Beat the Microbead

Beat the Microbead

Fight plastics in cosmetics!

25 ratings
132 reviews
Free
With Ads

Details

  • Released
  • Updated
  • November 3, 2012
  • April 2, 2024

Features

Beat the Microbead screenshot #1 for iPhone
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About

Quickly check cosmetics and personal care products for plastic ingredients by scanning their ingredient lists. Receive a traffic light rating and discover certified microplastic-free brands to make informed, eco-friendly choices.

Scan product ingredients for microplastics
Text recognition technology
Traffic light rating system (Red, Orange, Green)
Discover certified microplastic-free brands
Contribute to a database against microplastics
Barcode scanning
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What's New in Beat the Microbead

3.1.1

April 2, 2024

A small update, so that the app works even better, the barcode scanner is working again. Your feedback about the app is welcome and we try to include as much as possible in next updates.

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User reviews

Not my language

The app is in German and the Translate to English button does not work. Back to the drawing board people.

Great idea, needs work

I love that this app exists, but it needs some serious work and I hope developers will take the feedback seriously. It ignores fragrance/parfum as an ingredient of concern which almost always contains microplastic chemicals. Next when it lists zero plastic brands, it would be so helpful to either link to that brand’s website or at least give a general description of what products it sells - very not user friendly scrolling through so many brands 2 at a time. Its database of products is also still very small and no matter how many products I scan it doesn’t seem to have them. Anyway I love that this exists and will keep using it but beware some of the pitfalls
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Great app but……

This app is really useful. I think it could be even better if the barcode of a product was not always asked for after a scan of ingredients. I frequently look at product ingredient lists on my computer before deciding whether or not to buy it. The app is great at identifying microplastics in the list, but because I am looking at a list on my computer screen rather than holding the product in my hand, there is no barcode to be scanned.
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Really great app

I’ve been using this app for like 20mins and am obsessed. It’s very easy to use and I’ve discovered a shocking amount of my products have microplastics. I was particularly surprised by my kbeauty skincare as I thought Korea had a ban on microplastics. The only things I would like to add to the app for improvement is an option for a personal database so when you scan a product you can save it to avoid having to rescan the same product and also a website version (like Paula’s choice ingredients checker) where you can type ingredients in would be super helpful aswell as not everyone has smart phones
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Mid

Not bad but we should be able to access the database and look for products.

Developer apps

FAQ

What does the Beat the Microbead app do?

The app allows you to scan the ingredients of your cosmetics and personal care products to check for the presence of microplastics. It uses text recognition technology to analyze ingredient lists and provides a clear rating system to help you make informed purchasing decisions.

How does the traffic light rating system work?

The app uses a traffic light system to rate products: RED indicates the presence of microplastics, ORANGE signifies 'sceptical' microplastics (synthetic polymers with insufficient information), and GREEN means the product is free of microplastics.

Is the app free to use?

Yes, the app is free to download and use. It is supported by advertisements, which allows it to remain accessible to all users.

What are the benefits of using this app?

By using the app, you can avoid products containing harmful microplastics, protect the environment from pollution, and discover brands committed to offering microplastic-free options. You also contribute to a larger database that helps advocate against the use of plastics in cosmetics.

Can I find out about brands that are completely microplastic-free?

Yes, the app allows you to discover brands that have been certified by them as having their entire product range free of all known microplastic ingredients. This makes it easier to support companies dedicated to plastic-free formulations.