It's hard to have a conversation about health these days without the topic of microplastics coming up! Whether in the environment, or inside our bodies (shudder!), it feels like they're everywhere, and impossible to escape.

Microplastics leach into our food from plastic wrap and plastic packaging, they're present in our drinking water, both bottled and tap, and they even make their way into the air as fibers released from synthetic clothing (I’m sorry to tell you but fleece is one of the worst culprits!), carpets, and furniture. The ocean is also full of microplastics, so it's likely the fish we eat contains them too.

In cosmetics, personal-care products may deposit micro or nanoplastics on skin. Dermal penetration is limited to extremely small particles, but nanoplastics are able to cross skin barriers.

Microplastics have been detected in blood, lungs, liver, kidney, brain, placenta, follicular fluid, breast milk, seminal fluid, and even arterial plaques.

Glass versus plastic bottles

From the very beginning of Crawford Street Skin Care I knew I wanted to avoid plastic packaging. I always believed that the amber glass bottles and jars that we use at Crawford Street were not only elegant, but they were better for the integrity of the product and better for the environment.  

Here's a few more reasons why I prefer glass bottles over plastic:

1. Glass is non‑porous and chemically stable, so it doesn’t leach toxins (e.g., BPA).

2. Glass forms a perfect barrier to oxygen, moisture, and gases, preserving products much better and longer than plastic.

3. Glass can be recycled endlessly without losing quality, unlike plastic which degrades with each cycle.

4. Made from abundant and non-toxic natural materials (sand, limestone, soda ash), glass relies less on fossil fuels than petrochemical‑based plastics. Also, when glass ends up in the environment it doesn’t break down into microplastics. 

When it came down to health, glass bottles over plastic was a no-brainer for me. And who doesn't love the look and feel of an elegant glass bottle? Win-win!

Shop our collection of natural, healing skin care, packaged in beautiful glass bottles.