these materials


requires a radical redesign of this logic. Natural and biobased polymers do not behave as simplified versions of synthetic ones; they introduce new interaction mechanisms such as hydrogen bonding networks, fibrillar entanglement, and hydration driven structuring. This shift introduces significant technical


challenges: Formulation robustness: Natural polymers


often exhibit higher sensitivity to pH, electrolytes, and shear history. Yet nature is well designed and natural polymers can also demonstrate performance equivalent to synthetic materials. Processing constraints: Hydration kinetics,


April 2026 PERSONAL CARE MAGAZINE


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